Israel and the Hamas militant group edged closer to a ceasefire to end the week-long Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, but a deal remained elusive after a day of furious diplomatic efforts.

The White House has denied reports of a rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he and President Barack Obama reaffirmed the two countries' commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend the summit of the Nonaligned Movement of mainly developing countries in Tehran next week despite strong opposition from Israel and Jewish groups outraged at Iran’s calls for the destruction of Israel, the UN announced today.

In a historic ruling, an international court today convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity for supporting brutal rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone in return for “blood diamonds”.

Authorities in Bahrain opened an investigation today after the body of a man was found near the scene of clashes between protesters and the security forces.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US will embrace Burma further if the once-estranged Asian government releases all remaining political prisoners, ends violence against minorities and cuts military ties with North Korea.

Political tensions between the US and Iran in and around the Persian Gulf gave way to photos of rescued fishermen happily wearing US Navy baseball caps after a dramatic rescue from the clutches of Somali pirates.

The Obama administration says it has read the “riot act” to Syria’s ambassador to the United States over an attack on the top American envoy to Syria.

A senior member of Muammar Gaddafi’s inner circle slipped into Niger along with three carloads of collaborators, an official said, but the toppled Libyan leader was not among them nor were any members of his immediate family.

The WikiLeaks website crashed early today in an apparent cyberattack after the accelerated publication of tens of thousands of once-secret US State Department cables by the anti-secrecy organisation raised new concerns about the exposure of confidential American embassy sources.

Tens of thousands of Syrians carrying olive branches and calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime have poured into the flashpoint city of Hama, where the US and French ambassadors travelled in a strong show of support for the protest movement.