Israel's air assault on Gaza is "the first in several stages" of operations aimed at ending militant rocket fire, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.

As the bombing continued for a fourth day, another top official said Israel was ready for "long weeks of action".

Palestinian officials say 10 people died in the latest attacks, taking the death toll to over 360 since Saturday. Four Israelis have died in rocket fire.

A BBC reporter says Israeli tanks and troops are massed along Gaza's border.

Correspondents say this could be a prelude to ground operations, but could also be intended to build pressure on the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

"The army is concentrating troops near the Gaza Strip, but I don't want to give any details over what we ar

The trial of the Iraqi man who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush earlier this month has been postponed.

Muntadar al-Zaidi, 29, was expected to appear in court on Wednesday charged with assaulting a foreign leader, and faced a maximum sentence of 15 years.

But after an appeal, a higher court is now deciding whether he should face the lesser charge of insulting a leader.

The reporter achieved global notoriety by his actions, which were celebrated by thousands in the Arab world.

A spokesman for Iraq's Central Criminal Court said the decision to postpone the trial was made following an appeal by Mr Zaidi's lawyers.

A new trial date would be set later, Abdel Sattar Beyraqdar told the AFP news agency.

The lesser charge would i

Two Iraqis being held by British troops over the alleged murders of two British soldiers have lost an appeal against being handed to Iraqi authorities.

The appeal for Faisal Al-Saadoon and Khalaf Mufdhi, currently being held in Basra, was heard by three judges at the Court of Appeal in London.

The judges dismissed claims that the men's human rights would be infringed.

They also rejected claims the possible sentence of hanging was an act of torture contrary to international law.

Two High Court judges had earlier ruled Mr Al-Saadoon and Mr Mufdhi could be tried in Iraq, but were "seriously troubled" due to the risk of execution.

The men are accused of murdering Staff Sgt Simon Cullingworth and Sapper Luke Allsopp in Iraq in March 2003.

Lawyers for the

An Iraqi-born Canadian has been charged by the US authorities with conspiring to spy for the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein from 2000 until 2003.

Mouyad Mahmoud Darwish, 47, who worked in the US at the time, is accused of giving information to Iraqi officials.

He was detained on 24 December as he tried to enter the US from Canada.

Mr Darwish and another man charged last week are among at least 16 people accused by the US since 2003 of acting as illegal agents of Saddam Hussein.

Mr Darwish and Saubhe Jassim Al-Dellemy are accused of conspiring to act as unregistered agents of a foreign government, which carries a maximum prison term of five years.

Mr Dellemy, an Iraqi national who lives in Maryland, pleaded guilty to the same cha

Israel says it is ready for "long weeks of action" as it continues its fiercest air assault on Gaza for decades to stamp out militant rocket attacks.

Palestinian officials say 10 people died in the latest attacks, taking the death toll to over 360 since Saturday. Four Israelis have died in rocket fire.

Israeli Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit rejected any ceasefire until the threat of rockets was removed completely.

A UN human rights monitor accused Israel of "shocking atrocities".

Richard Falk - the special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories - said the international community must put more pressure on Israel to end its attacks on Gaza.

"Israel is committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenc