International

Thailand could be impeded by political instability as the country's leaders struggle to maintain power and control in the face of a divided and at times violent public.

Recent events indicate a thawing of North Korea’s relationship with its neighbors and the U.S., but have not yet led to the fulfillment of the country’s denuclearization promises.

The release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi by the Scottish government last week has had political and emotional ramifications across borders.

On Aug. 25, 1944, Allied forces joined the French Resistance to liberate Paris from Nazi occupation.

Charges stemming from last month's Uighur-Han riots have been filed, which could bring some closure to the violent situation. Tensions still simmer, however.

By rejecting Costa Rica’s proposal to reinstate Manuel Zelaya as president, the Supreme Court continues to support the military coup that removed Zelaya in an effort to defend the Honduran constitution.

On Aug. 23, 1989, two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands on the Vilnius-Tallinn road in protest against illegal Soviet occupation.

On Aug. 22, 1849, Austria launched a pilotless balloon bomb attack against Venice. The attack caused little damaged, but Venice surrendered two days later.

In the aftermath of the mostly peaceful Afghan elections, reports are swirling as to who will be named president.

An internal audit found that the World Bank did not follow environmental and social standards in its interactions with Indonesian palm oil plantations.

On Aug. 21, 1968, the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies sent 200,000 troops into Czechoslovakia to wipe out the democratic reforms of Alexander Dubcek.

On Aug. 21, 1911, Vincenzo Perugia snatched the “Mona Lisa” from the Louvre, believing that it rightfully belongs to his native Italy.

In the midst of a long-running debate over whether Megrahi, who is dying of prostate cancer, is even responsible for the bombing that killed 270, he has been freed on compassionate grounds.

On Aug. 18, 1903, German inventor Karl Jatho completed a motorized flight in Hanover, Germany, four months before the Wright brothers’ historic flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C.

A San Francisco design competition calls attention to rising sea levels and rapidly thinning Antarctic glaciers. Some say we should start protecting ourselves now. 

A Los Angeles commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall lends an artful touch to the historic event. Other cities also have unique remembrances planned.

The only person so far convicted in the Lockerbie case is dying of prostate cancer and will be released "on compassionate grounds" next week.

Vladimir Putin’s promise to defend the Abkhazia region has reignited tensions with Georgia, stoking fears of another armed conflict.

In the Congo, where sexual assault is rampant and used as a weapon of war, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Congolese youth to raise awareness.

On Aug. 13, 1940, the Battle of Britain began when the German Luftwaffe launched Eagle Day, its first major offensive against the British Royal Air Force.

The Large Hadron Collider, designed to give scientists the ability to determine how matter was created after the Big Bang, is scheduled to be restarted in mid-November, 14 months after it was shut down.

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been found guilty of violating her house arrest. Her sentence is 18 months on house arrest.

As Afghanistan approaches its Aug. 20 national elections, attacks and threats may prevent some voters from going to the polls.

On Aug. 9, 1942, British officials imprisoned Mohandas Gandhi, hoping to suppress a civil disobedience program intended to free India from colonial rule.

On Aug. 8, 1963, robbers boarded the Royal Mail train and made off with 2.6 million pounds (equivalent to $50 million today). The crime took only 15 minutes and led to a nearly 40-year manhunt.

Ronnie Biggs went to jail in 2001 after nearly 40 years on the lam. This week he is once again a free man after officials released the convicted train robber due to his failing health.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, amid intelligence reports that Eritrea is supporting Islamic militants in neighboring Somalia, called the actions "unacceptable."

A comparison of Shakespeare’s English to a modern student’s text message conversation shows few resemblances, but this isn’t the first time English has undergone radical evolution.

The State Department has issued a letter raising questions about the U.S. government’s position on the Honduran political crisis, leaving many to wonder how the conflict will be resolved.

Turkey’s prime minister met with the leader of the main Kurdish party in an attempt to move toward a peaceful solution to the 25-year conflict between the Turkish government and the Kurdish minority in southwestern Turkey.