Israeli settlements must be stopped: UN chief Ban Ki-moon
Israeli settlement building anywhere on occupied land is illegal and must be stopped, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Saturday, after getting a closer look at some of the Israeli enclaves scattered across Palestinian-claimed territories.

China eyes two-step plan for six-party nuke talks
China may invite Japan, South Korea and the US for multilateral talks before convening a preparatory session for resuming the six-party talks on North Korea`s nuclear programme.

US’ reaction to Israel ‘paying off’ with new talks: Hillary
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the BBC on Friday that the strong US’ reaction to Israeli settlement plans is "paying off" as Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are expected to resume.

Pakistan denies arrests thwarted Taliban talks
Pakistan rejected on Friday a suggestion from the former head of the UN mission in Afghanistan that the arrest of senior Afghan Taliban members in Pakistan may have disrupted talks with UN representatives.

Indo-Pak talks were a waste of time: Parthasarthy
G Parthasarthy, India’s former High Commissioner to Pakistan, shared his views on Indo-Pak talks with Biplob Ghosal of Zeenews.com.

US Mideast envoy to hold talks in Paris
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell will hold talks with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris on Saturday, a spokesman said, amid tensions over Israel`s move to build settler homes.

Pakistan to ask for more understanding at US talks
Claiming that it has bowed far enough to US interests, Pak will use next week`s high-level talks with the Obama administration to seek more recognition for its part in the fight against terrorism.

Red Shirt leader to PM: No talks with preconditions
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will be ready to talk with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva only if he would dispense with preconditions and listen to the `Red Shirt`.

Doha deal would give push to trade: Sharma
The success of the Doha talks would substantially augment global trade, Anand Sharma said.

Taliban arrests thwart Afghan talks: Ex-UN envoy
The arrests of senior Afghan Taliban members in Pakistan have stopped most talks between the insurgents and UN representatives, the former head of the UN mission in Afghanistan said in a BBC interview.