Egypt-Election (incorporates all versions of Egypt-Ruling) (with Egypt-Election-Shafik and Egypt-Election-Morsi)

Many of the 50 million Egyptians eligible to vote prepared to go to the polls Saturday to participate in a historic runoff election for president.

Egypt-Ruling-Reaction

Outside Egypt's top court in Cairo, protest leader Hussein Abdel Rahman wears a sash around his collared shirt emblazoned with a zucchini. The judiciary, he says, has transformed into what the green vegetable means in colloquial language: corruption, nepotism, favoritism.

Egypt-Analysis

Confusion reigns in Egypt after stunning court rulings threw the country's awkward transition toward democratic rule into turmoil. The decision sparked cries that Egypt's military leaders have engineered a "soft coup" to thwart their longtime foes -- Islamists who just four months ago captured a majority of seats in the Egyptian parliament in the first election in Egypt in generations. The court's decision dissolves parliament, and the military was quick to say it now controls legislative affairs in Egypt, actions that raised the prospect of renewed mass street protests.

Syria-Unrest

The head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria says the increasing violence across the country is impeding his group's work, and he urged all parties to give the peace mission a chance.

Syria-Sexual-Abuse

Syrian security forces, soldiers and pro-regime militias used sexual violence to torture people in detention and sexually abused women and girls as young as 12 in raids, a new report said Friday.

Syria-Human-Shields

Government security forces and pro-government thugs have abducted about 20 children from the embattled Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs and are holding them as human shields, anti-government activists told CNN.

Syria-Russian-Ship

The United States says it is tracking a Russian military cargo ship as it makes its way to Syria carrying weapons, ammunition and a small number of Russian troops.

Canada-Michigan-Bridge

Officials in Michigan and Canada announced Friday that they have agreed to build a new bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

Canada-University-Shooting

Canadian authorities were preparing Friday to file warrants for murder against a 21-year-old security firm employee in the robbery of an armored vehicle at the University of Alberta that left three other security employees dead and a fourth critically injured, police said.

Mexico-Tropical-Storm

People along Mexico's southwestern coast are bracing for Hurricane Carlotta, an already powerful storm that forecasters say will experience "rapid strengthening" in the coming hours.

Paraguay-Farmer-Clashes

Peasants in eastern Paraguay opened fire on police trying to evict them from private property Friday, starting a clash that ended with at least 17 dead, according to local authorities and state-run media.

Europe-Future

Fifty years ago, a Frenchman and a German -- seared by the devastation of World War II -- forged an enterprise with the less than exciting name of the European Coal and Steel Community. West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French Prime Minister Robert Schuman's modest beginning to European integration -- to tie together the coal and steel industries of France, West Germany and the Benelux countries -- would over the next half-century become a behemoth of 27 states, many of which didn't even exist in 1952. That European Union vision is now at an historic crossroads and could over the next months begin to shred.

Yemen-Qaeda-Fight