By Michael Georgy and Ahmed Rasheed

DUBAI/BAGHDAD, Sept 9 - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi could face a credibility crisis if Iran-backed Shi'ite militias fail to heed his call to hand over their weapons to the state.

After a July meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, Zaidi pledged to disarm the powerful groups by September 30, the same date scheduled for the withdrawal of the remaining U.S.-led international coalition forces from Iraq.

(Corrects CEO name in paragraph 33 to Gary from Greg)

By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila

DAKAR, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo plans to tighten control over geological data that guides billions of dollars in mining exploration, potentially extending state influence over the development of future mineral discoveries.

The country is accelerating geological mapping, airborne surveys and digitisation of historical archives to build a comprehensive national geological databank on its critical minerals and reduce exploration risk, officials say.

(Corrects story that ran on September 5 to show that the Palestinian woman's deceased husband was a U.S. permanent resident, not a citizen; that he was killed by border police officers during a settler attack, not that he was killed by settlers directly in paragraphs 1, 17-18.)

By Ali Sawafta and Alexander Cornwell

SINGAPORE, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Six commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from nine a day earlier and below the 10-day average of about 12, preliminary shipping data showed on Wednesday.

The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.

Of the six vessels, five were entering and one was exiting, initial data from shiptracker Kpler showed at 0200 GMT. They included one Panamax and one intermediate tanker.

Sept 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday that its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on September 8 after attempted missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Christian Martinez; Editing by Chris Reese)

Dozens of South Koreans urged their government on Wednesday not to deploy troops to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, slamming what they called Washington's "illegal war".

The protesters across from the large US embassy compound in Seoul waved signs saying "Do not join a war of aggression" as their leaders weigh a "contribution" to the waterway's security. 

US President Donald Trump has pressured ally South Korea to help in the Middle East war, which has seen Iran take a stranglehold on the strait key to global oil supplies. 

By Kyu-seok Shim

SEOUL, Sept 9 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed cooperation on security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during a summit in Paris on Tuesday, but the talks did not concern troop deployment, Seoul's presidential office said.

Lee, who is on a state visit to France, said at a joint press conference that he had discussed the Strait of Hormuz with Macron as part of wider talks on international security issues.

By Idrees Ali and Joe Brock

WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday it had captured a U.S. uncrewed submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, offering a rare glimpse into how underwater drones are being used in military operations.

Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition exchanged airstrikes on Wednesday as daily attacks continued in a conflict that has reignited during the Middle East war, with hundreds of people killed in fighting near the Red Sea.

More than 50 attacks targeted several regions in Yemen, including the flashpoint areas of Taiz and Hodeida, the scene of fierce clashes between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government, the rebels said.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked Slovenia for "standing with Israel when it matters" on Wednesday as his country opened an embassy in Ljubljana in a diplomatic reset under nationalist Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

Saar's visit and the embassy opening are the latest signs of a diplomatic about-turn under Jansa, who is embracing Israel as a chill sets in between it and much of the rest of Europe.