World Highlights

¤ Israel yesterday lifted an air blockade of Lebanon imposed when it went to war with Hizbollah guerrillas eight weeks ago and a Lebanese airliner landed at Beirut's patched-up airport to mark the moment. But Israel said a naval blockade would continue until an international force was deployed off the coast.

¤ The US faced growing opposition yesterday to its bid to persuade other powers to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, with China urging dialogue and France signalling flexibility. There was little sign the participants were close to agreeing on a strategy.

¤ The US formally handed over control of Iraq's military to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government just as rebels unleashed a fresh wave of deadly bomb attacks on Iraqi security forces. Washington, hailed the handover as a "gigantic" milestone towards the eventual withdrawal of about 150,000 US-led foreign troops in Iraq.

¤ European lawmakers demanded yesterday that their governments reveal the location of secret CIA prisons after US President George Bush admitted Washington held terrorist suspects in jails abroad. Bush said on Wednesday the Central Intelligence Agency had interrogated dozens of suspects at undisclosed overseas locations and the last 14 of those held had now been sent to the US military at Guantanamo Bay.