Pope Francis hailed Africa as "a continent of hope" as he toured Uganda on the second leg of a landmark trip that has seen him railing against corruption and poverty.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel came under fire for her welcoming refugee policy from her powerful Bavarian coalition ally, who demanded she cap arrivals "in the national interest".
Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem warned that a small group of EU countries may be forced to form a "mini-Schengen" if the bloc fails to resolve its migrant crisis.
France mourned the 130 people killed in the November 13 Paris attacks, with President Francois Hollande set to lead a solemn ceremony in honour of the victims.
Prince Charles warned that if international leaders fail to clinch a deal on climate change at talks in Paris next week, it would leave mankind facing a "perfect storm".
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte defended an EU cooperation deal with Ukraine as vital for European stability only months before a referendum Dutch eurosceptics have forced on the accord.
Sepp Blatter said that he was the target of "an inquisition" by FIFA's ethics committee, which has suspended him for 90 days and called for further sanctions over corruption charges.
French President Francois Hollande will hold talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as part of his diplomatic marathon to forge a broader coalition against Islamic State jihadists in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with Russia's foreign minister and urged a de-escalation of tensions after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkey-Syria border.
The international community must secure a binding deal against climate change at key UN talks in Paris next week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought to play down tensions with Russia after Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane on the Syria border sparked fears among NATO allies of a wider conflict.
US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Zagreb for a Western Balkans summit, highlighting renewed interest from Washington in the fragile region as it deals with an unprecedented influx of refugees.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the military alliance stands by key ally Turkey after it shot down a Russia fighter jet on the Syrian border but urged both sides to try to calm the crisis.
France's leading Muslim body said it would create a permit to preach for imams in a bid to root out extremists, as well as a new religious body to fight back against jihadist propaganda.
Tickets to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday celebrations sold out within hours as Buckingham Palace promised four days of pageantry "fit for the queen" including dancing and horse shows.
British Prime Minister David Cameron is to promise an additional £12 billion to strengthen the defence forces when he unveils a five-year strategic review on Monday.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in an interview published he thought the first explosion he heard a week ago at a Paris stadium was fireworks, but soon realised it was a terror attack.