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Guyana says the Venezuelan navy has entered its territorial waters and detained a US-operated ship. The government said the Venezuelan actions in the disputed Essequibo region constituted "a serious threat to peace in the region". The ship belongs to Texas-based company Anadarko, which has been granted a contract to look for oil in the area. Caracas has said the ship was operating illegally in Venezuelan waters. The US has declined to comment on the seizure. The vessel - the Teknik Perdana - was surveying the seafloor on Thursday when it was approached by a Venezuelan navy vessel and forced to sail to Venezuela's Margarita Island. At least five US citizens are on board, the company said. "One point is clear: the Teknik Perdana was in Guyana's waters when this incident took place," said the Guyanan foreign ministry in a statement. The US state department said it was aware of reports that five US citizens were among crew members detained by Venezu...

A man mourns over the bodies of those killed in a suspected chemical weapon attack in a suburb of Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday, August 21. Syrian rebels said that poisonous gas rained down from rockets overnight, but authorities have denied the allegations that they used chemical weapons and accused the opposition of staging the attacks. U.S. officials, however, said there were "strong indications" that there was a chemical weapons attack by the government. HIDE CAPTION Suspected chemical attack in Syria United Nations (CNN)  -- The U.N. Security Council could vote as early as Friday on a draft resolution regarding Syria's chemical weapons program. The resolution would impose "legally binding obligations" on the government to eliminate its program, said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. "This resolution will require the destruction of a category of weapons that the Syrian government h...

Peshawar, Pakistan (CNN)  -- At least 17 people were killed and more than 30 others wounded in an explosion that ripped through a bus carrying government employees in northwest Pakistan on Friday, authorities said. The blast destroyed the bus, police said. It was carrying at least 70 employees of various departments of the secretariat of Peshawar, the capital of the volatile province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police think the explosion was caused by a remote-controlled device planted in a tin can containing about 6 to 8 kilograms (13 to 18 pounds) of explosives, said Nasir Durrani, inspector general of police in the province. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Hakim Khan, an eyewitness, said the explosion hurled people sitting on the bus's roof out into fields by the side of the road. Authorities said 34 people who were wounded in the blast are being treated at nearby hospitals. Sikander Khan Sherpao, senior minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, suggeste...

A girl walks past the remnants of a house in the earthquake-devastated district of Awaran on Thursday, September 26. The 7.7-magnitude quake struck on September 24 in a remote, sparsely populated area of southwestern Pakistan. HIDE CAPTION 7.7 quake rocks Pakistan Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN)  -- The death toll from the strong earthquake  that struck southwestern  Pakistan  this week has risen to 356 as rescue workers struggle to reach victims, authorities said Thursday. Further complicating relief efforts, two rockets were fired at -- and missed -- a military helicopter on its way to the quake zone. The number of people injured has climbed to 619, said Jan Muhammad Buledi, a spokesman for the government of Balochistan, the province where the quake hit. Authorities estimate that 21,000 houses have been destroyed. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake took place Tuesday in a remote, sparsely populated area of Balochis...

The top 10 Miss World contestants pose during the modeling event at the convention center in Indonesia's resort island of Bali on September 24.The Miss World finals will take place on September 28, after weeks of protests from Muslim hardliners. HIDE CAPTION Miss World sparks controversy Protesters in Indonesia denounce the contest where women sashay in swimsuits and form-fitting evening wear, calling it insulting to Muslims and triggering threats of violence.Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN)  -- Demeaning, exploitative, degrading. Beauty pageants have been called lots of things. And it's also the line coming from Islamic hardliners, who are protesting this year's Miss World Contest, which is held in the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Islamic groups urged the government to shut the contest down. Hardliners burned signs featuring the image of last year's winner Wenxia Yu of China that read "Reject Miss World." They a...

The   United States   and   Russia   have agreed that Syrian   chemical weapons   will be placed under international control and destroyed in a process that will begin with a week. International inspectors from the Organisation of the Prevention of Chemical weapons must be given "immediate and unfettered" access to Syrian chemical weapons, said the US secretary of state, John Kerry, while  Syria  must give a "comprehensive list" of its chemical weapons within one week. Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Saturday after three days of talks, Kerry outlined the details of the deal as Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov looked on. The deal "would allow us to expedite the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons" which would protect the Syrian people, Syria's neighbours and the world. Kerry said the removal of chemical weapons would be "credible and verifiable" if fully implemented. "The world will now wait for the As...

Continue reading the main story Syria conflict Back from brink, war grinds on UN report explained Surprise success? Daunting task US President Barack Obama has warned of "consequences" if the Syrian regime fails to comply with a framework deal to destroy its chemical weapons. A  framework document  agreed by the US and Russia on Saturday stipulates that Syria must provide full details of its stockpile within a week. The chemical arsenal must then be eliminated by mid-2014. If Syria fails to comply, the deal could be enforced by a UN resolution with the use of force as a last resort. But US officials say the president reserves the right to act without the agreement of the UN. Continue reading the main story Analysis Jeremy Bowen BBC Middle East editor, Damascus Russia has significant leverage over the regime in Damascus, as it supplies its weapons. Perhaps more importantly, Russia has been watching President Assad's back at the United Nations. ...