US FORCES fired tank rounds at a mosque in the Iraqi city of Ramadi and exchanged heavy fire with militants inside.

Three people were reportedly killed inside the Al Qadir Al Kilami mosque. Militants inside fired small arms, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades at US forces, the US command said. They also threw hand grenades and a bomb. One soldier was lightly wounded.

US soldiers returned fire before unleashing several rounds from M1 tanks into the mosque.

The US said the attack happened just before Friday prayers. It was not known if any worshippers were inside.

Caribbean hurricane alert

TROPICAL Storm Ernesto formed over the Caribbean as it moved towards Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and could develop into the first hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic season.

The US National Hurricane Centre said Ernesto was projected to reach hurricane strength early next week and to enter the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Jamaica, which stood straight in the storm's path, issued a tropical storm watch, and a warning was also issued for Haiti's southern coast.

Two soldiers die in Afghanistan

TWOUS-led coalition soldiers were killed and another two wounded in a bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan.

The bomb exploded as the troops patrolled Lagham province, triggering a gunfight between coalition forces and "a group of enemy extremists, " according to the US military.

The statement did not identify the killed and wounded soldiers and said only that the injured were said to be in a stable condition in hospital.

Woman charged with killing baby

DETECTIVES have charged a 37-year-old woman with the murder of an 11-month-old baby.

The baby, Courtney Shales, died in Burnley hospital shortly after being rushed by ambulance on Wednesday night from an address in Nelson, near Burnley, in northwest England. Reports said Lynn Jeffrey, from Nelson, had been babysitting the infant.

Elton John switches genres

AFTER 40 years of performing rock music, pop ballads and film soundtracks, Elton John wants to cross over to yet another musical genre . . .

hiphop. "I want to bring my songs and melodies to hiphop beats, " John told Rolling Stone magazine.