Vatican Roman Catholic cardinals began a special mass to invoke God's guidance before they convene in secret later in the day to elect a successor pope to John Paul II. Japan-China China warned ties with Japan were at a 30-year low and said it would not apologize for widespread anti-Japanese protests, but Japan said it saw no need to change its policy on China although the demonstrations had created a "very uncomfortable situation". India-Pakistan India and Pakistan said their peace process was "irreversible" and pledged to boost transport links across Kashmir, as Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf wrapped up an upbeat visit. Mideast Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was considering a brief postponement to the operation to pull settlers out of the Gaza Strip, as Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom warned against any further unilateral withdrawals. Iraq Iraqi forces said they had failed to find any hostages or signs of killings after regaining control of a town in a lawless area near Baghdad where Sunni gunmen were reported to be threatening to kill Shiite residents. Ecuador The Ecuadoran parliament, seeking to defuse a political crisis that has threatened the rule of leaft-leaning President Lucio Gutierrez, voted to dismiss members of the country's Supreme Court following mass street protests against recent judicial reforms. Cyprus The European Commission hailed Mehmet Ali Talat's victory in Turkish Cypriot presidential elections, saying the win should speed the resumption of talks on reunifying the Mediterranean island. Comoros Panic gripped parts of the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Comoros as villagers fled an eruption of the Mount Karthala volcano on the nation's largest island of Grand Comore, authorities said. Indonesia-Australia Nine Australians were arrested when police on the resort island of Bali swooped on a major drugs syndicate attempting to smuggle home a large quantity of heroin -- a crime that can carry the death penalty in Indonesia.