Vatican After a solemn procession across St Peter's Square, the embalmed body of Pope John Paul II was to go on public view, giving hundreds of thousands of people the chance to pay a final farewell to their beloved pontiff. Vatican Cardinals from the Vatican and more than 100 Roman Catholic dioceses around the world gathered for the first time after Pope John Paul II's death to discuss details of his funeral later this week. Vatican From Catholic bastions in Latin America, Europe and Africa to Hindu-majority India, Orthodox Greece and mainly Muslim Indonesia, the world united to mourn the passing of Pope John Paul II, eulogizing him as a towering figure and a messenger of peace and mutual tolerance. Vatican Mourning for the late Pope John Paul II transcended religious barriers in Asia with flags lowered to half mast from Hindu India to Australia, from Buddhist Thailand to the staunchly Catholic Philippines. Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan's ousted president Askar Akayev formally resigned from his post, ending the political uncertainty that followed the sudden toppling of his longtime regime in the key Central Asian nation. Saudi Arabia A fierce firefight between Saudi security forces and suspected Islamic militants raged on in the north of the kingdom for a second day, leaving as many as eight militants dead and at least 15 security personnel wounded, media reports said. Mideast Right-wing extremists have caused outrage by desecrating the tombs of three of Israel's national heroes amid fears that militant opponents of the Gaza pullout plan could try to disrupt the withdrawal with an attack on Jerusalem's disputed mosque compound. Indonesia Indonesia's president announced that 11 Australian soldiers caught in a deadly helicopter crash while providing aid to earthquake stricken Indonesian villagers would receive "medals of honor" from his government. Thailand Four Thai soldiers were injured in the latest bomb blast in Thailand's south, less than 24 hours after a bombing at Hat Yai's airport killed two people, police said. North Korea South Korea's defense chief, back from a trip to Beijing, said China was "confident" about resuming six-way talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. Angola An outbreak of the deadly Ebola-like Marburg virus has intensified in Angola, claiming more than 20 lives over the past three days and taking the nationwide toll to 150, health officials said. South Africa South African President and peacebroker Thabo Mbeki was set to resume a second day of make-or-break talks with Ivory Coast leaders to try to end a civil conflict that has split the country since 2002, his spokesman said.