From Washington,this is VOA News.

The United States says a political solution may be in the works to end the deadly fighting in South Sudan.

That story now from VOA's Jeff Seldin.

As thousands of South Sudanese gathered at a United Nations camp in Juba seeking safety, the U.S. special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan also was in the capital, meeting with President Salva Kiir.

Ambassador Donald Booth, speaking by phone to reporters in Washington, said Monday the two had a "frank and open discussion," and that President Kiir is ready to begin talks with former vice president Riek Machar to end the violence.

Booth also visited with 11 senior officials allied with Machar, who are being held in Juba. He said they are in good health, and he expressed a willingness to end the crisis peacefully.

But earlier Machar told Reuters there can be no talks until they are released.

Jeff Seldin VOA News Washington.

Another news.

Russia freed two jailed members of the political protest punk band Pussy Riot under an amnesty law.

Two women called their release a public relations stunt by the Russian government ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.

Carnegie Moscow analyst Masha Lipman agreed.

“In the months leading to the Sochi Olympics, Russia was facing a stream of negative publicity.And it seems this was becoming a matter of concern for the Kremlin, especially as leaders of very important countries - such as the United States, and France, and now, Britain - said they were not coming.”

The Pussy Riot were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for performing a punk prayer against President Vladimir Putin on the altar of Russia's most prominent Orthodox church in early 2012.

The Armenian government has ratified a controversial natural gas agreement with Russia, despite widespread protests by the opposition.

Under the agreement, the Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom will gain full control of Armenia's natural gas distribution company ArmRosgazprom. Gazprom will also control all of Armenia's gas imports until 2043.

Leader of al-Qaida's Yemen affiliate, Qassem al Raymi, is apologizing for the attack on a hospital inside Yemen's Defense Ministry on December 5. He is promising to pay compensation to families of the victims.
 
Edward Yeranian has our report.

The top commander of the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida insisted in an Internet video that militants who attacked the country's Defense Ministry had “disobeyed orders” to avoid hitting a hospital and mosque inside the ministry compound.
 
Yemeni state TV recently broadcast closed-circuit video of the al-Qaida militants gunning down and throwing a grenade at civilians inside the ministry's hospital. The images have provoked a strong public backlash against the group.
 
In an apparent bid to regain public sympathy, al Raymi said that families of victims of the attack would receive “blood money.”

Edward Yeranian VOA News Cairo.

Thousands of anti-government protesters determined to unseat Thailand's prime minister surrounded a Bangkok sports stadium Monday in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent political parties from registering for a February 2 election.

The main opposition Democrat Party said Saturday it will boycott the vote, which Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ruling party would likely win.

Prime Minister Yingluck dissolved parliament on December 9 and called the snap election to try to end sometimes violent anti-government street protests.

Intense rain and flooding in southeast Brazil have killed at least six people and forced 40,000 more to leave their homes.

Civil defense officials say the heavy rain that began last week has wreaked havoc in 45 Brazilian municipalities, causing flash floods and mudslides.

Some major roads crumbled under the violent downpour, while several others have been flooded.

In 24 hours, 130 millimeters of rain has fallen in Espirito Santo state.

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