Israel declared total war on Hamas yesterday, with the Islamic resistance movement responding by ordering all its fighters to immediately mobilise and "blow up the Zionist entity".

About $1,8bn in aid to revive Zimbabwe's economy hangs in the balance as donors watch to see how a deal works in practice.

President Robert Mugabe is under growing pressure to recognise defeat in Zimbabwe's presidential election as the opposition held talks with military and security officials on Tuesday. Mugabe's security cabinet had on Sunday decided not to recognise defeat after being forewarned that he had lost the vote.

The Israeli military has claimed that large budget cuts agreed by the government last week will ground much of the air force and leave the army at its weakest since the Yom Kippur war 30 years ago.

Compromise would see Mahmoud Abbas submit a letter to UN Security Council, which would then defer the vote until further talks.

The head of the US war crimes office has warned Rwanda's leaders they could face prosecution for arming groups responsible for atrocities in the DRC.

Karl Durkheimer's gun shop enjoyed record sales of semi-automatic firearms -- "modern sporting rifles", as he calls them -- and handguns last weekend.

Senior Democrats dismayed as US president accedes to Republican demands.