summon
ed the Syrian ambassador to issue what it called a "
vigorous
protest" about damage to its embassy and a consulate in Syria. The United States accused the Syrian authorities of organising a protest, at which its embassy was pelted with eggs and tomatoes. The demonstrations followed Syrian complaints about visits made by the French and American ambassadors last week to the town of Hama, where the authorities have been trying to crush anti-government protests.
The American Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in Iraq on an unannounced visit. The visit comes amid uncertainty over the remaining US troops in Iraq, who are scheduled to
pull out
by the end of this year. Mr Panetta said he would be encouraging Iraq to decide whether it wants to retain American forces beyond the deadline.
A pleasure boat carrying more than 180 people has sunk in the Volga River in Russia. The Russian authorities say that 84 people were rescued and that one passenger has died. More than 90 people are still unaccounted for, and the search for the missing continues. It's not yet clear why the boat sank. Russia's transport ministry has set up a commission to investigate the accident.
Seventeen prisoners are on the run in southwestern Colombia after a mass jailbreak in the city of Tumaco. Police said 20 prisoners escaped after an explosion at the prison. Three were recaptured. Vanessa Buschschluter has this report.