France President Vladimir Putin of Russia was due in Paris for talks with a trio of European leaders -- Jacques Chirac of France, Gerhard Schroeder of Germany and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain -- whose aim is to bolster ties between Moscow and the EU. Mideast An agreement by Palestinian militants to extend an informal truce until the end of the year is "serious" and paves the way for progress in the peace process, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas said. Asia Funds raised so far to help rebuild four of the countries worst affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster fall short by 4.22 billion dollars, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. Japan Japan said it would keep a tight watch on the Aum Supreme Truth doomsday cult so it could never attack again as it did 10 years ago when it released deadly nerve gas on the Tokyo subway, killing 12 people and injuring 5,500. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe's Supreme Court has thrown out a plea by a group representing more than three million expatriates demanding the right to vote in the March 31 parliamentary elections, a state-run newspaper said. Mideast Foreign Jewish investors have paid millions of dollars to buy two large properties at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City through a secret deal with the Greek Orthodox church, an Israeli newspaper reported. Germany Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Britain, have agreed to block any moves for a rigid implementation of the 25-nation bloc's budget rules as enshrined in the Stability and Growth Pact, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung said. NIreland President George W. Bush promised to help the McCartney sisters from Belfast seeking justice for their slain brother, while encouraging moves to get the Northern Ireland peace process back on track, officials said. India The United States revoked a visa for hardline Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi, chief minister of India's western Gujarat state, who has been accused of complicity in a Muslim massacre. Macau American gaming giant Las Vegas Sands unveiled plans for a 1.8-billion-dollar casino complex that will set Asian gambling haven Macau on the road to becoming the world's biggest casino attraction.