Israel has published the names of 477 Palestinian prisoners who are to be released in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Germany's President is in Afghanistan for previously unannounced talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The death toll in Mexico and Central America climbed to 55 on October 15 as torrential rain storms continued, causing deadly mudslides and massive flooding.

ASEAN trade ministers have pledged to accelerate the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 and closely coordinate with partners in the fight against global economic slowdown.

G20 financial leaders gathering in Paris welcomed the progress the Europe made on the eurozone debt issue on October 15, but meanwhile expected the euro area to rely more on itself with bigger bailout fund to avoid contagion.

"Occupy Wall Street (OWS)" protests, which initially targeted corporate greed, and their offshoots in a solidarity for global action on October 15 spread to cities in more than 80 countries around the world.

Haiti's parliament has approved a new cabinet, ending months of delay in forming a government.

The European Commission (EC) is set to propose investing almost 9.2bn euro (£8bn) in a massive rollout of super-fast broadband infrastructure and services across the European Union (EU).

The top UN human rights official deplored the "devastatingly remorseless toll of human lives" in Syria and exhorted the world community on October 13 "to take immediate measures" to protect citizens.  

Gunbattles between supporters of deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi and forces of the National Transitional Council (NTC) shook the Libyan capital on October 14, raising fears of an insurgency against the country's new rulers.