Iraq Iraqi leaders were battling to strike an accord on the constitution by a midnight deadline and restore calm after deadly fighting erupted between Shiite rivals that could derail the political process. Germany Germany's highest court gave the go-ahead for an early general election, removing the final hurdle to the September 18 poll. China Talks between the European Union and China began in an effort to slow the Asian giant's booming textile exports as a massive backlog of over shipments was left stranded in European ports. Mideast The Israeli army killed five Palestinian militants in the occupied northern West Bank in the first deadly military operation since the historic pullout of settlers from the Gaza Strip. NKorea Six-nation talks on ending North Korea's atomic weapons drive may resume on September 2, an official quoted China's chief negotiator as saying after Japan, China and South Korea formed a united front to press Pyongyang. Portugal Portuguese firefighters have brought under control all the blazes which have ravaged the centre and north of the parched country over the past two weeks, the civil protection agency said. Germany Damaging floods continued to abate in the southern German state of Bavaria as swollen rivers receded or remained below the hazardous levels that had been expected. Peru Rescuers ripped through the wreckage of the plane which crashed in the Amazon jungle to retrieve any remaining bodies from the disaster, in which 40 people were killed and 58 survived. Pakistan Tens of thousands of troops and police were on alert as the second round of Pakistan's local elections opened, a week after the first phase was marred by violence and fraud claims. Burundi Burundi's lone remaining Hutu rebel group attacked a market outside the capital wounding several people as the war-ravaged country prepares for the inauguration of a new president.