MIDDLE EAST
Hezbollah takes over west Beirut
Gunmen from Shia militant group Hezbollah take control of western Beirut, driving out government supporters.
Israeli PM denies taking bribes
Ehud Olmert is suspected of illicitly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars before becoming PM.
Iraq al-Qaeda chief not captured
The US military in Iraq says a man detained in Mosul is not in fact the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Israel marks its 60th anniversary
Israel marks 60 years since its creation in 1948, a date the Palestinians remember as "the Catastrophe".
Body is found after Gaza clashes
The body of a woman killed during clashes in the Gaza Strip is found at her home, Palestinian medics say.
Japan tourists 'freed in Yemen'
Two female Japanese tourists are released in Yemen hours after they were seized by gunmen, officials say.
UK MKO terror ban appeal denied
The government is refused the right to challenge an order saying it should take an Iranian opposition group off a terror blacklist.
Iran hardliners condemn Khatami
Members of Iran's parliament complain about remarks made by former President Khatami on Ayatollah Khomeini.
'Guantanamo man' in Iraq attack
A former Kuwaiti detainee at Guantanamo Bay carried out a recent suicide bombing in Iraq, the US says.
Baghdad clashes 'kill 17 gunmen'
Seventeen militants are killed in clashes over the last 24 hours with US and Iraqi forces, the US military says.
Iraq set for Baghdad exodus
Two Baghdad stadiums are prepared to receive people warned to leave home ahead of an assault.
'Saddam's jail diaries' published
A newspaper prints what it says are excerpts from diaries by ex-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein before his execution in 2006.
Israeli fuel allows Gaza reprieve
A last-minute delivery of fuel by Israel to a UN agency in the Gaza Strip allows aid deliveries to continue.
Olmert, Abbas 'make progress'
Differences have narrowed, officials say, as Israeli and Palestinian leaders meet for a new round of talks.
Iraqi first lady survives bombing
The wife of Iraq's president is unhurt after a bomb exploded near her motorcade in Baghdad.
