US patience on Syria running out, Kerry tells Russia

US Secretary of State John Kerry told Russia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  to respect a fragile ceasefire, warning that Washington’s patience was running out. “Russia needs to understand that our patience is not infinite, in fact it is very limited with whether or not Assad is going to be held accountable,” the Secretary of State said during a visit to Norway.

Iran says detained Briton tried to overthrow regime

A British-Iranian woman who was arrested in Iran in April was accused of seeking to “overthrow the regime“. Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe, an employee of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was accused of being “involved in the soft overthrow of the Islamic republic through her membership in foreign companies and institutions,“ a regional Guards branch said.Nazanin, 37, was arrested at Tehran airport on April 3. Iran doesn’t recognise dual-citizenship and, if put on trial, she will be considered an Iranian.

Hollande threatens ban on protests after Paris clash

French President Francois Hollande has threatened to ban demonstrations, a day after violent protests erupted in Paris over labour reforms. A defiant PM Manuel Valls vowed to stand firm on the reforms despite the mass protests.

Oxford university students complain of too many essays

Students at Oxford University have complained that they are being forced to submit too many essays in comparison with peers studying similar courses at different colleges. Undergraduates said they were expected to write up to three essays a week while others submitted only one.

Germany warns refugees against polygamy

Germany will not recognise polygamy or child marriages, its justice minister said, as concern rises over such cases amid influx of refugees, many from Muslim nations. “No one has the right to put his cultural values or religious beliefs above law,“ minister Heiko Maas is reported to have said.