Two aid workers held hostage in Darfur, one French and one Canadian, have been freed after three weeks in captivity.

European Union foreign ministers appealed to Moscow today to follow through on commitments to withdraw its forces from Georgia under a ceasefire plan.

A US military ship carrying humanitarian aid today docked at the Georgian port of Batumi.

RUSSIAN jets staged raids and its forces moved deeper into Georgian territory yesterday as Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin denounced the US for helping Georgia.

US AMBASSADOR Zalmay Khalilzad exchanged sharp remarks with the Russian ambassador yesterday, accusing Moscow of resisting attempts to make peace with Georgia after days of fighting have left hundreds of civilians dead.

Georgia pulled its embattled troops out of the disputed province of South Ossetia and agreed to a ceasefire today, submitting to Russia’s far superior firepower.

Two French humanitarian aid workers kidnapped at gunpoint last month have been released, aid group Action Against Hunger said today.

FRENCH officials tried to tone down the rhetoric ahead of the visit to Ireland of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

World Trade Organisation talks are expected to be on the agenda when Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin meets his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in Paris tomorrow.

Colombia’s largest guerrilla group is expected to release three captive politicians in the coming days or weeks, France’s foreign minister says.

FRANCE and the Netherlands reacted swiftly on Saturday to a newly signed peace accord in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the latter announcing millions of euro in aid to help stabilise the troubled east.

The leading US diplomat for Africa is in Kenya today to encourage a peaceful resolution after a disputed presidential election sparked days of deadly riots.

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gadaffi raised his fist triumphantly in the air upon arrival at the French presidential palace today for an official visit meant to confer new respect on the one-time international outcast.

FOLLOWING the revival of a Middle East peace process between Israel and the Palestinians at Annapolis on Tuesday, France said it will host a donor conference in Paris on December 17.

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg today are expected to issue fresh warnings to Burma and Iran.

Under new President Nicolas Sarkozy, France no longer has a policy of “permanent anti-Americanism” – but does not take orders from Washington either, the French foreign minister said today.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today warned against the use of force in Iran and against unilateral sanctions to punish Tehran for its nuclear programme.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today shrugged off a French warning of war if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, saying the comments were not to be taken seriously.

The chief UN nuclear inspector today criticised talk of attacking Iran as “hype”, saying the use of force should only be considered as a last resort and only if authorised by the UN Security Council.

The American White House welcomed a symbolic unannounced visit to Iraq by France’s foreign minister.

Key players in the Darfur crisis are meeting in Paris today in a bid to build a unified international response to violence in the troubled region of Sudan - although Sudan itself has not been invited.

France’s new foreign minister today condemned a deadly bomb attack near a busy Beirut shopping centre, and reaffirmed the importance to France of Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.

FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled a broad-based cabinet yesterday, naming popular leftist Bernard Kouchner as foreign minister in a slimline government that radically reshaped the finance ministry.

President Nicolas Sarkozy named a radically-revamped Cabinet today, with humanitarian crusader Bernard Kouchner as France's new foreign minister.