European shares fell on Tuesday, throwing a rally in the U.S. and Asia into reverse, and the euro dipped toward nine-month lows against the dollar as reports a Russian aid convoy was heading to Ukraine ratcheted up tension between Kiev and Moscow. via European stocks fall back as Ukraine tension

Talks to end a month-long war between Israel and Gaza militants are “difficult”, Palestinian delegates said on Tuesday, while an Israeli official said no progress had been made so far. As a 72-hour ceasefire held for a second day, Palestinian negotiators began talks with Egyptian intelligence after a meeting on

Libya’s new parliament agreed on Tuesday that the next president would be elected by a popular vote as lawmakers sought to overcome a confrontation between two armed factions. Western partners hope the new parliament will open space for negotiations between rival militias and their political backers and return Libya to

RAF planes have dropped a second round of aid to refugees trapped on a mountain in northern Iraq. Two consignments were dropped over Mount Sinjar on Monday night, the Department for International Development said. They come as RAF Tornado jets are being sent for possible use in aid operations, after

Two Brazilian companies have made a $611m (£363m) bid for US banana group Chiquita. Juice maker Cutrale and conglomerate Safra have offered $13 a share, a 29% premium to Chiquita’s closing share price on Friday. Chiquita shares jumped 31% in New York after the bid was announced. via BBC News

Venezuela says it has deployed 17,000 troops along its border with Colombia, which was closed on Monday for the first time as part of an anti-smuggling operation. Up to 40% of goods Venezuela subsidises for its domestic market are smuggled to Colombia, where they are sold at much higher prices,

Nine people have been injured in clashes between police and residents of Colombia’s northern La Guajira province demanding more government support for the impoverished region. La Guajira is currently suffering from a drought and locals say the authorities have not done enough to mitigate its effects on the population. via

Liberia said on Tuesday it would treat two infected doctors with the scarce experimental Ebola drug ZMapp, the first Africans to receive the treatment, while authorities in Spain said a 75-year-old priest had died of the disease. The death toll from the worst ever outbreak of the highly contagious disease

It is ethical to offer unproven drugs or vaccines to people infected or at risk in West Africa’s deadly Ebola outbreak, a World Health Organization panel of medical ethics experts ruled on Tuesday, but cautioned supplies will be limited. The panel said any provision of experimental Ebola medicines would require

A Russian convoy carrying food, water and other aid set off on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine, where government forces are closing in on pro-Russian rebels, but Kiev said it would not allow the vehicles to cross onto its territory. Kiev and Western governments warned Moscow against any attempt to turn