The department, which has been embracing digital technologies like Twitter and Facebook to deliver services, engage with people and to extend UK influence, has seen ministers including William Hague directly praise the role social media can play in the day to day functions of the department.

Nigeria has suspended all Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia after the authorities there deported more than 170 women who had arrived without a male escort... A Nigerian government delegation is going to Saudi Arabia to complain.

Thein Sein, a former general-turned-civilian, was sworn in as Burma's president just 18 months ago, and said he is guiding his country away from its authoritarian past towards democracy.

The presidents of Sudan and South Sudan signed a long-awaited cooperation agreement on Thursday, paving the way for the resumption of oil exports and casting their ailing economies a desperately needed lifeline. But several analysts said the deal came up far short.

During the recent crisis in Libya and the events surrounding the online dissemination of a hateful video, many asked: what tools does the State Department have to respond to audiences and engage people around the world in real time?

I was glad to see more than 200 people in the audience for a discussion on water, peace, and security on the margins of the 67th meetings of the UN General Assembly yesterday. The United States, the European Union, and UN-Water co-sponsored the event, which drew senior representatives from governments, UN agencies, and international financial institutions.

On a day his government pressed the refresh button on the stalled foreign direct investment in retail and aviation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asked the country's envoys to tell their hosts that 'India is a safe country to invest'.