This is our new Friday Digest! Every Friday, this weekly news round-up gives us the occasion to share with you news from various topics: politics to arts, entertainment, media, science, sports, fun and less fun news…

This digest is a list of news published this week on the Internet (Friday to Friday), selected by the Sama Team, and it is by no means exhaustive. If you want to suggest a news to be added in the next Friday Digest, contact us.

Pakistan: 25 troops dead in NATO helicopter attack
Pakistan on Saturday accused NATO helicopters of firing on two army checkpoints in the northwest and killing 25 soldiers, then retaliated by closing a key border crossing used by the coalition to supply its troops in neighboring Afghanistan. The incident Friday night was a major blow to already strained relations between Islamabad and U.S.-led forces fighting in Afghanistan. It will add to perceptions…

NASA Mars Curiosity Launch: Huge Rover On Its Way To Mars
The world’s biggest extraterrestrial explorer, NASA’s Curiosity rover, rocketed toward Mars on Saturday on a search for evidence that the red planet might once have been home to itsy-bitsy life. It will take 8 1/2 months for Curiosity to reach Mars following a journey of 354 million miles. An unmanned Atlas V rocket hoisted the rover, officially known as Mars Science Laboratory, into a cloudy late morning sky…

Morocco’s Arab Spring election won by Islamists
The victory of an Islamist Party in Morocco’s parliamentary elections appears to be one more sign that religious-based parties are benefiting the most from the new freedoms brought by the Arab Spring. Across the Middle East, parties referencing Islam have made great strides, offering an alternative to corrupt, long serving dictators, who have often ruled with close Western support. The Justice and Development…

Arab League Votes for Syria Sanctions
In an unprecedented move, the Arab League has voted for strict sanctions against founding member nation Syria. 19 of the league’s 22 countries voted for the sanctions, which include cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank and halting funding for government projects in the country. The Associated Press reports that President Bashar Assad’s regime condemned the move, saying it was a betrayal of Arab…

Democratic Republic of Congo voting extended into second day
Voting has continued for a second day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s turbulent elections, while the long process of counting also gets under way. Polls had been due to close at 5pm on Monday but a host of logistical problems meant voting carried on into the night or was extended to Tuesday in at least 400 of the vast country’s 63,000 polling stations. While millions of people ast their vote peacefully…

Chinese police question Ai Weiwei’s wife
Lu Qing was summoned by one uniformed and three plain-clothed officers to her local police station. The episode suggests that Mr Ai’s troubles with the Chinese authorities may not be over, despite his recent payment of a £1.5 million tax bill. Inside, she was asked to give her personal details and questioned about a project in 2008 when Mr Ai curated an exhibition of international architects in the…

Laurent Gbagbo: International Criminal Court Charges Former Ivory Coast President With Crimes Against Humanity
The International Criminal Court charged former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo with murder, rape, persecution and inhuman acts Wednesday, crimes allegedly committed as his backers fought brutal battles to keep him in power after last year’s elections. Gbagbo, 66, is the first former head of state taken into custody by the court since it was established in 2002, although prosecutors also have…

Book purports to tell DSK’s side of rape charges
A new book purporting to give Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s side says the maid who accused him of sexual assault actually propositioned him. Paris Match magazine on Thursday published excerpts of “Affaires DSK: The Second Inquiry,” by Strauss-Kahn biographer Michel Taubmann. Its release is set for Dec. 8. Lawyers for Nafissatou Diallo, the African immigrant who alleged the former head of the International…

French-Based Syrian Opposition Threatened
France is upping security for members of Syrian opposition groups who live or work in France. French Interior Minister Claude Gueant told reporters in Paris Friday that new security measures have been put in place for members of the Syrian National Council, including Paris-based leader Burhan Ghalioun. Gueant did not share any details of the threats, though the French news agency quoted him as saying that…