¤ Iran said yesterday it was preparing to remove UN seals at some nuclear research and development sites, despite strong Western opposition to its decision to resume atomic research halted over two years ago.
¤ US Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito begins his Senate confirmation hearing today, facing tough questions on matters from civil liberties and presidential war powers to his own opposition to abortion.
¤ Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew for talks on Lebanon with Saudi Arabia's king yesterday, a day after diplomats said Mr Assad had rejected a UN request to interview him about a former Lebanese prime minister's murder.
¤ Over two million Muslims began streaming out of Mecca yesterday, the first day of a haj pilgrimage already marred by the deaths of 76 people in the collapse of a pilgrim hostel.
¤ A fire at an orphanage in Dushanbe, the capital of ex-Soviet Tajikistan, killed 13 children yesterday, fire officials said.
¤ Troops and volunteers in Japan shovelled snow from roads and roofs yesterday as the death toll from the country's heaviest snowfall on record rose to more than 60.