Syria toll rises as Russia says Assad made ‘mistakes’

In clamping down on demonstrations:

SYRIA: The death toll in Syrian protests rose Tuesday as long-time Damascus ally Russia said President Bashar al-Assad had made “a lot of mistakes” in clamping down on the year-old demonstrations. Fresh clashes broke out in the capital and security forces killed at least 30 people, all but two of them civilians,

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Back in action after tactical retreat:

India’s Maoists re-emerge with Italian kidnappings

INDIA: The kidnapping of two Italians by Maoists in India marks a change in tactics by the guerrillas whose insurgency had lost intensity following an onslaught from government forces, experts say. Paolo Bosusco, a 54-year-old tourist guide, and Claudio Colangelo, a 61-year-old holidaymaker from Rome, were abducted on Wednesday in the eastern state of Orissa,

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