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Assad Was Moved by Putin, Not Obama - In this week's global news, Nigeria's government buys 53 gold iPhones; the world's oldest skeleton goes home; Kenya finds a huge water source; plus, more. —Patrice PeckSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to surrender the country’s chemical weapons arsenal to international control, but on Thursday he wanted to make one thing clear: his move was influenced by Russia’s proposal, not by the threat of a U.S. military strike. Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry will hold talks with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva regarding the Russian-sponsored proposal.(Photo: AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman, File)

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More Water for Kenya - On Wednesday, the Kenyan government revealed that it had discovered a major water source in the country’s northern region that could supply the nation for 70 years, reported BBC. The two aquifers, which were discovered using satellites and radars, could ameliorate the drought-hit area, according to Environment Minister Judi Wakhungu.(Photo: AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, File)

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Does 53 Years of Freedom Warrant 53 Gold iPhones? - Having apparently adopted the motto “all gold everything,” the Nigerian government recently ordered 53 customized gold-plated iPhones from the British luxury product company Gold and Co. to mark the nation’s 53rd independence day next month. Yet, on Thursday, Gold and Co. insisted that the order came directly from a private individual and not the government.(Photo: Courtesy of Gold Phone Shop)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy of Gold Phone Shop

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Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop - Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has decided to circumvent those Western nations maintaining their sanctions after his re-election by bolstering economic relations and “friendships” with his country’s allies. He also reasserted on Wednesday his plans to continue his controversial takeover policy of seizing the majority stake of foreign-owned firms, reported CNN.(Photo: REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo)

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Welcome Home, Lucy - The world’s oldest skeleton, Lucy, was welcomed back to her home in Ethiopia, where she was discovered in 1974. The 3.2 million-year-old had toured throughout the United States for five years before returning to the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.(Photo: JENNY VAUGHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

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Egypt Continues State of Emergency - On Thursday, Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, extended a nationwide state of emergency by two months, with the interim prime minister, Hazem el-Beblawi, citing “an increasingly tense situation.” Beblawi also told the local news on Wednesday that the nighttime curfew that has been in effect throughout most of the country might be eased ahead of schools and universities starting.(Photo: AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

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American Jihadi Reportedly Killed - A U.S. terrorism expert has confirmed that Omar Hammami, a jihadi originally from Alabama, was likely killed in an ambush arranged by the al-Shabab rebel group’s top leader. Known as Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki or “the American,” the 29-year-old Hammami joined al-Shabab in about 2006 and went on to become one of Somalia’s top al-Qaida-linked rebels before a falling out with the jihadist community.(Photo: AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)

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Dutch Apologizes for Mass Killings - Indonesia received on Thursday a formal apology from the Netherlands for massacres executed by the Dutch military more than six decades ago during the former Dutch colony’s fight to retain control of the Asian outpost in 1945, reported AP.(Photo: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

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Tokyo Awarded 2020 Olympics - Celebrations commenced early on Sunday in Japan when the country learned of Tokyo’s selection to host the 2020 Olympics. Many worried that the nuclear crisis facing Japan since the 2011 tsunami would remove the country from the running, but Japan’s strengths — its sophistication, its love of sports and its willingness to invest billions of dollars in the event — helped beat out Istanbul and Madrid.(Photo: Courtesy The Olympics)

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A Ganja Getaway - Tired of your typical wine and whiskey tours? Then head on over to Jamaica, where farmers are offering ganja tours. On these outings, travelers visit hidden cannabis plantations where they can sample strains like “the original sensemilla” and “chocolate skunk.” While the plant remains illegal in Jamaica, advocates argue that marijuana could strengthen the island’s struggling economy.(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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New Van Gogh Identified - A new Vincent Van Gogh painting has been discovered more than 120 years after the Dutch painter’s death. The landscape is called Sunset at Montmajour. The full story behind the discovery will be revealed in the October issue of The Burlington Magazine.(Photo: Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Getty Images

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Iranian Ministers Create Profiles on Banned Facebook - Iranians might soon be able to surf Facebook. Following the recent inauguration of President Hasan Rouhani, the nation’s cabinet created Facebook pages even though the site is blocked in the Islamic Republic. "Definitely filtering on Facebook will be lifted, and we will witness the elimination of filters (on the rest of) Internet," Saeed Leilaz, a Tehran-based political analyst, told AP.(Photo: Courtesy Facebook via Dr. Hassan Rohani)

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Guatemala Gun Men Kill 11 - A massacre took place on Saturday in a Guatemalan bar where a group of armed men killed 11 people and injured at least 15 more. Some victims were found dead in hiding places in the bar’s bathroom and also nearby alley ways. The motive remains unclear.(Photo: EPA/SAUL MARTINEZ /LANDOV)

Photo By Photo: EPA/SAUL MARTINEZ /LANDOV

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Brazil Protesters Disrupt Independence Day Celebrations - Thousands of Brazilians rung in the country’s 191st Independence Day on Saturday with a series of mass antigovernment protests in dozens of cities. Police officers deployed riot gear, police dogs, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the public flare-up, arresting at least 24 people.(Photo: REUTERS /RICARDO MORAES /LANDOV)

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Scores Killed in CAR Fighting - The Central African Republican presidency reported that at least 55 have been killed in clashes between the new president’s troops and those loyal to the ousted leader Francois Bozize. Thousands of CAR civilians have been displaced and at least eight villages demolished during recent fighting in the north, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.(Photo: XAVIER BOURGOIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Pakistan Swears in New President - Mamnoon Hussain, Pakistan’s new president, took the oath of office Sunday in the country’s capital of Islamabad. His predecessor, Asif Ali Zadari, made history by becoming Pakistan’s first democratically elected president to complete a full term. Hussain will take on the complicated task of figuring out how to deal with the Taliban insurgency.(Photo: AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

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Romania Hopes to Put Down Dogs - “Humans are above dogs,” Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Tuesday regarding the country’s pressing local issue. A 4-year-old died from a dog bite in the capital of Bucharest on Monday, which led to a public outcry demanding that thousands of stray dogs be euthanized. Authorities reported that 1,100 have suffered bites from stray dogs in Bucharest in the first four month of 2013. The president has pushed for the government to pass legislation authorizing the mass euthenization.(Photo: XINHUA /LANDOV)

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Kenya's William Ruto Flies to Hague for ICC Trial - Kenya’s Vice President William Ruto flew to the Netherlands to stand trial at the International Criminal Court, where he will become the first incumbent deputy head of state to stand for trial for crimes against humanity. He and Kenya’s current President Uhuru Kenyatta face similar charges stemming back to the country’s controversial 2007 election.(Photo: REUTERS /THOMAS MUKOYA /LANDOV)

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Nigeria’s Deadly Militant Violence - Over the past week, at least 88 people have been killed in clashes between Islam sect Boko Haram and government-backed vigilante groups throughout Nigeria, including the execution of 50 Boko Haram members by the national army. The Islamist militants have waged a deadly insurgency in the African nation since 2009, aiming to create an Islamic state.(Photo: AMINU ABUBAKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

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Coach Rodman - Having recently returned from visiting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un for the second time in the past six months, former NBA star Dennis Rodman announced on Monday that he would be training the North Korean national basketball team for the 2016 Olympics. “I’ll tell you guys one thing: take me seriously,” said Rodman.(Photo: TIMOTHY CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)