Carlos Ghosn denounced a "conspiracy" against him, saying events had been "twisted in a way to paint a personage of greed, a personage of dictatorship

Thousands of people streamed into Bethlemhem to mark the birth of Christ, and the Latin Patriarch has expressed the need for peace in the Middle East.

Israeli forces on Monday braced for fresh unrest along the Syrian ceasefire line a day after they reportedly killed 23 people trying to break through.

As Libya’s rebel fighters push west, opposition representatives in Benghazi are trying to form a government-in-waiting.

Muammar Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound was rocked by blasts on Monday and his southern strongholds and a navy base were bombed.

Libya warned on Thursday it could target all Mediterranean air and sea traffic in the case of foreign military intervention.

The government warned of a military crackdown as massive rallies against President Hosni Mubarak spread and the army detained pro-democracy activists.

Fresh attacks against Christians marred the Christmas festival on Saturday as church leaders condemned religious persecution and called for peace.

President Barack Obama on Friday will lead tributes to the people killed on September 11 2001 on the eighth anniversary of the devastating attacks.