Top officials diverge on Internet freedom 10 die in Gaza strikes a day after bus attack One dead in shooting aboard nuclear sub

At the end of a week of cyberattacks on popular, freewheelingRussian Web sites, which bloggers have blamed on shadowy governmentagencies, a top official with the Federal Security Service on Fridayproposed a ban on Skype, Gmail and Hotmail here, saying their use is"uncontrolled."

An adviser to President Dmitry Medvedev, whose own blog has beendisrupted, criticized the proposal, and Communications Minister IgorShchyogolev ruled out the idea. But a spokesman for Prime MinisterVladimir Putin said it was worth studying.

The foreign e-mail and communications Web services use encryptiontechnology that makes them inaccessible to the Federal SecurityService, said Alexander Andreyechkin, head of the agency'sinformation and special communication center. That, he said,represents a threat to national security.

The Internet in Russia is a raucous gathering place. Denial-of-service attacks have targeted LiveJournal sites and that of NovayaGazeta, Russia's most outspoken newspaper. Bloggers say the attacksare an effort to bring the Web under control, a suspicion heightenedby Andreyechkin's remarks.

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Friday killed 10Palestinians, including a woman and her 21-year-old daughter,medical officials said, in continuing exchanges of fire a day aftera missile attack on an Israeli school bus that wounded two people,including a 16-year-old boy.

Israeli aircraft and tanks fired at targets in the Palestinianenclave, and militants launched mortar rounds and rockets at Israel,causing no casualties. Fourteen Palestinians have been killed anddozens wounded since Thursday's bus attack. It is the worse flare-up of violence since an Israeli offensive in 2009 against themilitant Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged an "immediate end" torocket fire at Israel and "maximum restraint" by Israel.

A British sailor aboard a nuclear-powered submarine apparentlyshot dead a crew member and seriously wounded another Friday whilethe vessel was on a goodwill visit to the English port ofSouthampton, officials said.

The suspect was overpowered by colleagues and visitingdignitaries aboard HMS Astute and arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police and military officials said the incident was not relatedto terrorism, but offered few details about a possible motive.

Pakistan reports 30 militants killed in northwest: Pakistanisecurity forces killed 30 alleged Islamist militants near the Afghanborder, a government official said, bringing to more than 80 thenumber purportedly killed in two days of fighting there.

Violence erupts ahead of Nigerian vote: A suspected bomb blastkilled as many as eight people at a Nigerian election office, andfour people, including a ruling party official, were shot dead hoursbefore voting was to begin Saturday in parliamentary elections. Thevote had been delayed a week because of logistical chaos.

Kosovo elects president: Kosovo's parliament elected AtifeteJahjaga as president, the first woman to head the state. Jahjaga,35, who was a compromise candidate, is Kosovo's third presidentsince the territory seceded from Serbia in 2008. Serbia claimsKosovo as its own and rejects its declaration of independence.

Religious leader killed in Indian Kashmir: A blast outside amosque in the Indian portion of Kashmir killed a prominent Muslimreligious leader and wounded a bystander. Moulvi Showkat Ahmed Shah,president of the religious group Jamiat-e-ahle Hadith, was headed tothe mosque in Srinagar to lead Friday prayers when the blastoccurred.

Thai officials recover smuggled lizards: Customs officials inThailand seized 1,800 monitor lizards being smuggled on pickuptrucks to the capital, Bangkok. They said the animals would probablyhave been sold as food.