The death toll from twin suicide bombings in Pakistan targeting the military killed at least 39 people, including soldiers, and wounded nearly 100, on Friday in the city of Lahore, police said.

Paul Martin, a British freelance journalist arrested by Hamas in the Gaza Strip last month and held on suspicion of espionage for Israel, was released on Thursday, his lawyer and a Palestinian official said.

United States Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Jordan on Thursday for talks with key regional ally King Abdullah II on a Middle East peace process marred by Israel's announcement of more settlement plans for east Jerusalem.

Preliminary results from Iraq's national election began to trickle in on Thursday, showing Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ahead in the country's largely Shiite south.