Mideast British Prime Minister Tony Blair launched his quest to bring peace to the Middle East, unveiling plans for a conference to prepare the Palestinians for statehood, during a landmark West Bank visit. Iraq Two French journalists freed in Iraq headed for home and a rapturous welcome at the end of a four-month hostage ordeal as the government in Paris insisted no ransom was paid to secure their release. Iraq The US military swept Mosul for insurgents after a brazen attack by Islamic militants on an army mess tent that killed 22 people, mostly Americans, in the bloodiest strike on US forces in Iraq since the war. EU A European Union court upheld product curbs and a record fine levied by the EU's executive commission against software giant Microsoft for abusing its market dominance. Ukraine Tens of thousands of supporters of Ukraine's opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko massed in the center of the capital in a fresh show of force to press demands that a repeat presidential election be conducted fairly unlike a discredited poll last month. Saudi Saudi Arabia said it had recalled its ambassador from Libya and will expel the Libyan envoy in Riyadh over Tripoli's alleged role in a plot to assassinate Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. Philippines Hundreds of thousands of fans attended the funeral of the Philippines' most famous movie star, defeated presidential candidate Fernando Poe, held under tight security amid fears of unrest. Japan Japan confirmed its first human case of bird flu and said four other people were suspected of catching the disease which has gripped Southeast Asia, but none of them have developed symptoms. Turkey Former foes Turkey and Syria signed a free-trade accord and said they had agreed to put their differences behind them during a visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sudan A local employee of 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, further highlighting the risks faced by humanitarian workers there.