Iraq briefing

The fight

* Both sides report fighting near the town of Najaf, 160km south of Baghdad, the closest major ground fighting has come to the capital.

* US Marines say they have taken control of bridgeheads on the River Euphrates at the city of Nassiriya, 375km southeast of Baghdad.

* They also say the Iraqi 11th Division has "capitulated", but Iraq denies it.

* A fierce firefight erupts in Umm Qasr despite American reports they have captured the town.

* The situation around the southern city of Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, remains confused.

* The northern city of Mosul and Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit are hit by heavy bombardment.

Baghdad

* The Iraqi capital endures a fourth night of bombing.

* Iraqi Information Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf says the attacks hit "several civilian places, and many buildings and houses were destroyed".

Casualties

* Iraqi officials say three people are dead and 207 wounded in Baghdad.

* Al-Jazeera television reports 50 civilians dead in Basra.

* An Australian cameraman is killed in a suicide car bomb attack in northern Iraq.

* Two Royal Navy Sea King helicopters collide, killing seven soldiers.

* An unidentified British fighter jet is hit by a US Patriot missile.

* There are unconfirmed reports of four US soldiers killed in an ambush in central Iraq.

* One US soldier dies and 12 are wounded in a grenade attack at the American Camp Pennsylvania in Northern Kuwait. A US soldier is held as a suspect.

Protests

* Mass protests erupt against the war, especially in Europe.

* In Australia, 10,000 protesters chanting "No war, no war", blowing whistles and thumping drums bring Sydney traffic to a standstill.

* In New Zealand, close to 15,000 march on Saturday in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

* In New York City, around 100,000 people march at lunchtime from Times Square to Greenwich Village.

Politics

* Polls show public approval for George Bush and Tony Blair has climbed dramatically.

* In a radio speech, Bush cautions Americans against overconfidence.

* Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri urges Arab Governments to take a stand. "We're going to drag the drunken junkie nose of Bush through Iraq's desert, him and his follower dog Blair."

Saddam Hussein

* Speculation continues that Saddam was killed in the opening waves of the attacks on Thursday morning but Iraqi state television says he chaired a meeting of top officials on Saturday.

* Britain's Sunday Telegraph says intelligence chiefs believe Saddam was injured and needed a blood transfusion when his bunker was hit.