Rice urges peace talks

JERUSALEM – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will push Israelis and Palestinians to return to peace talks and stop violence in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Correa visits Brazil as crisis escalates * CARACAS – Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa visited Latin American powerhouse Brazil yesterday on his regional tour to push Colombia to apologise for a military operation in Ecuador as an Andean crisis escalated. Ukraine stands by gas pledge * KIEV – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko pledged yesterday that Ukraine would stand by its obligations to export Russian gas to Europe and remain a “reliable partner”.Irish political stalwart retires * BELFAST – Ian Paisley, a Protestant who set aside decades of hatred to share power with his Catholic foes, will step down as Northern Ireland’s First Minister in May.Armenia accused of stoking unrest * BAKU – Azerbaijan accused Armenia yesterday of deliberately stoking unrest in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, following a shootout there in which Azerbaijan said 15 soldiers had been killed.German hostage released in Nigeria * ABUJA – A German man was released unharmed late on Tuesday in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, about 12 hours after he was seized by unknown gunmen who killed a driver and two soldiers, a source at his company said yesterday.Ukraine stands by gas pledge * KIEV – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko pledged yesterday that Ukraine would stand by its obligations to export Russian gas to Europe and remain a “reliable partner”.Irish political stalwart retires * BELFAST – Ian Paisley, a Protestant who set aside decades of hatred to share power with his Catholic foes, will step down as Northern Ireland’s First Minister in May.Armenia accused of stoking unrest * BAKU – Azerbaijan accused Armenia yesterday of deliberately stoking unrest in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, following a shootout there in which Azerbaijan said 15 soldiers had been killed.German hostage released in Nigeria * ABUJA – A German man was released unharmed late on Tuesday in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, about 12 hours after he was seized by unknown gunmen who killed a driver and two soldiers, a source at his company said yesterday.