Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, has arrived in Vietnam for talks on energy as part of a tour dominated by countries known for their often-hostile relations with the United States.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has said she believes a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon could be forged this week.  Rice, who has just ended a diplomatic mission to the region

Syria on Saturday slammed Rice’s call for an international force to pacify southern Lebanon as an occupation force that would do the Zionist regime’s job.  An editorial in the official Tishrin daily said: “The international force proposed by Rice intends to occupy southern Lebanon and it, instead of