A round-up of today's world news in brief.
Israel to free Palestinian tax revenues
MIDDLE EAST:The Israeli cabinet has agreed to free £300 million (€446 million) in Palestinian tax revenues as part of a programme to shore up the rule of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
Israel has withheld the tax revenues since Hamas entered government in 2006, although it released small sums to Mr Abbas, the Palestinian president, for healthcare.
The Hamas seizure of power in Gaza and the subsequent appointment of an emergency government excluding Hamas, gave the Israeli cabinet the opportunity to change its policy. (Guardian service)
Johnson wearing explosives in video
MIDDLE EAST: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has said that the kidnappers of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston have made a new video of the abducted journalist wearing what appeared to be explosives around his waist.
"In the past they showed him in an orange uniform," Mr Haniyeh said. "Today they showed him with an explosives belt round his waist." (Reuters)
Low turnout in Congo elections
AFRICA: Low turnout and poor organisation have marred parliamentary elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo that are expected to strengthen the 10-year rule of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso.
A boycott by several opposition parties kept many voters at home yesterday amid the widespread expectation the president's ruling Congolese Work Party would increase its majority in the 137-seat national assembly . - (Reuters)
Bird flu resurfaces in Germany
GERMANY: The deadly strain of the bird flu virus has resurfaced in Germany in the bodies of at least three dead birds found in the state of Bavaria, Germany's first confirmed cases this year, according to officials.
The corpses of several more birds are being analysed to see if they also contain the deadliest strain of the H5N1 virus, a spokeswoman for the city of Nuremberg said yesterday.