World highlights

• Suicide truck bombers struck police checkpoints on three bridges in a Shi'ite area south of Baghdad yesterday, killing 26 people and badly damaging one of the spans, Iraqi police said. They said 60 people were wounded in the attacks.

• The departure of British Prime Minister Tony Blair could have a "positive impact" if it leads to a change in the country's foreign policy, Iran's Foreign Minister said. Britain under Mr Blair has been a close ally of US President George W. Bush in Iraq and also in efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear programme, which the West suspects is aimed at developing atom bombs. Tehran denies the charge.

• US and German officials said there was no new security threat in Germany after ABC News reported that officials believed that terrorists were planning an attack on US military personnel or tourists in Germany.

• Irael will be prepared to enter "serious talks" with a group of Arab League states over their land-for-peace plan, deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said yesterday. The Arab proposal will be the focus of talks next week between Jordan's King Abdullah, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

• Hundreds of Egyptian Muslims and Christians fought and hurled bricks at each other in clashes yesterday south of Cairo in a dispute over building a church that erupted after Muslim prayers, security sources said. At least 10 Christians were injured in the clashes that broke out in the village of Behma, about 60 km from the Egyptian capital, and four Christian shops were set on fire before police quelled the violence, the sources said.