(Agence France-Presse): President Gloria Arroyo on Tuesday warned of "collateral terrorist attacks" in the Philippines as a U.S.-led war with Iraq appeared imminent, even as she held out hope for a last-minute peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Beijing (Agence France -Presse): China's newly-appointed President Hu Jintao on Tuesday pledged to push forward with economic reform, but gave no hint of any plans for political change and emphasized that "only socialism can save China."

London (Reuters): British Prime Minister Tony Blair, putting his premiership on the line as he prepares to take Britain to war in Iraq, told. a rebellious parliament on Tuesday failure to act could have disastrous world consequences.

Dubai (Reuters): Once Washington has unleashed its formidable arsenal of smart bombs and missiles on Saddam Hussein and his acolytes, U.S. and British ground forces are likely to waste little time in invading Iraq.

Geneva (Agence France-Presse): The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said on Tuesday that an invasion of Iraq would be illegal and tantamount to a war of aggression.

Riyadh (Reuters): Key U.S. ally Saudi Arabia has officially proposed for the first time that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein should go into exile as a last-ditch effort to avert war, a Saudi diplomatic source said on Wednesday.

Singapore (Agence France-Presse): Amysterious respiratory disease linked to nine deaths and some 500 infections worldwide has dealt a fresh blow to Asia's travel industry, which is already jittery over a looming war in Iraq.

London (Reuters): Airline shares in Europe surged on Monday as a decision by the United States, Britain and Spain to forgo UN approval to act against Iraq buoyed hopes that any war will be brief.

London (Reuters): Ralf Schumacher and teammate Juan Pablo Montoya hope to put Williams back on Formula One's winning track when they return to the scene of their last success in Malaysia this weekend.

Miami, Florida (Reuters): The world's leading players descend on Miami this week against a backdrop of political infighting for an event billed as the "fifth Grand Slam".