New York  - A United Nations rapporteur is scheduled to visit Myanmar next week to discuss human rights concerns, it was announced Thursday.

The UN rapporteur for human rights, Tomás Ojea Quintana, will be in Myanmar, formerly Burma, from Sunday to Thursday for a first visit to the country ruled by the military for more than four decades, and which has not considered human rights issues a top priority.

New York  - The UN military observer mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea began Thursday to liquidate its headquarters in the capital cities of both countries, one day after the UN Security Council terminated its mandate.

The council's decision stemmed from the failure of both countries to accept a compromise solution over their border dispute. The two- year war between Ethiopia and Eritrea ended in 2000 with a ceasefire that was to be monitored by the UN mission. The UN said the war claimed at least 70,000 lives on both sides.

New York  - US tabacco company Altria, whose brands include Marlboro, said Thursday second-quarter profits rose after it spun-off its international operations on higher cigarette costs in the United States.

Earnings rose 30 per cent to 930 million dollars over year-earlier earnings excluding international operations. Revenue rose 4 per cent to 5.1 billion dollars, the Richmond, Virginia-based company said.

New York  - Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reiterated Thursday a warning often heard from her government that the current conflict in the Middle East is between extremist and moderate militants and not between Israelis and Palestinians.

Livni was at United Nations headquarters in New York for talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the situation in the region and the "global threat" of Iran.

New York  - US breakfast cereal maker Kellogg Company said Thursday profits rose in the second quarter despite increased costs for its raw ingredients as it passed on the prices to consumers.

Net profits rose 4 per cent to 312 million dollars, or 82 cents per share, from 301 million dollars, or 71 cents per share, the Battle Creek, Michigan-based firm said.

Revenue rose 11 per cent to 3.3 billion dollars on the weaker dollar and higher prices for its popular cereals.

New York  - Major US stock indices rose Wednesday after a surge in oil prices led energy companies to their largest gains in six years, while the Federal Reserve said it would extend borrowing to investment banks.

Crude oil jumped 4.58 dollars to 126.77 dollars per barrel in New York trading as petrol inventories declined, sending an energy sector index up 5.6 per cent.