UNITED NATIONS

The Syrian crisis has pushed the Chinese to engage internationally significantly more than it has in the past. Some remain skeptical as to China's interest in Syria, but the recently released 6-point statement shows a China attempting to strike a middle-ground.

Angelina Jolie took to the stage of the Women in the World Summit on Thursday and told the moving story of a Somali doctor whose farm has, for decades, been the safe-haven for many women fleeing hunger, violence and rape.

The summit will seek to pressure Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program.

Syrian opposition leaders rejected the United Nations' call for a dialog with President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, said Thursday evening he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents.

The country that is perhaps most intimately connected with offering a haven for brutal (and unemployed) dictators is the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

After at least 44 people were killed in Homs on Thursday, Syrian activists said they fear the city is headed toward another massacre.

Ahani also said that foreign powers need not fear Iran’s atomic ambitions.

From presidents to prime ministers, girl power is leading the world.

International Women's Day 2012, on March 8, marks the 101st time the international holiday has been celebrated, a tribute Google looks to honor with its latest Google Doodle. From what this year's design means to what the founder of the International Women's Day web site thinks of tributes like the Doodle, here are five things to know about the 2012 tribute.

Deputy oil minister Abdo Hussameddin, the highest-ranking official to defect during the uprising, said in a YouTube video that he was joining the revolution of this dignified people.

Long-serving Syrian deputy oil minister Abdo Hussameddin became the highest-ranking official in the country to join the anti-regime movement when he gave up his portfolio Thursday.

President Moncef Marzouki made the same proposal last week, but it is unclear if Assad responded to him or not.

The press agency of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement charged Wednesday that the CIA, Israel's Mossad and private security firms have been exposed supporting Syrian rebels in Homs.

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council met on Wednesday to draft a new resolution in hopes of ending nearly a year of violence in Syria.

The United Nations humanitarian chief Valarie Amos arrived in Syria on Wednesday and is headed to the embattled city of Homs, which has been under assault by Syrian government forces for over a month.

Fifty years after top doctors issued their first stark warning about the dangers of cigarettes, more than 20 percent of Britons still smoke -- and unless they quit, half of them will die from the habit, health experts on Tuesday.

The European Commission may on Wednesday tell Hungary it still has concerns over disputed laws, potentially further delaying new talks on an aid deal needed to keep the country solvent.

U.S Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton will join a whole host of inspiring women including Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie and Leymah Gbowee at the third annual Women in the World Summit, which kicks off Women's Day on Thursday.

On Monday afternoon, Arizona Republican John McCain became the first U.S. Senator to call for air strikes against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. A senior Obama administration official said that the president and his advisers “share his concern and outrage about what’s taking place.

In honor of International Women’s Day 2012, here's a look at the best and worst places to be a woman. Caution: The results may surprise you.