WORLD at 1000GMT

NEW THIS DIGEST:

ZIMBABWE-ELECTIONS. 2 foreigners acquitted of illegally covering elections.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS. 3 Israeli soldiers, 4 Hamas gunmen killed in Gaza fighting.

EU-IRAQ. Iraqi PM seeks closer ties with EU, vows to defeat al-Qaida.

TURKEY-KURDS. Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

TOP STORIES:

ZIMBABWE-ELECTIONS

HARARE, Zimbabwe _ Police arrest more than 30 people accused of barricading streets, stoning vehicles and preventing people from going to work during a nationwide strike called by Zimbabwe's opposition to press for the release of presidential election results, a state-run newspaper reports. Developing. By Angus Shaw. AP Photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS

JERUSALEM _ Three Israeli soldiers and four Hamas gunmen are killed in intense fighting in the Gaza Strip, the military says. Developing. By Ibrahim Barzak. AP Photos.

US-POPE

WASHINGTON _ President George W. Bush has quite a birthday present for Pope Benedict XVI: at least 9,000 guests on the White House's South Lawn for a 21-gun salute and a famed soprano's rendition of "The Lord's Prayer." Developing. By Jennifer Loven. AP Photos, AP Video, AP Graphic.

CONGO-PLANE CRASH

GOMA, Congo _ U.N. peacekeepers and rescue workers search for bodies amid the smoldering rubble of a jetliner that careened off a runway and killed at least 21 people in a bustling market area. Developing. By Elizabeth Kennedy. AP Photos.

IRAQ

BAGHDAD _ Clashes between security forces and Shiite militiamen in the capital's war-torn Sadr City district kill two people and injured 18, police say. Developing. By Bushra Juhi. AP Photos.

WITH: EU-IRAQ

WITH: TURKEY-KURDS

OLYMPIC TORCH-PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan _ Thousands of police aided by sniffer dogs stand guard as Pakistan hosts the Olympic torch for what its pro-China government hopes will be a trouble-free leg of its world tour. Developing. By Sadaqat Jan. AP Photos.

CHINA-TIBET

BEIJING _ Chinese security forces have detained a well-known Tibetan entertainer in the wake of last month's anti-government protests, her husband says. Moved. By Christopher Bodeen.

WITH: INDIA-TIBET PROTEST

NEPAL-ELECTIONS

KATMANDU, Nepal _ Two of Nepal's three major political parties consider withdrawing from the coalition government after dramatic elections losses to former rebels in last week's polls for a consitutional assembly, officials say. Moved. By Binaj Gurubacharya. AP Photos.

US-ELECTIONS

WASHINGTON _ Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton hit each other with TV attack ads in the final days before the critical Pennsylvania primary, notching up the animosity in the Democratic presidential campaign on the eve of a nationally televised debate. Moved; will be led. By Steven R. dHurst. AP Photos.

AFGHAN-VIOLENCE

KABUL, Afghanistan _ An explosion in southern Afghanistan kills two NATO soldiers, while a clash in the same region leaves five Taliban militants and a policeman dead, officials say. Moved. By Fisnik Abrashi. AP Photos.

INDIA-BUS CRASH

AHMADABAD, India _ A bus plunges into a canal in western India, killing at least 45 people, most of them schoolchildren, an official says. Moved.

COLOMBIA-BETANCOURT'S KIDNAPPER

COMBITA, Colombia _ A Colombian guerrilla who kidnapped former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt six years ago says he's sorry and has written a letter of apology to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. By Toby Muse. AP Photos.

US-POLYGAMIST RETREAT

SAN ANGELO, Texas _ Police wore body armor, toted automatic weapons and were backed by an armored personnel carrier for a raid on a West Texas polygamist retreat, photos and video from the sect show. Moved. By Jennifer Dobner. AP Photos.

VENEZUELA-OIL TAX

CARACAS, Venezuela _ Venezuela moves to take a greater cut of windfall oil profits, approving a 50 percent tax on foreign oil companies when crude tops US$70 a barrel. By Christopher Toothaker.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

CHINA-ECONOMY

BEIJING _ China's government announces quarterly economic growth figures amid efforts to control surging, politically sensitive inflation. Developing. AP Photos.

JAPAN-BRITAIN-UTILITY

TOKYO _ Japan rejects a proposal from Britain's The Children's Investment Fund, blocking the hedge fund's efforts to raise its stake in a major electricity company because of potential disruptions to "public order." Moved. By Yuri Kageyama. AP Photos.

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