A bomb exploded in a mosque where Afghans were registering Wednesday for upcoming elections, killing at least two people and seriously wounding two others, officials said.

The Sudanese government threatened retaliation against any foreign troops sent to stem violence in the country's western Darfur region, as the visiting French foreign minister stepped up pressure on Khartoum to end the humanitarian crisis threatening more than 2 million people.

A suicide car bomb exploded outside a police recruiting center in central Baquba on Wednesday, killing 68 Iraqis and turning the busy city streets into a bloody tangle of twisted metal and dead bodies.

Sberbank Falls 30% MOSCOW (Bloomberg) -- Sberbank, the country's largest savings bank, said 2003 profit fell 30 percent in 2003 to 13.9 billion rubles ($478 million). Operating income fell to 95.4 billion rubles from 103.7 billion in 2002, the Moscow-based bank said on its web site. Assets rose to 1.48 trillion rubles by the end of 2003 from 1.09 trillion rubles at the end of 2002. The state-run bank reported the results to international accounting standards. Norilsk Mum on Gold MOSCOW (Bloomberg) -- Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest nickel and palladium supplier, would not comment Wednesday on reports that it may swap its gold arm, Polyus, to acquire a larger stake in South African-based Gold Fields. Norilsk in March bought a 20 percent stake in Johannesburg-based Gold Fields, the world's fourth-largest gold producer, for $1.17 billion from Anglo American. Moscow daily Vedomosti on Wednesday cited Polyus president Yevgeny Ivanov as saying a merger with Gold Fields is one option.

The government expects privatization to bring in at least 40 billion rubles ($1.38 billion) next year, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry said Wednesday.

The Central Bank withdrew licenses from four small commercial banks after they failed to meet official regulatory requirements, the bank said Wednesday.