Iraq A suicide bomber killed at least 114 people when he blew up his car in the middle of a dense crowd in a central Iraqi town, in the deadliest single attack since the US-led invasion two years ago. Lebanon Lebanon's pro-Syrian Prime Minister Omar Karameh resigned in the face of mass protests, bringing to a head a political crisis sparked by the murder two weeks ago of his predecessor Rafiq Hariri. Syria-Lebanon Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara left Riyadh after a brief visit during which he promised that Damascus would work on setting a timetable for the pullout of its troops from Lebanon. Mideast Foreign ministers and top officials from 23 nations and six international organisations hold a day-long meeting in London to throw their weight behind much-needed Palestinian reforms. Nepal At least 70 Maoist rebels and four members of Nepal's security forces have been killed in a fierce clash in southwestern Nepal, the army said. US Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has suggested to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a leading US foe in Iraq, that he get involved in attacks inside the United States, a US counter-terrorism official said. Vatican Pope John Paul II has begun therapy to recover his voice following his throat operation, the Vatican said, trying to dispel concern that he may be unable to speak again as spiritual leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics. Mideast Israel insisted Syria was to blame for a Tel Aviv suicide attack as a car packed with explosives was discovered in the West Bank, casting a shadow over efforts to forge peace in the Middle East. US The United States in an annual report on human rights combined familiar criticism of China's and Russia's record with harsh accusations of abuses in key Middle East allies, particularly Saudi Arabia. Vietnam A 21-year-old man from northern Vietnam has died of bird flu, becoming the 15th victim of the disease in the Southeast Asian country in the past two months, the health ministry said. US The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, an experimental plane piloted by American adventurer Steve Fossett, took off from an airport here in a bid to make the first solo non-stop flight around the world without refueling.