Iraq Almost 50 new Iraqi soldiers were gunned down in an execution in a remote area of eastern Iraq, officials said, while a US diplomat was killed in a mortar attack on a military base in Baghdad. Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has won outright victory in Afghanistan's first presidential election according to preliminary results, the interim leader's supporters and chief rival said. Japan Japan was hit by strong aftershocks after 21 people died and more than 900 were injured in powerful earthquakes that struck within days of the country's worst typhoon in a quarter-century. Iran Iran rejected European demands that it halt all uranium enrichment activities and described a proposal aimed at ending Tehran's nuclear standoff with the international community as "unbalanced". Mideast The Israeli cabinet approved a compensation package for settlers who are to be evacuated from their homes as part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan, as ministers jostled to finalise their positions ahead of a crunch debate on the project. US US President George W. Bush and his Democratic challenger John Kerry entered a frenzied final week of campaigning, still locked in a dead heat in polls. Sudan The United Nations sent a tough message to delegates at peace talks on the civil war in Sudan's western province of Darfur, warning them that the international community would not tolerate mounting ceasefire violations and attacks on civilians. Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova's pro-independence party looked set to keep its dominance in Kosovo after weekend elections which were marred by an ethnic Serb boycott. Tunisia Tunisians were casting their ballots in presidential and legislative elections lacking any suspense as the ruling party of long-time President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was set to claim victory. India The head of Indian Kashmir's main opposition party, Omar Abdullah, survived an assassination bid for the second time in a month when rebels exploded a bomb a few steps away from him, police said.