Mideast British Prime Minister Tony Blair pursued his quest to bring peace to the Middle East, unveiling plans for a conference to help prepare the Palestinians for statehood after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Iraq Two French journalists freed after being held hostage for four months in Iraq stopped over in Cyprus on their way back to a rapturous homecoming in Paris, where the government said tireless diplomacy -- and no ransom -- secured their release. Iraq The US military was investigating a brazen attack by Islamic militants on an army base mess tent that killed 22 people, most of them Americans, in the bloodiest strike on US forces in Iraq since the war. Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan began a trip to Syria aimed at boosting the new-found friendship between the two former foes who came to the brink of war six years ago. Ukraine Supporters of Ukraine's pro-Western opposition leader were rallying here to keep pressure on authorities to ensure a repeat presidential vote is conducted fairly as their candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, moved to ease Russia's anxiety over his likely victory. Romania New Romanian President Traian Basescu named a senior member of his centre-right party, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, as prime minister and called on him to form a new government. North Ireland The Australian owners of a Northern Ireland bank that was robbed of a staggering 20 million pounds (28.9 million euros, 38.6 million dollars) said it would bear the burden of the loss. Japan Japan confirmed its first human case of bird flu and said four other people were believed to have caught the disease which has gripped Southeast Asia, but none of them have developed symptoms. Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said that Japan was aiming to work out with the United States a new framework for their security alliance in the face of new threats. Sudan A local employee of international medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) was killed last week in an attack by government troops in Sudan's Darfur region, MSF said. Central Africa The corruption trial of former Central African president Ange Felix Patasse was postponed indefinitely at the request of prosecutors.