The new Hamas-Fatah coalition was to set to clear a final formal hurdle today, approval by the parliament, before taking on the challenge of persuading a sceptical world to end a crippling year-long boycott of the Palestinian government.

A suicide bomber driving a tanker truck detonated his explosives in a line of cars waiting to enter Fallujah, killing at least six people and wound dozens, police said today.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the complementary role the Iranian and Syrian nations play has established the best type of brotherly ties between the two countries beyond cordial relations or common interests.