A round-up of today's other news stories in brief:
Israelis kill six in clashes with Palestinians
GAZA - Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in separate confrontations yesterday with militants in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, Palestinian security officials and medics said.
Three Palestinians died in a raid on an Islamist militant stronghold by Israeli forces and two in separate incidents in Gaza.
In the West Bank, undercover troops shot dead a wanted member of an armed wing of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, in a confrontation in the centre of the city of Ramallah, medics said. (- Reuters)
Khatami allowed to visit the US
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration, which is in a diplomatic tussle with Tehran over its nuclear plans, will allow Iran's ex-president Mohammad Khatami to visit Washington next week, the State Department said yesterday.
Mr Khatami, whose reformist government ceded power last year to current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has asked for a visa to deliver a speech on reconciliation and other issues in Washington on September 7th.
"If he [ Khatami] does intend to travel to the United States for the purposes for which a visa was requested, then it is my understanding that the visa will be issued," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. - (Reuters)
Merkel stresses 'Christian' EU
BRUSSELS - Europe's "Christian values" should be enshrined in a new version of the EU constitution, the German chancellor said yesterday after meeting the Pope.
In remarks which will reopen the debate on religion in the EU, Angela Merkel threw her weight behind Pope Benedict's campaign to recognise Europe's Christian heritage. "We spoke about freedom of religion," she said after talks at the pope's summer residence.
Mrs Merkel will take charge of efforts to revive the EU constitution when Germany assumes the rotating presidency next January. Any attempt to mention Christianity - or God - in the text will be met by stiff resistance from secular countries. - (Guardian service)
Warning of new Darfur crisis
NEW YORK - Sudan's war-torn Darfur region is on the brink of a fresh humanitarian disaster threatening "massive loss of life," a top UN official warned the security council yesterday.
Without safer conditions for aid workers, greater access to those in need and an end to the violence in the region, the international humanitarian operation could collapse, threatening hundreds of thousands of deaths, UN emergency relief co-ordinator Jan Egeland said, according to remarks prepared for delivery to a session of the 15-nation council. - (Reuters)
Tamil Tigers say 20 civilians killed
COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers said at least 20 civilians were killed and 26 wounded in air force raids yesterday in the island's east, as the army launched a new push into Tiger territory. The military said it had raided identified rebel targets south of the strategic port of Trincomalee 230kms (145 miles) northeast of the capital, Colombo. - (Reuters)
'Atlantis' taken off launchpad
CAPE CANAVERAL - Nasa said yesterday it plans to pull space shuttle Atlantis off its Florida launchpad and return the ship to a protective hangar to avoid damage from encroaching Tropical Storm Ernesto.
The move will postpone for an uncertain period this week's planned launch of Atlantis on a mission considered vital to the future of the international space station. - (Reuters)