China Former Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang, who put China on the road to economic reform but was purged for opposing the bloody 1989 crackdown on the Tiananmen democracy movement, died aged 85 after nearly 16 years under house arrest. Iraq At least 15 Iraqis, most of them members of the US-recruited security forces, died in fresh insurgent attacks. Iraq Iraqi expatriates around the world began registering for their country's upcoming elections. USA Teams of US commandos have been operating inside Iran since last summer, selecting suspected weapons sites for possible air strikes, The New Yorker reported. Croatia Croatian President Stipe Mesic promised to lead his former Yugoslav republic into the European Union after crushing his conservative party rival in an election runoff. Mideast New Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas has given his security services orders to prevent any attacks being carried out against Israel, a senior security official said. Japan Japanese leaders vowed to help the world protect itself from disasters as the nation mourned the 6,400 people killed 10 years ago in the Kobe earthquake, saying the rebuilt city could be a beacon of hope. Sudan The Sudanese government and the National Democratic Alliance, an umbrella grouping of opposition groups, signed a political agreement in Cairo ahead of sealing a final deal, diplomats said. Greece The bodies of two sailors were pulled out of the Aegean Sea and five other crew were missing after the sinking of a cargo ship flying the North Korean flag, Greek officials said.