Syria drops plans to run for a position on the UN Human Rights Council, diplomats say, following Damascus' crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says voluntary "chemical castration" could be a possible punishment for child sex offenders.

The sons of Osama Bin Laden criticise his "arbitrary killing" in a statement to the New York Times, and ask why he did not have the chance to stand trial.

A new mobile telephone emergency alert system will be launched in Washington and New York by the end of the year, US officials say.

The Mississippi River peaks at just under 48ft (14.6m) in the southern US city of Memphis, officials say, and the flood could take weeks to recede.

The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson tells US talk show host Oprah Winfrey that not receiving an invitation to the recent royal wedding was "difficult".

US Senator John Kerry will travel to Pakistan this week with aim of getting the nations back "on the right track" after the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

China's red-hot economy cools slightly in April, as the government's tightening measures start to bite.