Officials in Egypt reassure the United States that police raids on the offices of pro-democracy groups will stop, after coming under strong criticism.

The new leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, is formally named supreme commander of the country's army, state media say, days after his father's funeral.

Jamaica's opposition PNP, led by veteran politician Portia Simpson Miller, triumphs in an election dominated by the economy.

Samoa and Tokelau skip a day and jump to the other side of the international dateline to align with trade partners.

Thousands of Roman Catholics in Cuba gather for an open-air mass to mark the end of a 16-month tour of a statue of the island's patron saint.

An Iranian military commander denies state media reports that it test-fired long-range missiles in the Gulf, at a time of increased tension over its nuclear programme.

A man who had been diagnosed with China's first case of bird flu in more than a year dies in the southern city of Shenzhen, health officials say.

More elephant tusks were seized in 2011 than in any year since 1989, when the ivory trade was banned, international wildlife trade group Traffic says.