Lebanon A distraught Lebanon was on high alert after former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, father of the country's post-war reconstruction, was killed in a massive bomb attack that triggered fears of a return to civil chaos. Lebanon The assassination of Rafiq Hariri has exacerbated tensions between the pro-Syrian Lebanese government and opposition forces who accuse Damascus of having a hand in the murder of their former prime minister. Lebanon Newspapers across the world warned of new instability in Lebanon following the killing of the country's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, with many suggesting that Syria played a role in his assassination. China At least 203 workers were killed after a gas explosion at a coal mine in northeast China in the worst mining disaster in the country's recent history, mining officials and state media said. Mideast The Israeli government was forging ahead with its planned pullout from the Gaza Strip despite virulent opposition, as MPs were to debate a bill to compensate settlers and plans for a new town in the Negev desert were unveiled. Britain Britain's main opposition Conservative party promised to test immigrants from outside the European Union (EU) for HIV, tuberculosis and other diseases if it wins elections expected in May. Britain The European Court of Human Rights condemned Britain for violating the rights of two activists convicted of libelling US fast food chain McDonald's, ending a 15-year legal battle. Iran Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, whose country holds the European Union's rotating presidency, said they were hopeful of an Iran-EU agreement on Tehran's contested nuclear program. Guantanamo Four Britons released from US custody at Guantanamo Bay have been refused British passports under an obscure law not used in almost 30 years, a lawyer representing two of them said. Iraq The Shiite list that won Iraq's elections agreed on Vice President Ibrahim Jaafari as its candidate for the premiership, as parties continued to haggle over the makeup of the next executive. Asia Indonesia started the massive task of rehousing thousands of people who have been living in tent camps and public buildings since December's devastating tsunami.