World Highlights

¤ A bird flu outbreak in Azerbaijan that has killed five young people seems to have stabilised, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday, while Palestinian officials feared the virus had spread to Gaza. The WHO in Geneva confirmed on Tuesday the five were infected with the H5N1 virus in the first human cases to hit Azerbaijan, which lies on a crossroads between Europe and Asia.

¤ Hamas said yesterday the Palestinian Parliament would meet on Saturday to vote on its new Cabinet despite the Palestine Liberation Organisation's rejection of its governing agenda.

¤ Hundreds of Belarussian protesters rallied for a fourth day yesterday in a risky war of nerves with President Alexander Lukashenko, whose re-election they denounce as fraudulent.

¤ Independent candidate Yayi Boni, a newcomer to Benin's political scene, was elected President after winning a run-off election, the West African nation's electoral commission said yesterday.

¤ Afghan government forces killed 16 Taliban insurgents after surrounding them in mountains near the border with Pakistan, an Afghan army officer said yesterday.

¤ Jordan sentenced to death nine Islamist militants yesterday for inciting riots in 2002 in the southern city of Maan in which seven people were killed.

¤ Bomb blasts that ripped through two budget hotels overnight in La Paz killed two people, and Bolivian authorities said yesterday they were questioning two foreigners arrested after the explosions.

¤ A fire broke out at a nuclear power plant in western Japan yesterday, but operator Kansai Electric Power Co. said there was no radioactive leak. Two workers were treated in hospital after inhaling smoke.

¤ Efforts to resolve the international crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions should focus on keeping the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) intact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday. His comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing focused mainly on energy but also addressing Iran's nuclear stand-off with the West.