Saturday
Washington: For $50,000, a 26-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh kidnapped and killed his family friend's 10-month-old baby Saanvi, whose body he stuffed in a suitcase, but nicknames used by him in the ransom note provided critical clues that helped police nab him.
Baghdad: Bombings that hit markets and other insurgent strikes primarily targeting Iraq's Shiite community killed 31 people, challenging government efforts to promote a sense of stability by preventing attacks during a major Muslim holiday.
Sunday
Johannesburg: Sydney Sixers produced an all-round clinical display to clinch the Champions League Twenty20 title with a dominating 10-wicket victory over Highveld Lions in a lop-sided summit clash.
London: Al-Qaeda has formed an all-female 'Burkha Brigade' whose cadres are being trained to infiltrate and hit military bases and official buildings in the Western nations as they are less likely to attract suspicion than men.
Melbourne: Declaring that Asia's rise is "unstoppable", Australia unveiled an ambitious plan aimed at forging deeper links with India and other booming economies of the region, including through teaching languages like Hindi and Mandarin in its schools.
Monday
London: Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik along with British and UAE Foreign Ministers visited the hospital where Pakistani teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai is admitted following an assassination attempt by the Taliban.
Dhaka: Bangladesh expressed confidence in resolving outstanding issues with India "very soon" and said it looked forward to making bilateral ties "a model for others to emulate".
Tuesday
Washington: Describing the crisis triggered by superstorm Sandy as "heartbreaking" for the entire nation, US President Barack Obama warned the storm was "not yet over".
Wednesday
Islamabad: Pakistan's cabinet ratified five recent agreements with India, including a landmark visa pact aimed at easing restrictions on several categories of travellers, including senior citizens and businessmen.
Guangzhou (China): The Indian women's cricket team lifted the inaugural Asian Cricket Council's Twenty20 Asia Cup after beating arch-rivals Pakistan by 18 runs in a low-scoring final.
Thursday
United Nations: India, which assumed the rotating Presidency of the UNSC, hopes to reach out to other nations in garnering support for expansion of the world body's top decision-making arm besides seeking a comprehensive anti- piracy strategy to tackle the maritime menace.
New York: Superstorm Sandy left a trail of bodies and wreckage on the densely-populated US East Coast, claiming over 80 lives and sparking burglaries in flooded neighbourhoods as nearly 4 million Americans still struggled without power and communication.
Friday
Islamabad: Unidentified gunmen attacked prominent rights activist Marvi Sirmed, who has received threats from extremist groups several times in the past, in the Pakistani capital though she escaped unharmed.
Beijing: China rolled out a red carpet to "Missile man" and ex-President APJ Abdul Kalam on his first visit to the country, proposing a joint collaboration for a space solar power mission with India and inviting him to teach at the prestigious Peking University.
