BBC News with Fiona MacDonald
The United States has reacted sceptically to Syria's acceptance of the peace plan put forward by the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. The Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Damascus would be judged by its actions, not its words.
"Given Assad's history of over-promising and under-delivering, that commitment must now be matched by immediate actions. We will judge Assad's sincerity and seriousness by what he does, not by what he says."
Mrs Clinton said Syria must immediately silence its guns, allow humanitarian aid in and start preparing for a democratic transition. Meanwhile, the United Nations has increased its estimate for the number of people killed in the past year of unrest in Syria to more than 9,000.
As Pope Benedict continues his visit to Cuba, a senior minister has dismissed any prospect of political reforms in the socialist country. Marino Murillo, who's in charge of economic affairs, said that government reforms were intended to update its economic model to make Cuban socialism sustainable.
French judges are reported to have requested an international arrest warrant for the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea over allegations that he's misappropriated his country's funds to support a lavish lifestyle in France. Christian Fraser is in Paris.
Teodoro Obiang is accustomed to the good life. He's often photographed enjoying an extravagant lifestyle complete with million-dollar homes and luxurious yachts. The billboards in his home, capital of Malabo, show him at work and in touch with the people, but diplomats are familiar with a very different playboy lifestyle. French judges who've been handling this case since 2010 allege the properties he bought here in France were purchased with public money stolen from Equatorial Guinea. As part of the investigation, French police raided a building in a wealthy area of Paris. The building, valued at 150m, housed expensive paintings and fine wines. It was a hairdresser's and a nightclub which suggested it was not being used as a diplomatic residence.
There's been a second day of clashes in the oil-rich border region between Sudan and South Sudan. The Sudanese authorities accuse the South of carrying out attacks on their side of the border, but say they don't want to return to war. But as James Copnall reports from Khartoum, the South Sudanese military insist they are coming under attack.
South Sudan's military spokesman says his troops were attacked - first from the air, then on the ground - for the second straight day. Colonel Philip Aguer says the clashes are continuing between Teshwin and Heglig. This probably put South Sudan's soldiers inside what is internationally recognised as Sudanese territory though South Sudan claims it too. On Monday, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir said his troops had fought off an attack and pursued the Sudanese armed forces up to Heglig. Sudan's military spokesman denied there had been any air raids.
World News from the BBC
An American man has been given a new face, teeth, tongue and jaw(jaws口误) in what his surgeons say is the most extensive facial transplant ever performed. The man, Richard Lee Norris, has been a recluse since he was disfigured in a gun accident 15 years ago. Doctors say he's now recovering well after the 36-hour operation last week and is already able to brush his teeth and shave.
The Somali police say they've arrested a British passport holder. The man, Clive Dennis, is reported to have arrived at Mogadishu airport from Nairobi and told the police he wanted to travel to the southern port of Kismayo to help Islamists. The port is held by militants of al-Shabab.
An independent report into riots in several English cities last year has blamed poor parenting, rampant materialism and a lack of confidence in the police. The panel also highlights a lack of support and opportunities for young people. Our British affairs correspondent Rob Broomby reports.
Burning buildings, shops being looted by violent gangs and police on horseback trying to restore order - this was the scene last summer as riots swept through several English cities. Five people were killed; businesses were left devastated, and the public were left angry and wanting to know why. The Riots Communities and Victims Panel set up by the government has blamed a lack of opportunities for young people, poor parenting, a lack of shared values and the inability of the justice system to prevent re-offending as just some of the reasons for the riots. But it also stressed materialism and a concern about brand goods in poor neighbourhoods which fuelled the smash and grab frenzy.
Brazil says it's taking tougher action against websites which promote the country as a destination for sex tourism. The government says it's identified nearly 2,000 Internet sites which contain sex-oriented material, but also display official symbols, such as tourism logos. It said most of the offending images had been removed.
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