World Highlights

¤ Israel plunged back into election politics with Ariel Sharon's main rival ordering his party's ministers to quit the cabinet as the prime minister remained unconscious after a massive stroke.

¤ Unidentified armed men kidnapped four foreign oil workers including an American and a Briton from an offshore oilfield in Nigeria operated by Royal Dutch Shell, authorities said. It was the second major militant attack on Shell facilities in Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, within three weeks after militants blew up a big oil export pipeline last month.

¤ United Nations investigators probing the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri cannot meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhl-Allah said. Asked if Syria rejected holding a meeting between Mr Assad and the investigators, Mr Dakhl-Allah told Egyptian radio: "Certainly, because the issue is related to Syria's sovereignty."

¤ Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko demanded parliament retract its vote to sack the government, deepening a political crisis over a costly new gas contract with neighbouring Russia.

¤ The top US negotiator with North Korea said in Beijing he would try to breathe life into stalled nuclear talks as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appeared to continue a secret trip to China. "We're going to discuss a way forward on the six-party talks," Christopher Hill told reporters on arrival at Beijing airport, after similar talks in Seoul and Tokyo. "Obviously what we need is for all six parties to agree to a date."

¤ Germany's foreign intelligence agency denied reports its spies in Baghdad had helped US warplanes select bombing targets during the invasion of Iraq, which the Berlin government had strongly opposed.

¤ East Sudan insurgents said that government troops had withdrawn from the rebel-held town they entered a day earlier and had redeployed nearby, easing tensions in the area bordering Eritrea.