Belgrade - Ailing Patriarch Pavle is to remain the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) as long as he lives, despite his plea to be relieved, the Beta news agency reported Tuesday.

Serbian bishops made the decision in a marathon debate at their conference, the Sabor, holding its regular autumn session. The marathon debate continued into the late evening without a statement announcing a decision.

San Jose, Costa Rica - Chinese President Hu Jintao is set to visit Costa Rica beginning Sunday, as part of the first visit by a Chinese leader travels to Central America.

"It will be a historic visit," a Costa Rican Foreign Ministry official told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The trip is part of a five-nation trip by Hu to the United States, Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru and Greece that will include attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Kosovo government to show flexibility and agree to a revamped UN mission there following its secession from Serbia.

A six-point plan to reorganize the UN mission was accepted by Belgrade, but opposed by Pristina. Ban had decided to change the UN mission's mandate in Pristina and draw down its personnel after Pristina declared independence from Serbia.

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday ahead of meetings at UN headquarters on religion and peace that the opportunity it would provide for Arab and Israeli leaders to meet was "quite unique."

Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Israeli President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tipzi Livni were to find themselves in one room if not at the same table for dinner Tuesday with Ban.

Washington - US President George W Bush on Tuesday honoured members of the US military aboard the USS Intrepid, a World War II- era aircraft carrier that is now a museum in New York harbour.

The ceremony to rededicate the museum after a renovation was part of Veterans Day celebrations across the nation to honour veterans on the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I.

Damascus - Veteran French actress Catherine Deneuve said in Damascus on Tuesday that she believes that cinema can help in spreading love and peace among people all over the world.

"The cinema is the best way to know the other and accept differences because knowing the other through films helps opening up new horizons," Deneuve told reporters during the 16th International Damascus Film Festival.