Doctors say at least three people have been killed in today's violence in the Egyptian capital.

Firing tear gas and rubber bullets, Egyptian riot police clashed for a second day with thousands of rock-throwing protesters demanding that the ruling military quickly announce a date to hand over power to an elected government.

FOR Palestinians hunkered down under Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, among the most powerful symbols of the conflict are the homemade rockets militants have fired at Israel, and which Israel says it is now determined to stop.

Twelve coalition soldiers were killed when two US Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Mosul, northern Iraq, today, the military said.