JERUSALEM -- Israel's Cabinet on Sunday approved the release of some 200 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The prisoner issue is an emotional one for Palestinians, many of whom know somebody behind bars or have been imprisoned themselves. Palestinians see Israel's justice system as unfair and have elevated prisoners to hero status.

Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, has repeatedly called for a large release to boost his public standing.

"This is a gesture to Abu Mazen and the Palestinian people for the upcoming month of Ramadan," the Muslim holy month, Olmert told the Cabinet, according to a meeting participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because the proceedings were closed. Ramadan begins Sept. 1.

A statement issued after the meeting said the release was intended "to demonstrate that the release of prisoners can be achieved through talks and not through violence and the kidnapping of soldiers."

HAVANA -- Tropical Storm Fay lashed southeastern Cuba with downpours and heavy winds Sunday and was expected to churn over the center of the island before heading toward Florida.

Authorities evacuated dozens of low-lying communities and ordered Cubans to pay close attention to the storm, which they said could spark strong storm surges, flooding and mudslides. Winds ripped the rooves of some homes.

Jose Rubiera, Cuba's chief meteorologist, said Fay had brought gusts of wind of up to 70 mph (110 kph) as its center roared close to two coastal communities on the island's southern tip. Still, he said civil defense officials were mostly concerned about the effects of heavy rains.

Cuba's government issued a hurricane warning from Havana eastward to central Sancti Spiritus province.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Zimbabwean negotiators have the basis for a power-sharing agreement and should quickly resolve their political differences and turn their attention to their nation's economic crisis, southern African leaders said Sunday.

Zimbabwe's opposition portrayed that assessment -- reached after three days of discussions among Southern African Development Community leaders at a regional summit -- as an endorsement of further talks. But it also could be read as pressure to approve a deal despite signs the opposition and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's party have deep reservations.

The SADC's key committee on security and politics said it had reviewed a report on more than a year of mediation sponsored by the regional bloc.

BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber dressed in a woman's robe detonated explosives Sunday in a heavily guarded Sunni area of Baghdad, killing the deputy leader of the neighborhood's U.S.-backed security volunteers who had turned against al-Qaida, Iraqi officials said.

Six bodyguards of Farooq al-Obeidi, deputy leader of the "awakening council" in Baghdad's Azamiyah district, also died in the blast.

The explosion occurred as they were seated on chairs near a checkpoint near the Abu Hanifa mosque in the former insurgent stronghold, police and Iraqi army officials said.

The assailant, wearing a black abaya robe, walked up to al-Obeidi's party and detonated the explosives, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to talk to media.

"While I was shopping just across the street, I heard a huge explosion," said Omar Qassim, a member of al-Obeidi's group. "Body parts were flying through the air. I immediately realized that Farooq's party was targeted and he was probably dead."

Some of the officials said the attacker was a woman. But one of them said the attacker was a man who probably wore the flowing garment to conceal the explosives.

Officials at a nearby hospital said about 20 people were wounded. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized the release information to media.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's ruling coalition finalized impeachment charges against President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday and a government minister said they could be filed as early as this week if he does not resign first.

Musharraf is holding out against intense pressure to quit from political foes who swept February elections and relegated the stalwart U.S. ally to the sidelines.

With Musharraf's utility fading, the West appears less concerned with his ultimate fate than with how the crisis is affecting the new civilian government's halting efforts to fight terrorism and growing economic woes.

A committee of Pakistan's ruling coalition on Sunday finalized a list of impeachment charges against Musharraf after five days of talks, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said.

If coalition leaders give a green light, "we will be presenting (the list) as part of a resolution and charge sheet in the joint houses and, God willing, that should happen this week," Rehman said.

The coalition is confident it will easily secure the required two-thirds majority in a joint session of the upper and lower houses of parliament to oust Musharraf.

They argue Musharraf should quit now to spare the nation from a divisive political showdown.

MALAGA, Spain -- Two small bombs blamed on Basque separatist group ETA exploded at tourist resorts in southern Spain on Sunday, authorities said. No injuries were reported, but more than 10,000 people were evacuated from a harbor area.

A bomb squad later defused a third device found next to a bridge linking the busy port city of Malaga with its international airport, police said.

It is the height of the summer tourist season in Spain, and ETA has previously carried out attacks in vacation areas at this time of year in an effort to disrupt tourism.

The first blast occurred on a beach in Guadalmar at around 1 p.m., and a second device exploded at a marina parking lot in Benalmadena Costa two hours later, the Interior Ministry said. Both towns are around 340 miles south of Madrid in the Costa del Sol resort area on a stretch of coastline popular with foreign tourists, especially the British.

A caller who said he spoke in the name of ETA warned the fire department in the beach resort of Benalmadena that three bombs would explode, the ministry said.

The caller said bombs had been placed in Guadalmar, Benalmadena and on a highway linking Malaga to its international airport, a ministry spokeswoman told The Associated Press. She spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with ministry rules.