Denver, Colorado  - Hillary Clinton Wednesday called on her delegates to support Barack Obama, just hours before the Democratic Party's delegates were to make a formal and symbolic choice between two historic firsts - an African-American or woman presidential candidate on Wednesday.

"I am here to release you as my delegates," Clinton said in a final meeting with her about 1,800 delegates, sparking boos and cries of "no" from the crowd of still-bitter supporters.

Washington  - The United States called on Russia Wednesday to allow an investigation into all possible atrocities committed during the conflict over Georgia's breakaway regions.

"We've seen reports that there are atrocities being committed against civilians," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.

"And we want to call on the Russians to allow a credible investigation to take place, of reports that atrocities have been committed by both sides," Wood said.

Denver, Colorado  - Just hours before Democratic delegates are to make a formal and symbolic choice between two historic firsts for their party - an African-American or woman presidential candidate - uncertainty prevailed Wednesday about just how the vote at the party convention would play out later Wednesday.

Brussels  - NATO on Wednesday reassured Ukraine about its prospects of joining the transatlantic alliance, with both sides condemning Russia's decision to recognize Georgia's breakaway regions.

At a meeting in Brussels between ambassadors from NATO and Ukraine - the first such meeting since the outbreak of the conflict in Georgia - the sides expressed "deep concern over the current situation in Georgia, and its implications on the security in the Caucasus and the Euro-Atlantic area".

Denver, Colorado  - Senator Hillary Clinton, who brought her presidential bid within a hair's breadth of winning her party, was expected to appeal later Tuesday for her 18 million backers to get solidly behind rival Barack Obama in the general elections.

But ahead of the much-awaited speech before 4,400 Democratic Party delegates in Denver on Tuesday, many supporters continued to be unhappy about a prospect of forced unanimity and were trying to force a state-by-state roll-call vote the next evening.

Washington  - Russia's recognition of the breakaway Georgian regions will not be embraced by the international community or United Nations, the White House said Tuesday.

"This is not an act that will be recognized by the UN Security Council. It will be dead on arrival," spokesman Tony Fratto said in Crawford, Texas, where President George W Bush is vacationing.