Brussels - At Friday's European Union summit on the reform of global financial markets, the French government, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, proposed five guidelines for future action which it wants EU states to back at a global summit on November 15.

TOTAL REGULATION: "No financial institution and no market segment must escape regulation or supervision," the paper says.

Taipei- Taiwan's October exports fell by nearly 2 billion US dollars compared with September due to the global financial crisis, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

Taiwan's October exports totaled 20.8 billion US dollars, down by 1.88 billion US dollars or 8.3 per cent from September.

This is the biggest decline in terms of cash volume since July 2007, and the biggest percentage of decrease in six years and 9 months, the ministry said.

Berlin - A tsunami early-warning system is scheduled to go into operation in the Indian Ocean on November 11, the German research team that developed it said Friday.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will attend the inauguration along with representatives of the German government, the Geo Forschungs Zentrum (GFZ) said.

The German government financed the 45-million-euro (58-million- dollar) project launched after the Asian Tsunami of December 2004, which claimed 230,000 lives.

Madrid - Real Madrid striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy will be out of action indefinitely and may need an operation on his troubled right knee, sports daily AS reported Friday on its website.

The Real doctors carried out stringent tests on Van Nistelrooy's right knee on Friday morning, without yet deciding whether he will need a cartilage or ligament operation.

According to AS, they now want to consult with doctor Steadman, the specialist who operated upon Van Nistelrooy's knee in 2000.

Baghdad  - A tribal police member was killed Friday

London- Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will begin talks over a new contract with the club's owners next week.

The Spaniard, whose existing contract expires in 2010, said Friday he would discuss a new deal with Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

"I received a phone call from Tom Hicks on behalf of George Gillett also," Benitez said on Liverpool's official website.

"They are talking about a meeting with my advisors and a contract extension. This is very positive news. We decided to meet in the next week and now my advisors are in contact with them.