Venezuela's opposition has made gains in regional polls regarded as a critical test for President Hugo Chavez.

The opposition took at least three of the country's governorships, including two of the most populous states, and won mayoral elections in Caracas. However, Mr Chavez's allies have held onto 17 of the country's 22 governorships allowing both sides to claim some sort of success.

Mr Chavez said the outcome of the vote was an endorsement of Venezuela's "socialist project". Opposition leader Manuel Rosales pointed however to the changes starting to happen in the country.

Officials estimated turnout at 65% of Venezuela's 17 million eligible voters, a record for local elections in recent years.

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Twin bomb attacks have killed 18 people in Baghdad. At least 13 people, reportedly all female, died when a roadside bomb blew up a minibus carrying government employees in eastern Baghdad.

Another five people were killed when a female suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd of people waiting to enter the city's heavily protected Green Zone - which houses foreign embassies, government offices and the Iraq parliament - police say. Many others are believed to be wounded in the attacks.

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Osama Bin Laden's former driver is being moved from Guantanamo Bay to his native Yemen to serve the rest of his sentence.

US officials say the transfer of Salim Hamdan would take place in the coming hours or days. Hamdan was the first detainee sentenced by a US military commission. He was sentenced to 66 months in August for providing material support to terrorism. His sentence ends on 28 December taking into account time already served. At the time the Pentagon referred to Hamdan as an "enemy combatant”, and military prosecutors called for a minimum sentence of 30 years.

The US has always argued it can detain people like Hamdan indefinitely, as long as its so-called war on terror continues. The Bush administration recently tried to extend Hamdan's sentence, arguing that the judge had no authority to credit him with time already served.

A Muslim charity and five of its former leaders have been convicted of funding a terrorist group, after donating $12 million to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, classed a terrorist group in the US.

Jurors deliberated for eight days before delivering the verdict in the retrial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. The Texas based group used to be the largest Muslim charity in the US.

The Group was convicted on 32 counts. The former head of the charity, Ghassan Elashi, and the former chief executive, Shukri Abu-Baker, were convicted of 69 counts including money laundering and tax fraud. Other members were charged with conspiracy to support a terrorist organisation. All men convicted said they intend to appeal against the verdict.

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The Czech Republic's top court says the EU Lisbon Treaty is compatible with the nation's constitution.

The ruling by the Constitutional Court clears the way for parliament to ratify the treaty, which was stalled earlier this year. The treaty, signed in 2007, is aimed at streamlining decision-making in the EU.

All 267 member states have to ratify it for it to take effect. Irish voters rejected the treaty in June in a referendum.

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The mayor of the capital of Russia's North Ossetia region has been assassinated by unknown gunmen, local officials say.

Vitaly Karayev died from gunshot wounds, in what was possibly a sniper attack in Vladikavkaz on Wednesday morning. Police have sealed off the area and started an investigation. The southern Russian region borders Ingushetia and Chechnya and has experienced militant violence in recent months.

Earlier this month, 12 people were killed in what was believed to be an attack by a female suicide bomber in Vladikavkaz. North Ossetia was also the scene of the Beslan school siege in which over 300 people died in 2004.

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Flights from Thailand's international airport have been suspended as hundreds of anti-government protesters continue to occupy the building outside Bangkok.

Demonstrators belonging to the People's Alliance for Democracy stormed Suvarnabhumi airport on Wednesday, hoping to intercept Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on his return from the APEC summit in Peru. His flight has been diverted elsewhere, but protesters remain in full control of the airport, leaving at least 3,000 passengers stranded. Several people were injured this morning in a series of small explosions among PAD protesters on Wednesday morning.

The government is to hold an emergency cabinet meeting and the head of the army is to make a statement. There is speculation the army chief could impose emergency rule.

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Anti-government protesters in Thailand have forced the closure of Bangkok's second airport, Don Mueang in an apparent attempt to stop officials flying to meet Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Mr Somchai was prevented from landing in Bangkok on his return from the APEC summit in Peru and is staying in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. On Wednesday, he rejected a call by army leader General Anupong Paochinda for new elections, saying his government was legitimate.

Protesters belonging to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) are continuing to occupy the international airport, Suvarnabhumi, and say they will stay till the government resigns.

All flights have been cancelled and thousands of Thais and foreign tourists are stranded in the Thai capital.

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A number of hostages have been released from one of Mumbai's top hotels eyewitnesses say.

But the situation at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel remains uncertain, with an unknown number of people thought to still be in the hotel. Police chief AN Roy said gunmen were still believed to be holding hostages at the Oberoi Trident hotel.

Indian security forces surrounding two luxury hotels in the city of Mumbai (Bombay) earlier exchanged fire with the gunmen holding dozens of hostages in the premises. Gunmen attacked the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Trident hotels on Wednesday and held about 40 people hostage. These were two of the most high-profile targets of Wednesday's attacks which saw armed men carry out a series of co-ordinated attacks across the city, killing 101 people and injuring 287.

Police say the dead include 14 police officers, 81 Indian nationals and six foreigners. A Japanese businessman was confirmed to be among the dead. Police also say four suspected terrorists have been killed and nine arrested.

A previously unknown group, calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen, has claimed responsibility. However, eyewitness reports claim the attackers were singling out British and American passport holders staying at the hotels.

If these reports are confirmed, BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner says this could indicate that the attacks were inspired or co-ordinated by al-Qaeda.

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Thai opposition protesters occupying Bangkok's two main airports say they are prepared to "fight to the death" against any police operation.

Emergency rule has been declared around the two airports and ambulances and police lorries are at the scene, but police have so far not launched an assault. The presence of children and elderly people among the demonstrators may be partly responsible for this, as well as the continuing refusal of the army to get involved.

Thousands of Thai and foreign passengers have stranded since protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy occupied Suvarnabhumi international airport and Bangkok's Don Mueang airport earlier this week.

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President-elect Barack Obama is set to name his national security team today with former rival Hillary Clinton chosen as secretary of state and Robert Gates staying on as defense secretary.

A news conference is scheduled to be held in Chicago and a Democratic official confirmed Mr Obama had chosen Gates and Clinton, as well as retired Marine General James Jones as national security advisor. Mrs Clinton and Mr Gates have often been at odds with Mr Obama over foreign policy and defense issues.

They will be in charge of rebuilding America's image abroad and overseeing the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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North Korea has introduced stricter border controls with South Korea, expelling hundreds of South Koreans from a joint industrial zone in the North.

The Western crossing at Dorasan has not been completely shut, but has failed to open as usual Monday morning. Tourism trips and a cargo train to North Korea were also suspended last week. South Korea has funded the Kaesong industrial complex in the North, and a ban on border control would make it very difficult for the plant to remain in operation.

Relations between the Koreas have become strained since February, when conservative President Lee Myung-bak took office in Seoul, pledging to get tough with Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons program.

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The chief minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra has tendered his resignation amid anger over the handling of the Mumbai terrors attacks.

Vilasrao Deshmukh says he is awaiting a Congress party decision. His deputy, PR Patil, who roused public anger when he made light of the terror attacks by saying that such "minor incidents do happen in big cities", has already resigned. There are calls for further resignations as criticism over India's failure to pre-empt the attacks and the time taken to end the crisis have developed.

The attacks have increased tensions with Pakistan following allegations that the gunmen had Pakistani links. Only ten militants have been identified, one of them captured alive. Attackers targeted locations across Mumbai from Wednesday killing at least 172 people.

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At least 484 people have died in Zimbabwe since August from an outbreak of cholera, says the UN.

More than 11,700 cases have been registered over the same period and the outbreak has affected most of Zimbabwe's regions. The collapse of Zimbabwe's health and sanitation systems as a result of the economic and political crisis in the country has aided the spread of the disease.

Much of the capital Harare is reported to be without water because of a shortage of purification chemicals.

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A Thai court has ruled that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, his party and 36 other officials are guilty of election fraud.

A nine-judge panel said Mr Somchai should step down and ordered his governing People Power Party and two of its coalition partners - the Machima Thipatai party and the Chart Thai - to disband.

The head of the panel, Chat Chonlaworn, announced that the parties had been found guilty of vote-buying and that the court had unanimously agreed to disband them.

The ruling may not appease the anti-government protesters, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, and protest leaders say they will continue their occupation of Bangkok's airports until they see the shape of the new government.

Our correspondent, Andrew Chant, reports that there is a build-up of around 2,000 riot police at Suvarnabhumi International airport. Thailand has been in political turmoil since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in India in an attempt to ease tensions between India and Pakistan after the attacks in Mumbai last week.

Ms. Rice intends to meet India's prime minister and foreign minister. However, she has declared no plan to visit Pakistan. US officials have said that the US had warned India a month before the attacks of a possible threat.

The US national intelligence director implied that Lashkar-e-Toiba - a Pakistan based group - was responsible. Islamabad rejects Indian allegations that the attackers, who killed almost 200 people, came from Pakistan or are linked to the country. Political leaders in Pakistan condemn the attacks but reject what they refer to as "hasty allegations" against Pakistan.

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A march by nurses and doctors against the worsening cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has been broken up by police in the capital, Harare.

Officers are reported to have hit demonstrators with batons in order to disperse them. The UN says at least 484 people have died of the cholera outbreak since August and more than 11,700 cases of cholera have been recorded in the same period. Despite earlier announcements, there was no sign of a trade union protest called over the deepening banking crisis. Zimbabwe's defence minister says soldiers who rioted on Monday over cash shortages are to be detained. Zimbabweans can only withdraw small amounts of money every day - often barely enough to buy a loaf of bread - due to a national cash shortage.

The collapse of Zimbabwe's health and sanitation systems, and the prolonged economic and political crisis, aided the spread of cholera.

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Zimbabwean authorities have declared a state of emergency due to

the cholera outbreak, which has killed more than 550 people.

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said hospitals were in urgent need of medicine, food and equipment and were suffering a staff shortage. Most of Zimbabwe's capital Harare has been without water since Sunday due to lack of purification tablets.

On Wednesday, police in Zimbabwe broke up a protest march by doctors and nurses angered at the worsening outbreak. At least 12,545 cases of cholera have been reported since August.

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Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has begun a nationwide

phone-in, focusing on economic issues.

A Conversation with Vladimir Putin is being filmed at a studio in Moscow in front of a 400-strong audience. When Mr Putin was president, the broadcast was an annual tradition.

Last year a million questions were submitted in advance, but all were screened and none were considered too critical of him. Mr Putin stepped down as president in May after two consecutive terms. However, speculation is mounting in Russia that current President Dmitry Medvedev could step down and pave the way for the return of Mr Putin.

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Three major airports in India are on high alert after a threat of possible attacks by militants who claimed last week's Mumbai attacks.

Indian authorities say extra checks are being carried out and additional forces have been deployed at airports in the capital, Delhi, and the cities of Chennai and Bangalore.

The threat came from the previously unknown Deccan Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for the terror attacks in Mumbai that killed at least 188 people.

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India's new home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram says that last week's Mumbai attacks had revealed security lapses and that evidence showed elements from within Pakistan were responsible.

Mr Chidambaram took over his post on Sunday after his predecessor Shivraj Patil quit, in the wake of the attacks. India's ruling Congress party-led coalition is facing fierce criticism from the opposition and the population over the three-day siege by 10 Islamist gunmen in India's financial capital.

Adding to the tension, gun-shot like sounds were heard at New Delhi's international airport early on Friday, but police said no one was hurt. At least 171 people died in the violence in Mumbai.

India says nine militants were killed and one captured alive, but US analysts said more could have escaped.

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Jewish forces have forcibly evicted about 200 Jewish settlers from a disputed building in the Palestinian majority West Bank city of Hebron.

Israeli television footage showed police dragging settlers out of the building, known as "the house of peace". Soldiers and police then formed a barrier around it to prevent settlers from moving back in.

The settlers had refused to leave the house, in defiance of an Israeli Supreme Court ordeal, saying they bought the house from its Palestinian owner for nearly $1m, but the owner says he pulled out of the deal.

Settlers later attacked the Israeli security forces and Palestinians. About 30 settlers suffered minor injuries, while three policeman were hurt. Israeli media also reports that a police officer had acid sprayed in his face.

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Protests are expected to continue in Greece today, after rioting over the death of a teenager by police officers.

Dozens of protestors and police were injured in cities across the country in battles involving petrol bombs and tear gas. The riots began Saturday after 15-year-old Andreas Grigoropoulos was shot dead by police in Athens. Though the protests began because of the killing, they appear to have become more politically motivated, reports the BBC.

The protests are concentrated in university cities, where students have been given consent by their teachers to continue demonstrating. Police said the first day of riots left 24 police officers injured. The worst unrest within the country in years later spread to Thessaloniki, Patras, and the islands of Crete and Corfu.

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Pakistani security forces have arrested one of the suspected planners of the Mumbai attacks in a raid on a militant camp, an official from a charity with links to the militant group said today.

The man from Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), who prefers to remain anonymous, said Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi - a Lashkar operation chief - was arrested in a raid on the camp used by Lashkar-e-Taiba fighters outside Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.

According to Indian officials, Lakhvi was named as a ringleader in the Mumbai ploy by the single surviving gunmen captured in India. He and Yusuf Muzmmil, the head of Lashkar's anti-India operations, allegedly gave orders to the 10 militants who last month attacked multiple locations across Mumbai, killing at least 171 people. There has been no official confirmation of the raid.

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There are disagreements at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Cambodia over whether more people should be investigated for crimes against humanity.

Five former Khmer Rouge leaders are in custody awaiting trial, but the UN-appointed prosecutor Robert Petit believes several more people should be investigated. He has been unable to convince his Cambodian colleague, Chea Lang, and has asked judges to intervene saying they were unable to move forward. This is the first time that international and Cambodian officials have had a public disagreement since the tribunal started two years ago.

The Khmer Rouge regime was responsible for the deaths of some two million people in the 1970s.

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