AP – The Iraqi prime minister’s bloc says it has started laying the groundwork to form a coalition government after preliminary election results showed it winning in at least two southern provinces.

AP – A pair of suicide bombers targeting army vehicles detonated explosives within seconds of each other Friday, killing at least 39 people in this eastern city and wounding nearly 100, police said. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

AFP – Twin suicide attacks seconds apart targeted the Pakistani military Friday, killing up to 45 people in the second attack to hit security forces in the country’s cultural capital this week.

AFP – The head of Germany’s Roman Catholic Church issued a new apology to victims of paedophile priests as he met the pope Friday and announced the creation of a watchdog to deal with the abuse issue.

AFP – Pope Benedict XVI met Friday with the head of the German Catholic Church as paedophile priest scandals swept Germany, one coming close to the pontiff’s brother Georg Ratzinger, a former choirmaster.

AFP – Israel sealed off the West Bank on Friday amid tension in Jerusalem over controversial plans to build new homes for Jewish settlers and fears of fresh violence at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

AFP – A twin suicide attack targeting the Pakistani military in the city of Lahore on Friday killed 39 people and wounded 95, a senior police official said.

AP – Israel has sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, preventing Palestinians from entering Israel because of fears of unrest.

AP – Pakistan’s navy successfully test-fired a series of missiles and torpedoes Friday in what it called a message to “nefarious” forces — an apparent reference to longtime rival India.