The Obama administration announces a plan to increase security along the Mexican border in an effort to prevent a wave of drug-related violence from spilling over into the U.S.

Israel’s prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu reaches a coalition agreement with Labor party leader Ehud Barak.

Organizers call off a peace conference in Johannesburg after the South African government refuses the a visa for the Dalai Lama.

Serbia marks the 10th anniversary of the start of NATO’s bombing campaign.

Amnesty International reports that the number of executions worldwide doubled last year, with Asian countries putting more people to death than the rest of the world combined, and China leading the way.