Britain The global hunt for the masterminds behind the London bombings took a potentially key twist with the arrest in Egypt of a suspect who might have put the deadly explosives together. Iraq Nine suicide bombers blew themselves up in separate attacks in Baghdad and northern Iraq, killing at least 20 people and wounding nearly 100, including seven US soldiers, Iraqi and US forces said. Mideast At least five militants from the armed wing of Islamist faction Hamas were killed in nearly simultaneous Israeli air strikes on Gaza City and the West Bank. Pakistan Pakistani security forces have found the bodies of 24 suspected militants who died after US-led troops fired at them across the border from southeastern Afghanistan, officials said. Thailand Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took broad powers from the military, centralizing control of security forces after Islamic insurgents staged a dramatic overnight attack. Kenya Backed by armoured trucks and helicopters, columns of Kenya security personnel combed sweltering plains in northern Kenya to pursue bandits who attacked a village, sparking a vicious cycle of inter-clan conflict that has claimed at least 82 people. Britain A painful wait for millions of Harry Potter fans will end Saturday when the latest adventure in the boy wizard series goes on sale in a spectacular launch that looks set to break all publishing records. Caribbean Jamaica braced for a new pounding as Hurricane Emily barreled toward the Caribbean island on a projected track that eventually would send it over the Mexican resort of Cancun and the US-Mexican border. US A US Appeals Court ruled that controversial military trials for "war on terror" detainees are legal. India Five gunmen who attacked a disputed religious site in northern India were Islamic militants who came from Pakistan, police said, adding that two gun-runners linked to the assault have been arrested in Kashmir. Finland Aceh peace talks in Helsinki appeared to be back on track as Jakarta agreed to withdraw its troops from the troubled province and negotiators once again claimed to be near a deal on the sticky issue of political participation. afp