Former UK prime minister and crusader against the "Axis of Evil" Tony Blair delivered a speech Wednesday calling for Western powers to "take sides" in Middle East foreign policy and to move the issue of "religious extremism" to the top of their agenda.

Ukrainians on Twitter are deriding claims that a far-right leader's business card was found at the site of an attack on a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian activists. Sunday's gun battle, which occurred near the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk, left three dead and a fragile truce on the brink of collapse.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan applied to Turkey's constitutional court on Friday to challenge the alleged violation of his and his family's rights by social media, a senior official in his office told Reuters.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," has long been the standard refrain of governments when it comes to violent extremists. But these days, in the realm of social media, at least, they are talking to them.

Turkey's parliament on Thursday approved a law boosting the powers of the secret service (MIT), a move seen by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's critics as a bid to tighten his grip on the apparatus of state as he wages a bitter power struggle.

Turkey's government has said it still hopes Twitter will open an office in the country, a day after the social networking site ruled out any such move. In a statement on Thursday following several days of talks with Twitter executives, Communication Minister Lutfi Elvan said Turkey had suggested that the company open a "liaison office" to improve coordination with the government.

In Turkey, 29 men and women are about to go on trial for Twitter messages they sent during the Gezi Protests last June. This is another ugly step in the Turkish government’s increasingly intense war on dissent. It is important to let the government – as well as those on trial – know that the whole world is watching.

Under the slogan "Sidikewe! Vukani! Vote no!" (We've had enough! Wake up! Vote no!), more than one hundred veterans of South Africa's ruling party are calling for citizens to protest at the ballot box. Former government ministers are leading the campaign, accusing President Jacob Zuma and ANC leaders of corruption and complacency.