A look at today's other news in brief
Germany to deploy forces into Lebanon
BEIRUT - Germany's cabinet approved "historic" plans yesterday to send naval and air forces to Lebanon to help guarantee security after Israel's one-month war against Hizbullah guerrillas.
A 2,400-strong German naval contingent will patrol Lebanon's coast to prevent weapons reaching Hizbollah to help enforce the UN- sponsored truce that ended the war. - (Reuters)
Central bank man shot in Moscow
MOSCOW - The first deputy chairman of Russia's central bank is in critical condition in hospital after being shot, according to law enforcement sources yesterday. Andrei Kozlov's driver was killed in the attack in Moscow, the agency said. Police and the central bank could not immediately be reached for comment. - (Reuters)
Kabila meets electoral rival
KINSHASA - Congo's president Joseph Kabila met his electoral rival, vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, yesterday for the first time since clashes between their soldiers killed more than 30 people last month.
A spokesman for Mr Kabila said he met three of his four vice-presidents, including Mr Bemba, and they were due to discuss the fighting in Kinshasa which threatened to derail Democratic Republic of Congo's first free elections in more than 40 years. - (Reuters)
Seven policemen killed by 'mistake'
MOSCOW - Seven policemen were killed and 21 wounded yesterday when two police units from separate parts of Russia's volatile North Caucasus fired on each other in what officials called a mistake, Russian news agencies said.
A motorcade of Chechnya's pro-Moscow special police was riddled with bullets as it was leaving neighbouring Ingushetia, heading home after catching a rebel fighter there, the agencies quoted a military source as saying. - (Reuters)
EU talks with Iran to resume today
VIENNA - The EU will resume crunch talks with Iran over its disputed nuclear work today, officials said, as world power consultations at an atomic watchdog meeting betrayed differences over whether to crack down on Tehran.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana was likely to try to pin down Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani on what EU diplomats said was a tentative offer from him to consider temporarily halting enrichment of uranium for nuclear fuel.