Washington  - Dell Inc, the world's second largest maker of PCs, said Wednesday that two top executives were leaving as part of its plans to reorganize.

Dell was also said it would reorganize around globally, focusing on large enterprise, the public sector, and small and medium businesses.

Marketing chief Mark Jarvis was stepping down and the president of global operations, Mike Cannon, was to retire on January 31, Dell said.

Moscow - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Moscow had offered and kiev had refused the "very favorable" price of 250 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres, or 40 per cent more, for gas next year.

Putin made the comments in a televised speech as talks with Ukranian officials in Moscow over non-payments and the pricing dispute came down to the wire, increasing the likelihood Gazprom would cuts gas from January 1.

Dhaka - Bangladesh's prime minister-elect Sheikh Hasina Wazed said Wednesday she hoped her new cabinet would be sworn in to office within the first week of the New Year.

"I hope the oath taking ceremony will take place within the first week of January after President's invitation to do so," Hasina told reporters after a meeting with President Iajuddin Ahmed at the presidential Bangabhaban palace in the evening.

Gaza City  - The streets of Gaza City are almost empty. After five days of ferocious Israeli airstrikes which have not let up, those who do venture into the exposed outdoors do so to buy bread or stock up on groceries.

Schools have been cancelled and shops are closed, save for a few grocery stoors and bakeries.

Maputo - Heavy rains have forced Mozambican authorities to issue flood warnings and urge people in flood-prone areas to abandon their residences immediately.

The warning is aimed at preventing a repeat of disastrous flooding last year that forced more than 100,000 people to seek safety.

Moscow  - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged Ukraine to exercise "common sense" and strike a deal with Russia on gas imports to smooth gas supplies to European customers ahead of a New Year's Eve deadline for gas cuts.

"We can make only one recommendation to our Ukrainian partners: make a reasonable decision as fast as possible," Medvedev said.