Global trade chiefs meeting in Switzerland spoke today of their optimism that a new deal to liberalise international commerce can be finalised, but offered little in the way of concrete progress to indicate they can reach agreement before the end of the year.

President Vladimir Putin sought to ease fears about his planned talks with other natural gas exporters today, saying Russia was not forming a gas cartel.

Gunmen killed 23 members of an ancient religious sect in northern Iraq after stopping their bus and separating followers of other faiths, as car bombings in the capital killed at least another 20 people.

Egyptian authorities, already struggling with elusive terror cells in the rugged Sinai Peninsula, moved quickly yesterday – arresting 30 men in the triple bombings that ripped apart a resort town on a tranquil holiday evening.