World News: Protesters vow to fill Cairo's squares as violence increases

Egyptian protesters trying to topple the regime of President Hosni Mubarak called on their supporters to fill every square in the capital today

The call followed two days of street battles between the pro- and anti-government camps that marked an ugly turn in the country's crisis.

Yesterday, menacing gangs backing Mr Mubarak attacked journalists and human rights activists as government opponents pushed supporters out of Cairo's main square.

And the new vice president, widely considered the first successor Mr Mubarak has designated, fuelled anti-foreign sentiment by going on state television and blaming outsiders for fomenting unrest.

"When there are demonstrations of this size, there will be foreigners who come and take advantage and they have an agenda to raise the energy of the protesters," Omar Suleiman said.

Mr Mubarak, 82, told a US television network that he was fed up and wanted to resign. But he said he could not for fear the country would sink into chaos and was very unhappy about the two days of clashes in central Tahrir Square. "I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other," he was quoted as saying.

Boost for embatled Berlusconi

The Italian parliament today rebuffed prosecutors' request to search some of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's properties as part of a prostitution probe, giving the embattled leader a much-needed victory. The premier has denied wrongdoing.

Satisfaction for Grammys

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger will perform at the February 13 Grammys ceremony as part of a tribute to soul great Solomon Burke, who died last year.

Sir Mick will perform with soul singer Raphael Saadiq at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles

Troops help in cyclone zone

Australia marshalled 4000 troops and sent a supply ship with tons of food to its cyclone-stricken north-east coast today.

Authorities confirmed the first death from the storm that slammed into the coast yesterday and said a search was under way for two missing people.

Cyclone Yasi destroyed dozens of homes and ripped roofs and walls from dozens more. It cut power supplies in two cities and laid waste to hundreds of millions worth of crops.

UN warns of drought disaster

The United Nations and aid groups warned of a possible looming catastrophe as a severe drought plunged millions of Somalis into crisis after rains failed.

The drought has increased the number of malnourished children in some regions, displaced thousands of people and killed thousands of animals. Judge pulls gun on man in courtroom

United States: A judge pulled a gun on a crutch-swinging defendant who went berserk in a crowded Alabama courtroom after being found guilty of harassment.

A police officer shot and wounded the man after he lunged at Judge Carlton Teel,

Mexico: Left-wing Zapatista sympathisers held 17 tourists for a day after clashing with government-aligned farmers near a waterfall area in the southern state of Chiapas.