With every announcement that Europe has finally dealt with its debt crisis there is a sigh of relief — and then reality sets in. There is a lot of skepticism this time because the Greek economy needs to start growing in order for it to make debt payments. And so far all the signs point toward a continuing contraction.

The trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is due to end Wednesday. Mubarak is accused of ordering the killing of protesters during last year's Arab Spring uprising. The prosecution has demanded the death penalty, but a verdict is not expected for some weeks yet.

Fawzia Koofi almost died on the day she was born, but survived against all odds and became the first female deputy speaker of Afghanistan's parliament. Koofi plans to run for president in two years, and in a new memoir, describes her hopes for the country's future.

A Syrian activist said two foreign journalists were killed Wednesday by Syrian government forces shelling the restive central city of Homs. The report could not be immediately confirmed.

Millions of Yemenis voted Tuesday in an unusual presidential election in which the only candidate was the vice president. That was the result of a power-transfer deal with President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who agreed to step down after 33 years. Boycotts and violence affected the polls in some places.

Since opposition protesters began taking to the streets in December, Russian authorities have been mounting pro-Kremlin rallies. But organizers of the pro-Putin events have been accused of padding their numbers by pressing government workers to attend, and even paying for hired extras.