BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a devout Christian, visited Jesus' traditional birthplace today in a symbolic bid to urge Israel and the Palestinians to move quickly to resume formal peace negotiations.

Rice has been meeting with Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders this week as part of preparations for a U.S.-hosted peace conference in November or December. On Tuesday, she won public support from Egypt for the gathering, and then headed to Israel and the West Bank for more talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Her day began in biblical Bethlehem in the West Bank, with a tour of the Church of the Nativity, built over Jesus' traditional birth grotto. In the grotto, she lit a candle and paused for prayer.

Rice has said her visit to Bethlehem is part of an attempt to assure ordinary people that the U.S. is serious about helping them reach peace.

Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, is lined on two sides by Israel's West Bank separation barrier, along some stretches a towering wall of cement blocks.

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The head of U.N. food agency operations in the violence-wracked Somali capital was taken away today by 50 to 60 heavily armed government security officers who had stormed the U.N. compound in Mogadishu, the agency said.The World Food Program suspended aid distribution in Mogadishu in response to the detention of the official, Irdris Osman.Interior Minister Mohamed Mohamoud Guled denied government officers carried out any operation at the U.N. compound. But he added that the WFP last month distributed food aid without consulting the government, a reason that the government has in recent months used to block distributions to areas perceived to be against the government.The detention followed some of the heaviest fighting in weeks in the capital. Overnight, at least eight civilians and one policeman died.