Washington, Aug 23 : The Obama campaign believes that picking Senator Joe Biden as running mate ny Democratic Presidential candidate is a sign that foreign policy matters will be front and centre in the presidential election.

Obama has selected Biden to be his vice presidential running mate, balancing his ticket with an older congressional veteran well-versed in foreign and defence issues.

Biden brings the Democratic ticket immediate gravitas on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia.

Harare  - Newly elected legislators of the Movement for Democratic Change, the main party opposing President Robert Mugabe's ZANU(PF), will attend the controversial opening of Zimbabwe's new parliament next week, a spokesman said Friday.

"We are gathering on Sunday and we will get sworn in on Monday at 10 am," said Eddie Cross, an MDC member of parliament from the western city of Bulawayo.

"Then at the first sitting on Monday afternoon, we will vote in a new speaker," Cross said.

Washington  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Israel and the West Bank on Sunday for discussions aimed at nudging along the peace process, the State Department said.

Rice is still seeking a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians by the end of the year that includes the creation of a Palestinian state, spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to a US-hosted Middle East conference in November to complete negotiations on an accord by the end of 2008.

New York  - UN Secreta

Taipei  - Taiwan on Monday thanked Singapore for offering to help Taipei probe suspected money laundering by former president Chen Shui-bian.

"We are happy to see that Singapore is willing to provide legal assistance and to jointly fight cross-country crime," the Central News Agency (CNA) quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Hsia as saying.

Hsia made the remark after Singapore's trade office announced that Singapore would assist Taiwan in probing the suspected money laundering by former president Chen and his family.

Jakarta - Indonesia on Sunday marked its independence day with the reduction of jail sentences to tens of thousands of prisoners including convicted Australian drug traffickers.

More than 55,000 prisoners who have completed at least one-third of their sentences were granted reductions ranging from several weeks or months.

At least 5,700 inmates will walk free, said Untung Sugiyono, director-general of correctional institutions at the Justice and Human Rights Affairs Ministry.