US Thousands of soldiers poured into New Orleans while hurricane survivors abandoned their last major refuges in the city, leaving behind rotting bodies and flooded streets. US Soldiers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division landed in New Orleans leading a wave of more than 7,000 active duty troops ordered in by President George W. Bush to help secure the flood-stricken city, a military spokesman said. US-China US President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao have agreed to postpone talks planned here for next week in light of the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, the White House said. US William Rehnquist, chief justice and a leading conservative voice on the US Supreme Court, died from thyroid cancer, setting the stage for a new political battle for President George W. Bush over the makeup of the judiciary. Afghanistan Three Afghan policemen guarding a convoy transporting goods to US bases have been killed after it came under fire from Taliban insurgents, officials said. NKorea North Korea still wants to retain its nuclear power plants, a major sticking point in six-way nuclear disarmament talks, a US Congressman said after a visit to the communist state. Iraq Iraqi politicians said that new talks were taking place on the text of the draft constitution, following widespread calls for unity after the deadly stampede which killed nearly 1,000 Shiite pilgrims. France Twelve people, including two children, were killed and 35 injured, some of them seriously, after fire broke out in an apartment block in a southern Paris suburb overnight, according to the latest toll from firefighters. UN US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton reported slow but steady progress on key UN reform issues being negotiated ahead of the world summit this month and vowed to remain flexible to reach a comprehensive deal. Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's party is likely to be returned to power with an increased majority in next weekend's election, according to opinion polls. Mideast The Israeli military said it would complete its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by September 15, but threatened to strike the territory hard if the Jewish state came under threat. France French President Jacques Chirac was receiving treatment in a Paris military hospital after suffering vision problems caused by a "minor vascular incident".