Beijing - Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is to travel to travel to Berlin, Brussels and London after participating in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in late January, officials said Thursday.

Foreign Ministry officials told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that Wen planned to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on January 28. German officials in Beijing did not confirm the meeting.

Jakarta - Indonesia and the Netherlands on Wednesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where an Israeli military offensive has killed more than 900 Palestinians.

Visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said after meeting his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda that Indonesia and the Netherlands had a common interest in an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"We also shared ideas on how to realize a ceasefire in Gaza," he told a news conference.

Retno Marsudi, the foreign ministry's director general for the Americas and Europe, said each country should play a role in pushing for a Gaza ceasefire.

Tokyo - Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen on Wednesday urged Japan to make a stronger business and trade commitment to Ireland amid the global financial crisis, news reports said.

Cowen brought with him a trade mission of about 70 companies from Ireland to Tokyo for a six-day visit, along with Irish Trade and Commerce Minister John McGuinness.

"Ireland has a strong economic future beyond the present temporary difficulties by trying the right policies now," Cowen was quoted by Kyodo News Agency as saying at a press conference in Tokyo.

Havana - A procession of Latin American leaders has taken over Havana in recent days, sending a signal to Washington about new- found solidarity for Cuba within the region.

With the inauguration of Barack Obama as US president looming on Tuesday, Cuba is flaunting proof that the communist island - far from isolated - has the support of Latin America.

Singapore - The Singapore government has explained its decision not to renew the work permit of two Myanmar nationals, saying they had gone beyond the law allowed in staging political protests.

The case involves two Myanmar nationals, Moe Kyaw Thu and Win Kyaw, who were part of a group that held a protest march against their country's ruling junta during the 2007 Asean summit held in Singapore, according to a Tuesday report in Straits Times citing an online posting of one of the Singapore protestor.

New Delhi - Terrorism and regional security issues were to figure prominently in talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Monday.

Karzai, who arrived in Delhi Sunday, was to express Afghanistan's condolences and solidarity with India over the November terrorist attacks in Mumbai in which more than 170 people were killed, a statement from Karzai's office said.