Rebels in Libya have been celebrating after fighting off an attempt by troops loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi to retake the eastern oil port of Brega.

Germany's cabinet has been reshuffled after Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigned in a row over plagiarism, government sources say.

A Pakistani government minister who had said he was getting death threats because of his opposition to a controversial blasphemy law was shot to death on March 2.

The UN has called for a mass humanitarian evacuation of people fleeing Libya for Tunisia, saying the border situation is at "crisis point".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a diplomatic initiative that will seek an interim agreement with the Palestinians rather than one that resolves all core issues, an Israeli government official said on March 1.  

Spot silver hit a 31-year high and gold held steady just below its all-time peak on March 1, as the tensions in the Middle East underpinned safe-haven demand and surging oil prices helped.

The Republic of Korea (RoK)'s President on Tuesday urged the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to talks but the chances looked slim as he stopped short of dropping his demand for the DPRK to take responsibility for attacks last year.

International condemnation of Moammar Gadhafi's use of force against civilians continued to grow on Tuesday even as the Libyan leader denied the widely documented instances of violence and asserted he was loved throughout the country.

The story of a king overcoming a speech impediment to lead his people through World War II took top honors at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

New Zealand has held a two-minute silence exactly a week after the devastating Christchurch earthquake.