BANGKOK March 16, 2010 Tens of thousands of "red shirts" held a rally in Bangkok on Tuesday. They want Thailand's premier Abhisit Vejjajiva to call elections.

The "red shirts", mostly rural people, are supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. They were collecting a vial of blood from each supporter as 4 days of peaceful protest did not seem to have any effect.

ALGIERS March 15, 2010 Algeria will host a meeting of foreign ministers from countries in the Sahara desert this week. They will discuss a joint plan of action

BELGRADE March 14, 2010 Nine former paramilitary officers were detained by Serbian investigators for war crimes. Another two remain at large.

They are suspected of killing 41 Kosovo Albanian people during the Kosovo war. The ethnic Albanians were seeking independence.

CAIRO March 13, 2010 - At least 24 people were injured in northern Egypt in fighting between Christians and Muslims over land, officials told state media on Saturday.

Coptic Christians and Muslims fought in Marsa Matrouh governorate after the christians built a fence around land next to a building run by El Shahedeen church.

Muslim residents of the village objected to the fence, which blocked a main road.  Three homes and two cars were set on fire during the fight.

BAGHDAD March 13, 2010 - Partial results of Iraq’s tight election were released on Friday.  Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a narrow lead over rival Shi’ites.  But a secularist challenger remained far ahead in minority Sunni areas.

MADRID March 13, 2010 - Al Qaeda had kidnapped three Spanish hostages in Mauritania in November. It released one of them - Spanish aid worker, Alicia Gamez, earlier this week.

To free the other two, it wants a $5 million ransom and the release of imprisoned Islamist fighters. Newspaper El Pais said this, based on its sources of information.