An Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza yesterday, local Palestinian medical authorities said, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding a fragile ceasefire deal that has halted fighting in the enclave for weeks.

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was in an advanced state of Alzheimer's and died of heart disease and other factors likely days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a rare syndrome spread by mice, according to autopsy results released on Friday in New Mexico.

Syrian security forces battled for a second day yesterday to crush a nascent insurgency by fighters from Bashar al-Assad&s Alawite sect, with scores reported killed as the Islamist-led government faced the biggest challenge yet to its authority.

The Polish government is working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe.