The Wire

Syria: Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has come under criticism overnight for standing by her husband as he continues his brutal crackdown on Syrian opposition forces. Sudan: disputes over the border town of Heglig between Sudan and the recently formed South Sudan threaten to throw the two nations into turmoil less than one year after the two nations separated following a peace deal in 2005. Holland: In Holland people are currently permitted to carry up to five grams of cannabis, but all of this could be about to change. The conservative government is trying to ban coffee shops from selling cannabis to foreigners, which is a huge tourism drawcard for the country.