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UNITED NATIONS — The African Union said Wednesday it will extend the mandate of peacekeeping forces in Darfur through the end of the year, ensuring that international troops will remain in the war-torn Sudanese province for now.

The United Nations will provide material and logistic support to the mission, though Sudan is still resisting demands that the U.N. take over the mission from the AU, said Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, head of the AU Peace and Security Council.

The decision was made in a morning meeting of the AU body also attended by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. When al-Bashir left about halfway through, he withheld comment except to shout "No!” when a reporter asked if he would allow the U.N. to take control of the peacekeepers.

An underfunded African Union force in Darfur has been largely unable to stop the violence in Darfur. Both the AU and the U.N. Security Council have called for the U.N., with its deeper pockets and better resources, to run the mission.

Birth-control patch label warns of higher blood clot risk

WASHINGTON — Women were warned Wednesday that their risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs may be higher if they use the birth-control patch instead of the pill.

The Food and Drug Administration said it updated the label on the Ortho Evra birth-control patch to reflect the results of one study that found women using the patch faced twice the risk of clots than did women on the pill. However, a second study found no difference in risk between the two forms of birth control.

"Even though the results of the two studies are conflicting, the results of the second epidemiology study support FDA’s concerns regarding the potential for Ortho Evra use to increase the risk of blood clots in some women,” the FDA said in a notice published on its Web site.

The risk of clots in women using either the patch or pill is small. Even if it doubled for those on the patch, perhaps just six women out of 10,000 would develop clots in any given year, said Dr. Daniel Shames, of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Initial results of the two studies were made public in February by the patch’s manufacturer, Ortho Women’s Health & Urology. The Raritan, N.J.-based company is owned by Johnson & Johnson.

Last year an investigation by The Associated Press, citing federal death and injury reports, found higher rates of blood clots in women using the patch.

Japan’s likely next leader wants to meet with neighbors

TOKYO — Japan’s likely next premier, outspoken conservative Shinzo Abe, pressed for summits with China and South Korea on Wednesday after being tapped to head the country’s ruling party in a vote heralding a swing to the right.

The overture came as Abe, who is expected to be elected prime minister next week, outlined plans for a government that could usher in a more assertive foreign policy, a stronger military and a focus on economic reform.

Improving relations with Japan’s neighbors will be a key challenge. Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi enraged Beijing and Seoul by repeatedly visiting a war shrine vilified by critics for glorifying Japan’s militaristic past.

Charges against presidential contender dismissed

PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa — In a boost to his presidential hopes, a judge on Wednesday dismissed a corruption indictment against Jacob Zuma, who walked from court and broke into a Zulu song, "Bring me my machine gun.”

Jubilant supporters sang along, convinced the populist politician’s quest to lead South Africa has gained momentum. But concerns about the former deputy president may linger.

Judge Herbert Msimang first denied a motion for a postponement from prosecutors, who argued they needed more time to prepare. When stunned prosecutors said they were unable to begin immediately, the judge said he had no choice but to dismiss the charges.

Pope says his remarks on Islam were misunderstood, does not issue apology

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday he did not mean to malign Islam when he quoted a medieval emperor, but did not issue the direct apology still demanded by some Muslim leaders who were offended by his remarks.

During an audience in a tightly guarded St. Peter’s Square, Benedict acknowledged that his comments — which sparked fury across the Muslim world — were open to misinterpretation.

In a Sept. 12 address at the University of Regensburg in Germany, Benedict cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman.”

Particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith.”

"This quote unfortunately lent itself to be misunderstood,” the pope said Wednesday. "For the careful reader of my text, however, it is clear that in no way did I wish to make my own the negative words of the medieval emperor.

"I wished to explain that not religion and violence, but religion and reason go together,” he added, drawing applause from the crowd of some 20,000 faithful.

Benedict repeated Wednesday’s comments — originally made in Italian — in English, French, Spanish and German, but not in Arabic.

He expressed "deep respect” for Islam and called for a dialogue among religions.<