Mohamed Mahmud Street

Egyptians pass by graffiti on the walls of Mohamed Mahmud Street in Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square on Nov. 30, 2012. (Khaled Desouki / AFP/Getty Images / November 30, 2012)

By Emily Alpert

December 2, 2012, 5:33 a.m.

From the Egyptian streets to the Mexican drug war, here are five stories you shouldn't miss from the past week in global news:

Away from Egypt's protests, the worries mount

Conflict has left Syria a shell of its former self

An Afghan farmer tills under his dreams for his son

Morsi may have misjudged Egypt's tolerance of authoritarianism

U.S.-Mexico drug war partnership under Calderon broke new ground