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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, on Sunday, signalled Moscow’s strong support for a six-point peace plan to end the violence in Syria.
“This may be the last chance for Syria to avoid a long-lasting and bloody civil war,” said Medvedev during a meeting with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan at Moscow airport.
“Therefore we will provide you any help needed, on any level and in whatever direction, as far as Russia is able,” he added.
The former UN chief will next week head to Beijing to firm up backing for his plan there. Both Russia and China have been Syria’s staunchest allies until now.
They’ve vetoed two UN resolutions calling for Syrian President Bashar al Assad to step aside.
Meanwhile Syrian government troops continued their assault on Homs, Syria’s third largest city and Sarmin town in Idlib province on Sunday. One opposition activist in Homs claimed the fighting was the worst he’d seen with nine people killed and hundreds wounded.
More about: Bashar al-Assad, Dmitry Medvedev, Kofi Annan, Russia, SyriaCopyright © 2012 euronews

Britain’s official unemployment rate remains at a 13-year high, at 8.4% for the three months to January, but the worse news is that youth unemployment has gone over the million mark. 22.5% of 16 to 25 year-olds are jobless, the worst since records began in 1992. Wage growth has also slowed to just 1.4%.
More about: Economic crisis, Jobs, Unemployment, United KingdomCopyright © 2012 euronews

The EU, US and Japan have asked the World Trade Organisation to rule on a dispute with China over Beijing’s restrictions on exports of raw materials.
Some of the minerals concerned rare earth elements crucial to major industries, especially electronics.
The EU says the restrictions violate international trade rules and must be removed.
China accounts for around 97 percent of world output of rare earth metals.
More about: China, EU-China, WTOCopyright © 2012 euronews

Titled simply Tim Burton, a retrospective of the director’s works spanning his 27-year film career is on show in Paris.
Hundreds of drawings that date back to his childhood, photos, models, props and film clips make up the display at the Cinematheque Francaise.
Burton is known for movies such as Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow.
More about: Exhibition, France, Tim BurtonCopyright © 2012 euronews

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday admitted that there were some voting irregularities in his presidential election victory.
Putin said during a visit to a Kremlin-backed monitoring centre that an investigation would be held.
“There were, of course, violations. We need to identify them all, weed them out and make everything clear to everyone that the situation is being monitored and is under control,” Putin said.
Putin’s return to the presidency has been criticised by former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
He told the Echo of Moscow radio station that the government had side-stepped its own measures that it put in placesto reduce the risk of voting fraud.
Opposition protesters are planning more demonstrations on Saturday.
Activist blogger Alexei Navaly said that thousands of people would descend upon the streets of Moscow and would not leave until real democratic reforms were achieved.
Police arrested more than 500 demonstrators in the Russian capital and St Petersburg.
Around half of them have already been freed.
More about: Electoral fraud, Russia, Russian elections 2012, Vladimir PutinCopyright © 2012 euronews

Studio Harcourt is one of the most glamorous photographic studios in the world. Their pictures of the great and the good – stars, actors, Oscar winners, singers and dancers – are iconic. The subtle play of shadow and light along with the elegant white halos has made them instantly recognisable.
Catherine Renard, the CEO of Studio Harcourt said: “Studio Harcourt is the oldest portrait studio in the world. You know, of course, that photography was born in France, photography techniques, and then portrait studios. Why? Because people realised that photography was about to replace painted portraits.”
Invited to the studio for a portrait session, French actress Sara Martins said it felt like an honour and an achievement to have a portrait done there: “Studio Harcourt is so linked to cinema. Everyone recognises their portraits. They are black and white ‘Harcourt Portraits’. They are the memory of the golden age of Hollywood. So it’s very flattering to think “I’m part of this catalogue.”“
But portraits here don’t come cheap. You will not get much change from a thousand pounds to get your picture taken here. Which is why the Studio has now introduced photo booths – so that everyone can get the glamour treatment. The booths have much better lighting than normal ones and you get three chances to chose a snap you like.
The photo booth costs a modest 10 euros.
More about: Celebrity News, Paris, PhotographCopyright © 2012 euronews

Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron has plunged new depths with his latest project – and he could not be more delighted!
The man who brought us ‘Titanic’ has completed the world’s first solo voyage to the deepest known part of the planet, nearly 11 kilometres underwater.
In a specially-designed submarine, it took him more than two hours to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, southwest of Guam.
It is the first manned expedition there since 1960. The duo who made the descent then had little to report as sand from the ocean floor obscured their view.
This time round, special filming equipment was fitted to Cameron’s ‘Deepsea Challenger’ vessel to bring his record-breaking discoveries to the surface.
More about: Cinema, Guam, Ocean, USA, World recordCopyright © 2012 euronews

Survivors of Sunday’s devastating arms dump blasts in Congo have continued to overwhelm the main university hospital in the capital Brazzaville.
EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva saw for herself the challenge of trying to treat nearly 2,000 people, many with serious injuries. The official death toll stands at over 200.
“The hospital needs blood, needs additional doctors and nurses to be able to cope,” said the Commissioner responsible for organising the EU’s Crisis Response department. “We are providing immediate assistance through the Congolese Red Cross, 200,000 euros for medical supplies, and we are prepared to do much more if the needs grow.”
Many of those left homeless or bereaved say they blame the government for leaving them to live jammed up against the munitions dump for years with no thought for safety.
Ongoing explosions and fires have hampered efforts to recover the dead. There are now fears the flames could reach a second arms depot.

Sunday’s blasts, thought to have been triggered by an electrical fault, were so violent they buckled buildings and broke windows up to 10 kilometres away.
More about: Bomb blast, Explosion, Health, Military, Republic of CongoCopyright © 2012 euronews