Iraq Al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq vowed to fan the flames of civil war and 15 people were killed and scores wounded in a car-bomb attack on a Shiite mosque while celebrating a major Muslim holiday in Baghdad. US The United States prodded China to improve its human rights record, a day after President George W. Bush vowed to spread world freedom and end tyranny during his second term in office. US The US administration labored to clarify President George W. Bush's newly launched war on global tyranny amid questions whether he will go after US friends as well as foes. Mideast Palestinian security forces took up positions across the northern Gaza Strip with orders to prevent attacks by militants, winning plaudits for new leader Mahmud Abbas from Israel. Iraq The group of Al-Qaeda frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, posted a video on the Internet showing the beheading of two Iraqis after they "confessed" to working at a US base in the country. Iraq Chinese officials said they had warned their citizens to stay out of Iraq after kidnappers of eight Chinese men reportedly said they would spare the hostages if Beijing issued a travel ban. Asia More than 150 nations pledged to build early warning systems and make disaster preparation a budget priority in the wake of the Asian tsunamis, but avoided imposing concrete goals after five days of heated talks. Russia Scores of people who lost family in the Beslan school hostage massacre last autumn blocked a major highway for a second day, accusing Russian officials of not providing accountability for the tragedy and demanding an independent probe. Ukraine Kiev once again turned orange as Viktor Yushchenko prepared to assume power and begin to turn Ukraine away from traditional Russian influence toward Europe. Titan The European robot lab Huygens found liquid methane on the Saturn satellite Titan, a chemical that seems to have shaped the moon's peculiar landscape and weather system, scientists said in their first detailed assessment of the probe's mission. Egypt A Japanese research team found "a perfect mummy" in an unrobbed Egyptian tomb believed to be more than 3,500 years old, the team's leader said.