Barack Obama cuts short holiday to tackle budget crisis as country faces breaching its $16.4tn debt limit
Hamas says ‘gates of hell opened’ as Israel kills military leader in Gaza
Ahmed al-Jabari’s assassination in missile strike marks ‘start of broader operation’ that may involve ground troops, says Israel
Israel fires warning shots into Syria as violence escalates in Gaza
Four Palestinian civilians are reported killed in Gaza as fears grow that Syrian civil war could spill across border
Greek MPs approve hefty budget cuts
Thousands gather in protest as parliament votes to pass new austerity measures in 2013 budget
Barack and Mitt finally feel brotherly love … thanks to their Kenyan mother
Twins born in a hospital close to Obama’s ancestral home village named to mark the events in the US on their birthday
Barack Obama’s odyssey continues
History made as first black US president is re-elected, defying jobless rate and assaults of American right
Striking South Africa platinum miners agree deal with Lonmin
Miners to return to work after pay rise ends five weeks of bitter industrial action during which 45 people were killed
Japanese firms close offices in China as islands row escalates
US defence secretary urges restraint as diplomatic dispute over East China Sea islands threatens countries’ close economic ties
Deadly clashes in Kenya fuel fears of election violence
Death of at least 116 people in coastal region raises suspicions of political motives and Somali involvement as elections near
France opens murder inquiry into Yasser Arafat’s death
Public prosecutor will try to establish if Arafat was poisoned with polonium-210
The abuse of dissenting Jews is shameful
Jewish diaspora support is vital for Israel, yet those who oppose its policies are demonised and vilified
Lonmin set to breach loan agreements over South African mine strike
Company warns investors shutdown of mine, where police shot 34 workers, will lead to debt covenants being breached
Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi’s death sparks fears of turmoil
Mourners throng outside airport and world leaders pay tribute, but human rights groups condemn 21-year authoritarian reign
Pakistani girl accused of Qur’an burning could face death penalty
Tensions rise between Muslim and Christian communities amid claims that 11-year-old desecrated text
Somalis planning on a better future
David Smith talks to some of the extraordinary characters who believe 2012 will be remembered as the year that Somalia, finally, turned the corner
Number of older people living with cancer ‘to treble’ by 2040
Head of Macmillan Cancer Support warns of a ‘ticking timebomb’ for society if NHS and social-care systems are unprepared
Pussy Riot verdict greeted with defiance
‘What Putin wants, he gets,’ say angry supporters of punk band jailed for ‘violating social order’
The Marikana action is a strike by the poor against the state and the haves
The shooting at Lonmin’s Marikana mine exposes weaknesses at the heart of South African society
South African police shoot dead striking miners
Up to 18 people killed at Lonmin platinum mine where strike over pay has escalated into alleged turf war between unions
Democrats’ nerves start to show as Ryan fires up conservative voters
The Republican candidate was kept on the back foot for weeks but in choosing Paul Ryan, Romney is looking to his core vote