A car bomb exploded outside the main gate to the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition today, killing 23 people, including two Americans who may have been civilian contractors, U.S. officials said.

LIBERIA'S besieged President Charles Taylor yesterday said he would step down, but only after an international peacekeeping force is deployed to his west African nation, and he said the United States should send troops.

Turkey has reached a “broad agreement” with the US to allow combat forces to be based in the country in case of war with Iraq, foreign minister Yasar Yakis has said.