WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP

But the worst appeared to be over in the badly damaged city of Dresden and flood defences in the Hungarian capital Budapest seemed to be holding.

BAGHDAD - In a show of defiance towards the United States, Iraq's parliament unanimously backed the nomination of President Saddam Hussein to run unopposed for another seven-year term in office.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Two U.S. special forces soldiers were shot and wounded on an intelligence-gathering mission in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.

Meanwhite, President Hamid Karzai paid homage to millions of Afghans who died fighting foreign occupation as the capital Kabul marked 83 years of independence from Britain amid tight security.

BEIJING - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said she was deeply concerned about China's human rights record and urged the economic powerhouse to embrace political reform.

PYONGYANG - Japanese and North Korean Red Cross officials ended a two-day meeting saying they had made progress in resolving long-standing disputes, but there was no breakthrough on the sensitive issue of Japanese that Tokyo alleges were abducted by the North.

HARARE - Zimbabwean police have arrested 141 white farmers over the last three days for defying government orders to leave their land for redistribution to landless blacks, farming groups said.

KRAKOW, Poland - Pope John Paul today wraps up a bittersweet journey home, returning to the Vatican knowing that age and illness may prevent him from ever setting foot in his beloved Poland again.