Vatican Pope John Paul II died after a long struggle against crippling infirmity which inspired Christians the world over, ending a tumultuous 26-year reign that shaped world politics and plunging 1.1 billion Roman Catholics into mourning. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe's ruling party steamrolled to election victory, winning a two-thirds majority that strengthened President Robert Mugabe's 25-year hold on power. Iraq-unrest-prison. Iraq At least 18 American soldiers and 12 prisoners were wounded when Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad came under insurgent attack, the US military said. Indonesia An Australian aid helicopter crashed on Indonesia's quake-hit Nias island, reportedly killing nine on board, the Australian military said as rescuers unearthed a survivor trapped in the rubble of his home for five days. Mideast Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas placed West Bank security services on a 'state of alert' in a bid to curb rampant security chaos, a Palestinian security official told AFP. Kuwait OPEC president Sheikh Ahmad Fahd al-Sabah said the cartel should start talks to consider pumping an additional 500,000 barrels per day to calm soaring oil prices. Yemen Yemeni security forces and supporters of a slain rebel preacher were locked in further clashes after six more security men and dozens of rebels were killed, sources on both sides said. India Kashmiri militant groups repeated a threat to attack passengers on a bus service to be launched next week across the divided Kashmir region, despite a plea from a hardline separatist group to avoid violence. Lebanon Lebanon's pro-Syrian forces went on the counter-attack with a demand that could delay elections due in May, as the country was shaken by another bombing amid a quickening Syrian troop withdrawal. Afghanistan Eleven people were killed and eight wounded in four separate incidents in Afghanistan, marking a surge in an anticipated Taliban offensive against the US-led coalition and Afghan forces, police and the interior ministry said.