US US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded and received an apology from Sudan after officials and press accompanying her were "manhandled" by security staff at President Omar al-Beshir's residence. Mideast Israel was considering bringing forward its Gaza Strip pullout to head off further right-wing protests as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to begin a trip designed to boost the withdrawal. Britain British Prime Minister Tony Blair was to meet police and security chiefs to discuss whether they need extra powers two weeks after the London bombings, while officials in Pakistan were reportedly interrogating a key Al-Qaeda suspect about the attacks. Britain Two of the four London bombers visited Pakistan together in 2003 before making another trip last year, a Pakistani intelligence officer searching for local links to the attacks said. Britain Pakistani fundamentalist Muslim parties called for a national day of protest on Friday against the police raids on suspected militants that they labelled part of a global conspiracy against Islam. Iraq Drafting of Iraq's constitution appeared to be nearing its final stage, with preparations underway for an October referendum, as the Pentagon warned that insurgents remain "effective" in their attacks. US NASA set Tuesday as the tentative launch date for the shuttle Discovery, after saying it was confident the technical glitch that delayed the original July 13 launch has been overcome. Germany German President Horst Koehler has until Friday to decide whether to dissolve parliament and call a general election that polls show is likely to end Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's seven years in power. Indonesia Indonesia promised firm measures to wipe out bird flu after announcing its first human deaths from the virus, and admitted it should have culled more infected poultry to stem the disease. Mexico Downgraded to a tropical storm, former Hurricane Emily was weakening quickly as it moved inland over northeastern Mexico with flood-threatening rains, after it walloped the coast with 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour winds.