Main news of August 4

* A Delta rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, carrying the Phoenix Mars Lander probe NASA hopes will land on Mars next spring to find out whether the planet can sustain life

* Ten pro-Taliban militants and four troops were killed in a shootout in the North Waziristan tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, an army spokesman said

* Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet in the West Bank town of Jericho Monday, a media adviser to the Palestinian leader said

* Britain has moved to promptly contain an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which delivered a serious blow on the country's farming in 2001

* Two Italian tourists died when their bus overturned on an island on Lake Baikal in East Siberia, local emergencies officials said

* A fire that broke out on a Turkish ferry near Russia's Black Sea coast Friday has been contained and extinguishing efforts halted over fears the vessel could capsize under the weight of water, Russian emergency officials said