Al-Hayat (London): Benazir Bhutto's assassination raises fears in Pakistan and the world – Pakistan entered a dark tunnel with the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto by a sniper and suicide bomber in Rawalpindi Thursday. The political earthquake of this bloody day drew street fights between protesters and the police in Pakistan and the condemnation of world leaders.

Al-Khaleej (United Arab Emirates): Benazir Bhutto's assassination shakes Pakistan – After a life in prison, exile, and leadership, the bloody cycle in Pakistan ended the life of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday in a suicide attack that killed and injured dozens of others. World capitals condemned the crime and the U.N. Security Council called for an emergency session following the tremor that will have serious repercussions.

An-Nahar (Lebanon): Olmert refuses to freeze settlements and his army kills five activists – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday refused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' demand for a total freeze of settlement activities to achieve progress in the U.S.-backed peace negotiations. During the Olmert-Abbas meeting, Israeli raids killed five Palestinian activists in the Gaza Strip.

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London): Damascus calls on Washington to resume its mediation – Syrian deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad told a German newspaper that the United States should work for peace between his country and Israel, saying it would be very difficult to revive the peace talks without Washington. He added that Syria's allies Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas do not pose obstacles to peace between Damascus and Israel because his country takes independent decisions in line only with Syria's national interests.

Al-Qabas (Kuwait): Iraq: Eleven from Mahdi Army splinter group killed – The U.S. military in Iraq said the campaign targeting a splinter group from Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr's al-Mahdi Army were killed, in addition to 12 gunmen and arrest of 37 suspected al-Qaida elements. Gunmen hijacked two buses carrying 22 people heading from Baghdad to Baqouba, while a new mass grave with the remains of 17 people was discovered.