A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Israel kills top militant as rockets fly
WEST BANK - Israeli troops killed a top militant in the west Bank yesterday, while Gaza gunmen fired several rockets towards Israel in a flare-up of violence that threatens to unravel an eight-month ceasefire.
Israeli troops shot dead Islamic Jihad commander Loai Assadi during a raid in the West Bank city of Tulkarm. He was the most senior Palestinian militant to be killed since the start of the truce in March. - (Reuters)
Two aspiring EU members warned
BRUSSELS - The European Commission will warn Bulgaria and Romania this week that their entry into the EU could be delayed until 2008 from 2007 unless they speed up reforms, according to an EU executive report.
The draft report, which the commission is due to debate and publish today, said the two states must act urgently to root out corruption, strengthen administrative and judicial systems, beef up border controls and create farm aid payment mechanisms. - (Reuters)
Two held over Birmingham death
BIRMINGHAM - Police say it is "too early" to say if they are linking the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old man in Birmingham with disturbances in the Lozells area of the city at the weekend. Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, which happened less than a mile from where the clashes started on Saturday and in which a black man was fatally stabbed. - (PA)
Khodorkovsky's safety questioned
RUSSIA - A local government official has denied that there are high levels of radiation around the Russian far east prison camp where oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky is serving an eight-year sentence. Khodorkovsky's lawyers had expressed concern about the proximity of the Priargunskoye uranium-mining plant to the prison in the Chita region where Khodorkovsky is jailed. - (Reuters)
BBC cleared of guidelines breach
LONDON - A BBC investigation has cleared programme-makers of breaching broadcasting guidelines through the use of product placement, but has admitted to instances where products have been given undue prominence.
Its investigation followed a report in the Sunday Times which claimed that independent production companies were covertly advertising products on top BBC shows. - (PA)
North Korea to resume talks
SEOUL - North Korea says it will take part in a new round of six-party talks over its nuclear weapons programmes in early November as agreed last month, a Seoul news agency has reported. - (Reuters)
Church defends snack decision
YORK - The Church of England has defended a decision to allow Marks & Spencer to provide packed lunches for the thousands of people expected to attend the enthronement of the Archbishop of York.
The retail giant is preparing to provide 3,500 snack packs at the ancient ceremony, which will take place at The Minster on November 30th. - (PA)
Canadian PM hits out at US policy
OTTAWA - Canadian prime minister Paul Martin kept up his attack on US trade policy yesterday even as he prepared to meet Dr Condoleezza Rice later in the day on her first official visit to Canada as US Secretary of State.
"Friends live up to their agreements," Mr Martin said bluntly in calling on the US to respect a ruling under the North American Free Trade Agreement on Canadian exports of lumber. - (Reuters)