Rio de Janeiro - At least nine people, including a teenager, died Wednesday as police raided four slums in Rio de Janeiro in the fight against drug trafficking.

According to the city's Civil Defence Department, about 300 police officers took part in the operation in the favelas (slums) of Coreia, Taquaral, Rebu and Vila Aliança, in western Rio.

Police chief Rodrigo Oliveira claimed at least six of the dead were criminals. Police seized firearms and arrested three alleged drug dealers.

Brussels  - NATO soldiers will only be allowed to target Afghan drug traffickers if they can be shown to be providing "material support" to the Taliban insurgency, the alliance's spokesman said Wednesday.

James Appathurai said NATO Supreme Commander General John Craddock had agreed to clarify the rules of engagement following reports that senior officers on the ground were refusing to fight drug gangs which were not proven to have links with the Taliban.

Athens  - A Greek police officer shot and seriously wounded a security guard outside the US ambassador's residence in Athens Wednesday, local media reports said.

They said the officer, who had 13 years' experience on patrol outside the ambassador's residence, had been standing over the body of the security guard when other forces arrived at the scene.

The security guard was in serious condition and in hospital after being shot in the neck twice.

Budapest  - Political parties of all stripes on Wednesday slammed provocative plans by a Roma group to set up its own "Gypsy Guard" in response to the controversial extreme right-wing, paramilitary "Hungarian Guard".

Laszlo Padar, head of a Roma interest group in western Hungary, told the local press on Tuesday of plans to set up a "Gypsy Self- Defence Guard" in the near future.

However, Padar - who is also a socialist councillor in the town of Gyor - withdrew his plans on Wednesday afternoon after provoking a storm of protest.

"The setting up of a Roma Guard could lead to accusations of incitement," said Attila Horvath, the head of the local Roma minority council.

Oslo  - Female Norwegian police officers would in future likely be allowed to wear the hijab - the Muslim headscarf, as part of their uniform, the justice ministry said Wednesday.

The issue came to light recently when Keltoum Hasnaoui Missoum, 23, asked if it was possible to wear the hijab during police training and as a trained police officer.

Her query triggered a justice ministry probe and the announcement that regulations for police uniforms would be changed so that "religious headwear can be used with police uniforms."

Madrid  - Human bones h