World Highlights

¤ East African leaders pushed ahead with a contested plan to send peacekeepers to Somalia, despite a separate military deal between the country's rival powers that appeared to block foreign intervention.

¤ Nato forces cornering Taliban guerillas killed up to 60 fighters in artillery and air strikes and ground battles in a major offensive to crush a revitalised Taliban in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said.

¤ UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned Sudan it would be responsible for any worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur if African Union forces left because of a stand-off with Khartoum over control of the mission.

¤ Turkey's parliament approved the deployment of hundreds of troops to join a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but thousands of protesters took to the streets to oppose the mission.

¤ Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in South Africa for a historic two-day visit which will see Russia stepping up investment in the country.