Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani has arrived in Najaf in a bid to end to weeks of fighting between Shi'ite militiamen and U.S. and Iraqi forces. The cleric traveled in a large convoy from the southern city of Basra to Najaf, where he called on Iraqis to join him to support peace efforts.
Australia says it plans to equip some of its military aircraft with long-range missiles. Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill says the country's Hornet fighters and Orion patrol aircraft will be armed with missiles capable of hitting land and sea targets up to 400 kilometers away.
A bomb blast at a market in Thailand's troubled southern region has killed one person and injured at least 24, including 13 police officers and soldiers.
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