US-EU President George W. Bush sought a fresh start for US-Europe relations after the "passing disagreement" over Iraq and urged cooperation on issues like Iran, Syria and the Middle East peace process. Mideast The Israeli cabinet paved the way for an historic pullout from Palestinian territory when ministers overwhelmingly backed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to uproot the Gaza Strip's 8,000 settlers. Mideast Israel started freeing 500 Palestinian prisoners, Israeli public radio said. Spain Spain became the first European Union country to agree to the new European constitution in a referendum that Spanish and European officials hoped would show the way for other countries with polls to come. Cyprus Dovish Turkish Cypriot prime minister Mehmet Ali Talat claimed victory in parliamentary elections in the breakaway north as final results gave his party 44.4 percent of the votes cast in a result that was swiftly welcomed by the European Commission. UN The UN's top refugees official, Dutch ex-prime minister Ruud Lubbers, has resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, a UN spokesman confirmed. Portugal Portugal's opposition Socialists won their first outright majority in parliament since the country returned to democracy in 1974 in a snap weekend election as voters swung left for a new government and looked for answers to rising unemployment. Australia Hundreds of people were evacuated from one of Australia's main airport terminals after a mystery illness struck down more than 50 passengers and staff, officials said. US Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri warned the West it faced defeat in what he termed its "new crusade" against the Islamic world, as well as thouands of dead and economic collapse, in a videotape aired by Al-Jazeera television. Bangladesh The number of people confirmed dead after a ferry sank near the Bangladesh capital Dhaka rose to 116, officials said.