Global Roundup

Syrian forces have allegedly used nail bombs against peaceful protesters, killing 17. A leading opposition group made the allegations after clashes. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria said three children were among the dead.

Rina ruins holidays

Mexican tourist meccas have been closed for the weekend as Hurricane Rina prepares to hit the resort towns of Playa del Carman, Cancun and Cozumel. About 50,000 residents in “vulnerable” housing have been evacuated.

Greek tragedy

The Greek government’s effort to bolster its bottom line is all at sea, literally. The government announced last year it seized 555 yachts as it tried to crackdown on tax evasion. The country is estimated to be $488 billion in debt.

Alcohol killed singer

British singer Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, an inquest has ruled. A pathologist found the 27-year-old’s blood-alcohol limit was more than five times the legal driving limit. Three empty vodka bottles were near her body.

Kenyan attack

An attack on Kenyan government officials killed four people and injured several more on Thursday. The machine-gun assault on a car carrying school examination papers occurred in a region popular with militant groups.

Quake toll rises

The death toll from last weekend’s massive earthquake in eastern Turkey has soared, official said. The latest figure was 535 confirmed casualties. On Wednesday rescuers were able to save a mother and her two-week premature baby.

UN battle over

The United Nations operation in Libya is all but over. The Security Council unanimously voted on Thursday to end its resolution supporting NATO action on Monday. Former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed by opposition members this month.

Markets boost

Stock markets around the world rallied on Thursday and Friday after European leaders finally secured a deal to avoid a Greek default.

The US stock exchange, after weeks of poor performance, bounced six percent.

New Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has appointed Interior Minister Prince Payef bin Abdul Aziz as his successor.

He succeeds Sultan bin Abdul Aziz as Crown Prince of the world’s biggest oil exporting nation after his death last week.

Police accused

Two Pakistani policemen have been sacked after a court claimed they were responsible for the May murder of five Russian nationals.

Police first claimed the dead attacked a security checkpoint. No charges have been laid.

Cricketers left unpaid

National cricketers in Sri Lanka have not been paid their salaries for months. Sri Lanka Cricket said recent expenditure on the recent World Cup left the body with a sizable debt. It’s unclear when they will be in a position to pay wages.

Execution compensation

Taiwan’s defence ministry will pay the relatives of a man wrongly executed in 1997 $4.4 million in compensation. Investigations found Chiang Kuo-ching, convicted of murdering and raping a five-year-old, was tortured into confessing.