France The Airbus A380, the biggest airliner ever built, completed a momentous maiden flight, winning praise from one of the pilots as a "magnificent machine" and opening a new era in aviation history. Iraq Iraqi Prime minister-designate Ibrahim Jaafari announced Wednesday he had formed a cabinet, more than 12 weeks after watershed elections, as suspected insurgents shot dead a woman MP in the first such assassination since the vote. Russia An eagerly awaited verdict for Yukos oil giant founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky was postponed without explanation, prompting speculation on the outcome of a trial seen as a bellwether of rights and justice in Russia under President Vladimir Putin. Iraq The execution deadline set by kidnappers holding three Romanian journalists in Iraq expired without word from the hostage-takers, hours after Bucharest appealed for more time. Britain A British army private who saved the lives of dozens of comrades in Iraq was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first soldier to get the country's highest medal for bravery in 23 years. Lebanon Lebanon's new government, bolstered by a strong vote of confidence in parliament just a day after the last Syrian soldier left the country, said parliamentary elections would be held next month. Mideast Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country planned to organize an international conference later this year in a bid to advance the Middle East peace process. Mideast Tens of thousands of people took part in one of the largest gatherings of Israelis in the Gaza Strip to protest the planned pullout of troops and settlers from the territory. Togo Opposition supporters angry at Faure Gnassingbe's declared win in Togo's presidential poll battled riot police again, while hospital sources said at least 11 people were already dead and 95 hurt. SAfrica South African President Thabo Mbeki, mandated by the African Union to broker an end to Ivory Coast's civil war, hailed his Ivorian counterpart Laurent Gbagbo for unblocking a stalled peace process, which would see the west African country finally return to peace after more than two years of civil war. Japan Rescue teams dug out body upon body from the wreckage of Japan's worst rail crash in four decades as the death toll neared 100 and a government probe asked if speeding was behind the tragedy. Taiwan Taiwan's opposition leader was mobbed by large crowds as China heaped praised on his "peace-making " visit and hit out at Taiwan's independence-leaning government.