From Washington,this is VOA News.

An Indian diplomat whose arrest and strip search in New York caused a diplomatic dispute between India and the U.S. was heading home Friday after being indicted on visa fraud Thursday.

Devyani Khobragade flew out of the U.S. Thursday night after India turned down a U.S. request to waive her diplomatic immunity.

U.S. authorities arrested the diplomat last month on charges that she paid her housekeeper much less than minimum wage and lied about it on the maid's visa application.

Her father thanked the India government Friday for its support.

"My daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family; this would not have been possible without the support entire nation, entire media and the government gave to us."

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Thousands of civilians have fled a state capital in South Sudan, amid fears of new clashes between rebels and government soldiers.

Reports say army troops loyal to President Salva Kiir are advancing toward the town, which has been held for several weeks by rebels who support the president's rival, Riek Machar.

Peace talks between the sides in Ethiopia remained at an impasse, with the government again refusing to release 11 political detainees, as demanded by the rebels.

A spokesperson for the opposition’s negotiating team, Mabior Garang,“We are here in the peace talks with an open mind, and so we are ready to see what the mediators are going to propose and then as a group we can come to a decision,”

More than 1,000 people have been killed in South Sudan since the violence began in mid-December when President Kiir accused his former vice president of leading a coup attempt. The United Nations says about 200,000 have been displaced with another 60,000 sheltering on U.N. bases throughout the country.

Syrian activists and state media say dozens of rebels were killed this week as they tried to flee the army-enclosed central city of Homs.

The government's SANA news agency said Friday the army killed 37 rebels, who it refers to as terrorists, as they tried to leave an area north of the city.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 45 opposition fighters were killed in heavy fighting late Wednesday and Thursday.

Neither SANA nor the Britain-based Observatory gave figures on government casualties.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has ordered the release of all but 16 prisoners from a group of 88 detainees that American authorities believe are responsible for murdering scores of coalition and Afghan soldiers.

Ayaz Gul filed this report from ISLAMABAD.

U.S. political and military leaders describe the group of prisoners as dangerous criminals responsible for killing American and Afghan soldiers. They have been demanding that President Karzai allow Afghan courts to determine their fate.
 
Karzai's decision is expected to further strain U.S.-Afghan relations as pressure mounts over the delayed signing of a security deal that outlines the U.S. military presence in the country after 2014.
 
A statement from Karzai's office says a panel reviewed cases against all 88 prisoners considered serious threats. The panel decided 45 of the detainees were innocent, and that evidence against another 27 was insufficient for trial, and ultimately recommended legal proceedings against only the 16 remaining inmates.

Ayaz Gul VOA News ISLAMABAD.

Kenya says it carried out an airstrike in a southern region of neighboring Somalia, killing at least 30 al-Shabab fighters, including some key commanders.

The Kenyan military said via Twitter scores of others were wounded in the late Thursday attack on a camp in the town of Garbaharey in Somalia's Gedo area.

The post also said more than five vehicles and other key assets were destroyed at the camp, where it said al-Shabab had been holding a meeting.

The United States is criticizing new Chinese provincial regulations that aim to restrict fishing by foreign vessels in disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Under the rules passed by China's southernmost province of Hainan, all foreign fishing boats must seek permission before entering waters claimed by Beijing.

The law, which went into effect January 1, covers more than half the 3.5 million square kilometer South China Sea.

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