The rebel Free Syrian Army announced on Wednesday the creation of a temporary military council with the aim of ousting the regime of President Bashar Assad and protecting civilians from his forces.

"Based on the requirements of this phase and the demands of the Syrian revolution, the Free Syrian Army is establishing a temporary military council," a statement said.

Yemeni troops killed seven suspected al-Qaida militants in an attack on their positions in Abyan province in the restive south, local government officials said on Wednesday.

The army launched a barrage of "artillery shells and Katyusha rockets" late Tuesday on suspected al-Qaida positions in the provincial capital Zinjibar and the adjacent town of Al-Kud, one official told Agence France Presse, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Osama bin Laden was a kind and loyal friend who honored the 9/11 hijackers and often cried in public, according to his longtime deputy who succeeded him as the leader of al-Qaida.

In a 30-minute video posted on jihadist forums on Tuesday, Ayman al-Zawahiri praised what he called the "human side" of the al-Qaida founder, who was killed in a U.S. commando raid in Pakistan earlier this year.

As another fortnight of games disappeared from the NBA calendar on Tuesday, NBA players filed anti-trust lawsuits against the league saying the lockout denied them their right to work.

As of Tuesday evening, NBA.com's schedule for the 2011-2012 season showed the first games set for December 15 -- representing two more weeks of cancelled contests after the labor dispute wiped out all scheduled match-ups in November.

Coach Joachim Loew warned Germany have won nothing yet, despite his side's impressive 3-0 hammering of Euro 2012 rivals the Netherlands in a friendly.

Veteran striker Miroslav Klose maintained his astonishing international form with a goal and two assists on Tuesday against the World Cup finalists.

Angry fans called Wednesday for the resignation of coach Cho Kwang-Rae after South Korea suffered a stunning 1-2 defeat to underdogs Lebanon in the third round of regional World Cup qualification.

The official website of the Korea Football Association (KFA) was flooded with critical postings, with one suggesting a petition campaign to press the KFA to dismiss Cho.

Sebastian Fernandez scored the only goal of the game as Uruguay stunned Italy with a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico here on Tuesday.

In a game that had seven bookings and a red card for the visitors, Italy dominated for long spells but lacked the cutting edge their opponents found inside three minutes.

A double from Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Portugal to a 6-2 victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the second leg of their Euro 2012 play-off here on Tuesday as they secured their place at next year's finals.

The 26-year-old's brace -- a stunning 35 yard first-half free-kick and then a slick finish in the 53rd minute -- saw him equal Luis Figo's tally of 32 international goals.

President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday outlined a string of conditions for long-term U.S. bases in Afghanistan at a major gathering of elders debating the country's future and peace efforts with the Taliban.

Karzai told day one of the loya jirga that he wanted Afghan-U.S. relations to be those of "two independent countries" and assured neighbors such as China and Russia that a long-term deal would not affect their ties with Afghanistan.

The United States will deploy up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia as the two nations expand their 60-year-old military alliance, the U.S. and Australian leaders announced Wednesday, rankling China.

The announcement by President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard came as the allies adapted their military posture to face a new security era marked by the rise of China.