Saudi Saudi men went to the polls in the country's first ever election, a municipal vote barred to women that represents a cautious initial step towards democracy in the ultra-conservative kingdom. NKorea North Korea said it had manufactured nuclear weapons to protect itself against a US attack and that it was suspending its participation in multilateral talks aimed at stopping its atomic programs. Mideast The radical Islamic group Hamas said it fired a volley of mortar shells at Jewish settlements in the southern Gaza Strip overnight in defiance of a new Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire agreement. Vatican The Vatican was expected to announce the imminent discharge of Pope John Paul II from hospital after recovering from acute respiratory problems. Iraq The bodies of about 20 Iraqi drivers from a convoy of government trucks carrying sugar were found south of Baghdad, police said. Kenya Foreign donors stepped up pressure on Kenya to battle rampant corruption as the European Union warned its aid may be jeopardized by the government's inability or unwillingness fight graft. Philippines Artillery and aircraft pounded Muslim rebels on the southern Philippine island of Jolo, the military said, on the fourth day of fighting that has caused more than 100 casualties. Nepal Seven leading Nepalese politicians were released from house arrest amid growing international condemnation of King Gyanendra's seizure of power and crackdown on dissent. Asia Indonesia urged the global community to ensure rampant corruption does not swallow billions of dollars of tsunami aid and promised to begin large-scale reconstruction in March in ravaged Aceh province.