South Africa

A group of intellectuals and deputies are preparing to visit the Philippines, as part of their recent tour of countries where conflict resolution has been used to diffuse political tension.

Luxembourg has passed a same-sex marriage and adoption rights bill in a landslide poll of its MPs on Wednesday.

The Chamber of Deputies voted by an overwhelming majority of 56-4 for the law which will be put into force by early next year.

The Netherlands beat current world champion Spain in a Group B World Cup 2014 game at Arena Forte Nova, Salvador, on Friday. 

The first goal was scored by Spain's Xabi Alonso in the 27-th minute, but a minute before the end of the first halftime Robin Van Persie sent in an equalizer. 

 Greece enters the World Cup on Saturday, aiming for its first ever qualification from the group stage

By George Georgakopoulos

A Bulgarian man has been arrested in South Africa in connection with fraud and drug trafficking, the South African Press Association (SAPA) reported.

Borislov Grigorov 'Mike' is believed to be the right hand to Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, and his accountant. Meanwhile, Bulgarian media report the man's name as Lyubomir Grigorov.

By Karolos Grohmann

A second consecutive appearance at the World Cup finals represents a huge success for a Greece side who have set their sights on going one step further than they did in South Africa and advancing past the group stage.

BELGRADE - Rogan, a family winery based in Lipovac, near Oplenac, central Serbia, has won a silver medal at an international competition in France for its Shiraz wine, the Belgrade-based Centre for Wine Culture said in a statement on Friday.

By Pepe Escobar the roving correspondent for the Asia Times.

The article is from the Huffington Post

HONG KONG -- A specter is haunting Washington, an unnerving vision of a Sino-Russian alliance wedded to an expansive symbiosis of trade and commerce across much of the Eurasian land mass -- at the expense of the United States.

ROME - Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic and Daniel Nestor of Canada reached the men's doubles quarter-finals at the Rome Masters tournament late Wednesday by beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa and Jurgen Melzer of Austria 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 14-12.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is tipped to win the general vote held on Thursday.

With most ballots counted, it had gained nearly 63% of the vote, according to data by the Independent Electoral Commission cited by Al Jazeera.

This is nearly three percent less than in 2009 and will prevent the party from a desired two-thirds majority.