* Israel renews strikes across Gaza Israel has carried out fresh strikes against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, killing four Palestinians.

* Sadr’s Mahdi army in Iraq clashes British and US forces in Iraq have clashed with armed supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, a major Shia religious leader.

* Military pumps up China’s influence, Pentagon says China’s modernizing military will make it a more muscular player in world events, a U.S. Defense Department report says.

* PA Chair proposes truce with Israel in Gaza first, then in W. Bank Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Friday presented the various Palestinian factions with a proposal for a month-long cease-fire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

* Standoff continues in Lebanon A tense standoff between the Lebanese military and Fatah al-Islam at a Palestinian refugee camp has continued into its fourth day, as the US flew further aid to the Lebanese army.

* ‘Noah’s Ark’ of 5,000 rare animals found floating off the coast of China Endangered, hunted, smuggled and now abandoned, 5,000 of the world’s rarest animals have been found drifting in a deserted boat near the coast of China.

* Ya’alon: Disengagement cause of Lebanon war Former IDF chief of staff sees clear connection between pullout from Gaza, second Lebanon war.

* Nasrallah warns Lebanese gov’t against storming Palestinian refugee camp Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday warned the Lebanese government against storming a Palestinian refugee camp where Islamic militants are holed up and criticized U.S. weapons aid to the military in the standoff.

* Thousands stage new pro-secular rally in Turkey Thousands of Turks rallied in the western city of Denizli Saturday in the latest of a series of pro-secular demonstrations against the Islamist-rooted government sparked by political turmoil.

* Eurozone outracing US on economic growth The eurozone will in 2007 take over from the US as the driver of world economic growth, according to Paris-based think tank the OECD, with a strong performance by Germany giving Europe the edge.