Foreign ministers from the six powers pushing Iran to accept a package of incentives to suspend its nuclear programme met behind closed doors in Paris on Wednesday – the latest deadline in the stand-off, and one that Tehran looked set to ignore.

The European Union hopes for a substantive response from Iranian nuclear negotiators today regarding a package of incentives offered to Tehran as a way of ending the stand-off caused by its nuclear programme.

At the last minute, Iran was a no-show at crucial talks today meant to ease its stand-off with the West over its nuclear programme.

The European Union congratulated the electoral victory of acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party today and hoped a new Israeli government would push ahead efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

The EU is expected to approve the release of around €90,000 next week to help Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' caretaker administration, diplomats said today, but will postpone a decision on further aid until after Hamas takes power.

Bolivia’s President-elect Evo Morales has said during a visit to the Netherlands that nationalising his country’s energy reserves was key to wiping out poverty, but that changes should happen gradually to avoid upheaval.

THE Palestinians took control of a border for the first time with the festive opening yesterday of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt - a milestone on their rocky path to independence and a rare moment of joy for fenced-in Gazans.

European leaders were under pressure today to delay plans for resuming weapons sales to China as Washington hardens opposition to ending the 15 year EU embargo in the wake of Beijing’s new law authorising a military attack on Taiwan.

Shrugging off a parliamentary setback and seizing on his Supreme Court victory, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko pushed for quick passage of anti-fraud legislation to ensure a new vote is fair against his Moscow-backed rival, who has fallen out of public view.

Sudan’s foreign minister today insisted that Arab militias responsible for killings in the troubled Darfur region would be prosecuted, but again denied that the attacks amounted to genocide.

Suggesting a warming toward Europe, Israel’s foreign minister today said the EU should play a bigger role in the Mideast peace process while still urging a “more balanced approach” toward the Palestinians.