Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued its operation in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Thursday, an IDF spokesman told Xinhua.

Georgian and Russian foreign ministers had produced no breakthrough in Wednesday's talks but agreed to continue their dialogue toward settling the disputes over their bilateral ties, the Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvilidi said on Thursday.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Thursday it has resumed registration of new Somali refugees seeking asylum in Kenya after a two-week suspension.

An American aircraft raided the car of a mid-ranking leader of al-Qaida organization in Iraq, killing him and his driver late on Wednesday in eastern Ramadi, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

Pakistan's main Islamic group announced on Thursday that within three months it will rebuild the religious school which was bombed in the tribal region on Monday.

A Palestinian mediator between President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said on Thursday that talks on forming a national unity government had reached "a decisive point."

Iraqi security forces intercepted six donkeys carrying dozens of anti-tank landmines while patrolling near the Iranian borders, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

The Sudanese government reiterated on Thursday its commitment to a full cooperation with the United Nations for implementing the peace agreement in south Sudan and improving the humanitarian situation in the western region of Darfur.

Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr said that 20,000 Lebanese troops had been deployed across Beirut to thwart possible riots or siege of any public institution, local newspaper the Daily Star reported on Thursday.

Philippine military chief Hermogenes Esperon said on Thursday that he has identified two officers as those who asked the military leadership to withdraw support from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in February.