World Highlights

¤ Iran offered to help establish security and stability in Iraq after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held talks in Tehran on his first official visit to the Islamic Republic. Mr Maliki's aides said he would tell fellow Shi'ite Islamist leaders in Iran that Tehran should not interfere in Iraqi affairs, a message likely to please Washington which accuses Iran of backing militants fighting US troops in Iraq.

¤ Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said his group would only release the two Israeli soldiers it kidnapped if Israel freed Samir al-Qantar, the Lebanese prisoner held for the longest time by the Jewish state. "After all that happened and this ends without Samir?" Nasrallah told Al Jazeera television in an interview.

¤ Most members of the UN nuclear watchdog's governing board, a barometer of world sentiment on Iran, are likely in a debate to champion last-gasp talks to defuse a stand-off over Iran's atomic work, diplomats say. Weekend talks in which diplomats said Tehran offered to consider temporarily halting uranium enrichment, and US hints of openness to such a compromise, have revived hopes of averting sanctions with the risk of economic and security repercussions.

¤ The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have told Norwegian mediators they are willing to return to peace talks without conditions, international peace mediators said.