Kerry 'closer' in Mideast talks push
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that his intense diplomacy in six visits to the Middle East was bearing fruit, narrowing gaps between Israel and the Palestinians.
18 July 2013
Obama pays tribute as ailing Mandela turns 95
US President Barack Obama paid warm tribute to South Africa's Nelson Mandela for his 95th birthday on Thursday, which the anti-apartheid icon will spend in hospital recovering from a lung infection.
Israel PM rejects EU 'external dictates' on borders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday angrily rejected European Union guidelines barring the bloc's 28 member states from funding projects in Jewish settlements.
Russia-US ties 'more important' than Snowden scandal: Putin
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow's relations with Washington outweighed the "squabbles" over a spying scandal revealed by US fugitive Edward Snowden, who has applied for asylum in Russia.
17 July 2013
British lawmakers pass gay marriage bill
British lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill legalising same-sex marriage in England and Wales, paving the way for the first gay weddings in 2014.
Kerry heads to Mideast with peace talks on agenda
US Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Jordan Monday on his sixth trip to the region as he tries to push Israelis and Palestinians back to peace talks.