Iraq US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned Iraq's new Shiite elite not to purge the fledgling security forces and to beware of corruption as he made a surprise visit to Baghdad. Mideast US President George W. Bush expressed unwavering support for Israali Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, while urging him to stop all expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank under the Middle East peace roadmap. Lebanon The failure of Lebanon's pro-Syrian leaders to form a new cabinet after weeks of political haggling is threatening to delay crucial polls demanded by the opposition and the international community. Japan A row between Japan and China intensified as the Asian powers each demanded protection for their nationals and Beijing insisted Tokyo did not deserve a cherished permanent seat on the UN Security Council. China China is directing a crushing campaign of religious repression against Muslim Uighurs in the name of anti-separatism and counter-terrorism, a report by two US-based human rights groups said. Bangladesh Rescue workers trying to reach 90 people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed factory in Bangladesh warned time was running out to find survivors, as the death toll reached 25. Indonesia A volcano rumbled into life on Indonesia's disaster-blighted island of Sumatra, spreading new panic in the wake of the recent tsunami and earthquakes and prompting thousands to flee their homes. Iran Iran's conservative-dominated parliament adopted a bill that will allow abortions in the first four months of pregnancy if the woman's life is in danger or the foetus is deformed, in a bid to stamp out a booming backstreet business. Finland A fresh round of peace talks got under way between the Indonesian government and Aceh separatists, aimed at ending a drawn-out conflict that has killed more than 12,000 people in the western province, organizers said. Sudan International donors meeting here have come up with the necessary funding to help rebuild Sudan's pacified southern and northern areas, Norway's minister for development aid said. US The mother of a 13-year-old cancer patient, whom pop star Michael Jackson allegedy molested two years ago, could take the witness stand in his child sex abuse trial, prosecutors said.