• Bombs damaged a Christian bookstore and an Internet cafe in the Gaza Strip yesterday, but there was no claim of responsibility. Local residents said an explosion, shortly before dawn, at the Protestant Holy Bible Society in Gaza City, blew out windows and ignited a fire that burned shelves of books. Police said a bomb caused the blast.

• Opposition supporters burned buildings, blocked roads and barricaded election offices in Nigeria as early results from flawed state elections showed a big victory for the ruling party. Nigerian newspapers estimated about 50 people were killed in violence linked to rigging in Saturday's vote for 36 state governors, which should give Nigerians an idea of what to expect at the presidential poll on April 21.

• Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched a US-initiated series of meetings yesterday, bypassing some of the most contentious issues of the Middle East conflict. But in an apparent nod towards an alternative track involving the Arab League and a 2002 Saudi-initiated peace plan, Mr Olmert told his cabinet he was willing to hold a dialogue with any grouping of Arab states about their ideas. Neither Mr Olmert nor Mr Abbas appears to be in a position to make bold moves towards a final peace deal.

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