Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any US military strike on Syria that circumvents the United Nations would undermine the global body and risk unleashing a wave of terror.

The taboo surrounding chemical weapons, which the Syrian regime stands accused of using on its people, began with the horrors of the First World War and intensified with subsequent conflicts.

 The 86th annual National Spelling Bee kicks off Tuesday with 281 youngsters from eight nations putting their ability to spell some of the most obscure words in the English language to the test.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will lift a ban on women serving in combat, a senior defense official said Wednesday, after a decade of war that saw female troops thrust onto the battlefield.