New York  - The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said Monday it had launched an emergency airlift to stockpile humanitarian supplies for civilians caught in the South Ossetia fighting, which has spread to other parts of Georgia.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, released 2 million dollars to cover the needs of those displaced by the fighting in Russia and Georgia. UN personnel were being deployed to the areas as well.

Tel Aviv  - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered the military to close crossing points into the Gaza Strip for one day on Tuesday, after Gaza-based militants fired a rocket into southern Israel Monday afternoon.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said the rocket, which landed near a kindergarten in the town of Sderot, caused neither damage nor injuries.

It marked the 40th launching of either a rocket or a mortar from the Gaza Strip since a truce between Israel and Gaza militias came into effect on June 19.

Warsaw  - Some 300 people gathered outside the Russian embassy in the Polish capital Warsaw on Monday to show support for Georgia in its fourth day of conflict with Russia.

Organized by "Solidarity with Georgia," the demonstration came as the conflict intensifies over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.

Demonstrators carried signs like "Hands off Georgia" and "Out with Russian imperialism."

The show of support came as 95 Poles evacuated from Georgia landed in Poland on Monday.

Riga  - Thousands of people participated in peaceful protests in support of Georgia in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Monday.

In the Latvian capital Riga more than 1,000 people rallied, waving Georgian and Latvian flags and carrying white roses.

Demonstrators walked from the landmark Freedom Monument to the Russian embassy. There, yelling "aggressors" and "occupiers," they called on Russia to halt its military action in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.

Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus on Monday vetoed a law placing the country's chemical industry under tougher European Union rules, calling it bureaucratic and bad for business.

"Neither we nor the whole EU needs such regulation," Klaus said in a statement. "There is no reason to further toughen legislation in this field. People are not endangered by chemicals."

The bill, passed by parliament last month, implements an EU directive that requires manufacturers and importers to register chemicals with the new Helsinki-based European Chemicals Agency.