Lebanon Lebanon's five-time prime minister and billionaire tycoon Rafiq Hariri was assassinated in a huge bomb blast in Beirut that stoked fears of fresh sectarian strife 15 years after the end of the civil war. Lebanon Leaders from the White House to the Gaza Strip denounced the bomb blast in central Beirut that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, some openly pointing the finger of suspicion at Syria. Iraq Iraq's long-oppressed Shiites were basking in their electoral triumph but pledged to reach out to rival Sunnis whose political isolation could further threaten the country's stability. Philippines At least 10 people were killed and 136 wounded in Valentine's Day bombings by suspected Al-Qaeda-linked Muslim militants that hit Manila and two southern Philippine cities, officials said. Mideast Families of Palestinian militants killed by Israeli troops months ago were finally given a chance to bury their loved ones as the bodies were returned to Gaza as part of a series of goodwill gestures. Egypt The UN nuclear agency said that Egypt was guilty of repeated failures to report nuclear activities but downplayed any suggestion this could be related to secret atomic weapons development, in a confidential report obtained by AFP. Togo Togo's opposition opened a third stay-home strike to protest a constitutional crisis after deadly weekend clashes between demonstrators and police, as the threat of west African sanctions loomed over the isolated new government of Faure Gnassingbe. Iran About 35 people perished and 200 others suffered burns on Monday when a fire swept through a Tehran mosque crammed with worshippers, police said. North Korea Two key players in the effort to dismantle North Korea's atomic program said they would redouble their efforts to bring Pyongyang back to nuclear crisis talks, as international pressure mounted to punish the Stalinist state for abandoning negotiations. Serbia Serbian President Boris Tadic criticised the international community's role in Kosovo as he continued the first trip by a Serbian head of state to the province since the 1998-1999 war. Germany German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer went on the offensive against charges his ministry opened the borders to drug and prostitute traffickers from eastern Europe, in a scandal the opposition hopes will topple the country's most popular politician. Pakistan Disease threatened flood survivors in Pakistan's southwest as officials said the death toll from freak rains and snow across the country was as high as 450.