In Brief

* UNREST – Three West Bank militants were killed by Israeli troops in 24 hours, sparking condemnation from the Palestinian Authority after hardliners agreed to abide by an informal truce following a deadly week of violence.

* THREATENED – The UN Security Council was to meet at foreign-minister level to vote on a toughly worded resolution threatening Syria with economic sanctions if it does not cooperate fully with the probe into the murder of Lebanon’s ex-premier. * SPACE – Venus Express, the European Space Agency’s first mission to explore Earth’s closest neighbour, will be launched on November 9 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, after lift-off was postponed earlier this month, the Russian space agency said.* FLU – Romania announced it had detected two new cases of bird flu in the southeast of the country, in a swan and a goose, but further tests were required to determine if they are the deadly H5N1 strain.* ATTACKS – Two US soldiers have been charged with allegedly assaulting detainees in Afghanistan, the US-led coalition said, a week after American troops were accused of burning the bodies of Taliban suspects.* POLL – The final results from Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections in more than three decades will be delayed as authorities plough through hundreds of complaints.- Nampa-AFP* SPACE – Venus Express, the European Space Agency’s first mission to explore Earth’s closest neighbour, will be launched on November 9 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, after lift-off was postponed earlier this month, the Russian space agency said.* FLU – Romania announced it had detected two new cases of bird flu in the southeast of the country, in a swan and a goose, but further tests were required to determine if they are the deadly H5N1 strain.* ATTACKS – Two US soldiers have been charged with allegedly assaulting detainees in Afghanistan, the US-led coalition said, a week after American troops were accused of burning the bodies of Taliban suspects.* POLL – The final results from Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections in more than three decades will be delayed as authorities plough through hundreds of complaints.- Nampa-AFP