Health Thailand reported its first human fatality from bird flu in a year as the world mobilized against a virulent strain of the virus still breaking out in Asia as it advances into Europe and menaces Africa. Quake The United Nations begged the world not to let survivors of Pakistan's earthquake die, warning of a second wave of deaths without a dramatic effort on a par with the 1948-49 Berlin airlift to reach stranded villagers. Afghanistan The US military and Afghanistan's government launched investigations into allegations that US soldiers burned the bodies of two suspected Taliban militants and used the evidence to broadcast taunts. Iraq Ireland called for the safe release of an Irish reporter for Britain's The Guardian newspaper who was kidnapped in Baghdad, as Irish and British officials worked hard to find him. Iraq Lawyers for ousted Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein began drafting a battle plan for his next court date after the stormy start of a trial many fear will exacerbate the country's sectarian divide. Mideast US President George W. Bush rejected calls for a timetable for Middle East peace and said he was not sure that a Palestinian state would exist by the time he leaves office in January 2009. WTO The European Union was caught in a crossfire at WTO trade talks here between a US report that it was preparing new proposals to cut farm import duties and French insistence that such moves are premature. Congo A former rebel militia in the Congo Republic warned that a military offensive against its positions in Brazzaville, which led to the bloodiest day of clashes since 2003, could derail a peace process. Britain Youthful moderniser David Cameron beat two rivals by a clear margin in the penultimate round vote for the leadership of Britain's main opposition Conservative Party.