Kurdish rebels on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on a pipeline in eastern Turkey that has cut off Iranian gas shipments to Turkey.

The pro-Kurdish Firat news agency carried a statement from the armed wing of of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) saying its guerrillas sabotaged the pipeline at around 2000 GMT on Thursday.

An imprisoned Libyan army colonel who surrendered to the rebel forces two months ago told Agence France Presse on Saturday that Moammar Gadhafi's regime is ridden with divisions and in the process of collapse.

Speaking from a prisoner of war camp in the rebel enclave of Misrata, Colonel Wissam Miland said Gadhafi's military hangs together through coercion and mercenary-enforced martial law, but that infighting is rife.

Five members of the same family were killed Saturday when a roadside bomb ripped through their minivan in insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan, an official said.

The incident happened in Gereshk, a volatile district of Helmand province, as the family traveled to Helmand's main town Lashkar Gah, provincial spokesman Daud Ahmadi said.

The issuance of Eurobonds, something the EU is considering, would have prevented the current debt crisis enveloping the Eurozone, Italy's Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti said Saturday.

Tremonti told a press conference in Rome that there is now "a fundamental need for greater consolidation of public finances in Europe."

Number one Novak Djokovic lined up a Montreal Masters semi-final with a second straight French opponent after defeating fifth seed Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-1 on Friday.

Djokovic, playing is first event on the ATP top ranking, will Saturday face 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who followed up his third-round upset of two-time winner Roger Federer with a win over Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-4.

The popular children's program Sesame Street on Friday put to rest rumors that odd couple roommates Bert and Ernie are gay, saying the puppets are just "best friends" and would not marry.

"Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves," the public television program said in a statement.

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri admits he would like to sign Italy forward Giuseppe Rossi, but not at the expense of losing Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Earlier this week, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis claimed he was interested in signing Rossi but suggested it might depend on raising funds through selling Lavezzi.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola insisted Saturday that negotiations are still ongoing concerning the signing of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

Several British and Spanish newspaper had reported that Arsenal had agreed a transfer deal that would see the Spaniard fulfill his dream of returning to the club he left as a 16-year-old in 2003.

The Palestinians will present their bid for membership of the United Nations on September 20, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told Agence France Presse on Saturday.

"Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will personally present the request to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon... at the opening of the sixty-sixth session," on September 20, Malki said.

A media watchdog voiced concern Saturday at the cooperation between British authorities and the Canadian maker of BlackBerry smartphones to identify rioters in London and other cities.

"What consequences will this cooperation have on respect for the privacy of BlackBerry users?" the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.