US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton started a three-day visit of Pakistan Wednesday, praising the country's offensive against Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents in the South Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border. "We admire what the Pakistani military is doing in taking on this fight," Clinton said. "We think it's in the interest of Pakistan to do it."

The United States has long pressed Pakistan for an all-out offensive against Taliban militants launching cross-border attacks on Western forces in Afghanistan.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was due to touch down in Kenya Tuesday on the first leg of a seven-nation African tour US officials say demonstrates Africa is a foreign policy priority for the Obama administration.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Wednesday said a consensus was taking shape among major powers to demand the "complete and irreversible denuclearisation" of North Korea.

After meetings with her counterparts from China, Russia and Thailand, Clinton called for a united stand to ensure North Korea shuts down its nuclear weapons programme.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in the Iraqi capital on an unannounced visit, Voices of Iraq news agency reported on Saturday. The visit comes at a time as the new US ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, is taking up his office.

The trip - Clinton's first to Iraq as secretary of state - also comes after 48 hours of suicide bombings in Baghdad and other cities which have killed at least 155.

President Barack Obama vowed to withdraw US combat troops from Iraqi cities by summer during a recent visit to Iraq.

The United States considers a temporary halt of deportations of about 30,000 Haitians, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday.

The US administration considered granting Temporary Protected Status to those 30,000 Haitians who illegally entered the US before President Barack Obama took office, Clinton said on a short stop-over in Haiti on her way to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

Haiti fears the repatriations would deprive it of much-needed remittances. The protected status would allow the Haitians to stay in the US.

International donors have raised 324 million dollars in aid to help Haiti - one of the world's poorest nations - cope with the economic crisis and a year of devastating hurricanes. The conference in Washington was attended by representatives from more than 40 countries and international groups hoping to help the Caribbean nation build a stabile democracy after decades of violence and military coups.

Rights groups on Saturday said they were "shocked" by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's apparently pragmatic approach to China's human rights record, urging her to "do the right thing for the Chinese people."

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other groups said they were concerned by Clinton's remarks late Friday in Seoul, where she said the United States would still press China on rights issues.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday met Chinese leaders for talks that were expected to focus on the global economy, climate change and other international issues.

Clinton was expected to discuss tensions over North Korea with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, following talks with her South Korean counterpart on Friday.

"We want to deepen and broaden our relationship (with China)," Chinese state media quoted Clinton as saying as she began her talks.