16 December 2004	Thursday	03 Ziqa'ad 1425

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7 Taliban die in clash KABUL, Dec 15: Seven suspected Taliban fighters died in a battle with US-led forces, officials said Wednesday, while a bomb wounded three Afghan soldiers the day after the security chief of the ousted regime's leader was captured. ...		Turkish engineer killed in Afghanistan KABUL, Dec 15: A Turkish engineer taken hostage with a driver and interpreter in Afghanistan was killed by kidnappers who had been cornered by police, officials said on Wednesday. ...
Iraqi govt calls upon Saddam-era soldiers to return to work BAGHDAD, Dec 15: Iraq's interim government on Wednesday asked some of Saddam's Hussein's disbanded army to come back to work. ...		8 killed in Kerbala explosion KERBALA, Dec 15: A bomb exploded near the offices of a Shia leader in Kerbala on Wednesday, killing eight people and wounding 32. ...
Bush warns Iran, Syria against 'meddling' in Iraq WAHINGTON, Dec 15: US President George Bush warned Iran and Syria on Wednesday against "meddling" in Iraq after that country's defence minister accused them of helping guerrillas and "terrorists" spread deadly chaos. ...		Hamas rejects call to end armed struggle GAZA CITY, Dec 15: Palestinian hard liners rejected on Wednesday a call by new PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas to lay down their weapons as a spiralling death toll in Gaza threatened to undermine his efforts to bring calm to the region. ...
UK minister resigns after nanny visa row LONDON, Dec 15: British Home Secretary David Blunkett, one of Prime Minister Tony Blair's key allies, resigned on Wednesday after allegations that he abused his power to help his ex-lover's Filipina nanny get a visa. ...		Gunmen demand $1m after hijacking bus: 23 passengers taken hostage in Athens ATHENS, Dec 15: Two gunmen thought to be Albanians hijacked a Greek bus with 23 passengers on board on Wednesday in Athens and demanded a ransom of one million dollars and a plane to fly them to Russia. ...
Pakistani deportees plight highlighted SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 15: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a leading civil rights organization, in a special report, highlights the plight of five Pakistanis who were deported from US ...		Pakistani troops foil incursion bid in Congo KANYABAYONGA, Dec 15: Fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army and armed men resumed on Wednesday near the eastern town of Kanyabayonga, while UN officials in Kinshasa reported an attempted incursion from neighbouring Rwanda. ...
Saarc summit: eight Dhaka points declared sensitive DHAKA, Dec 15: The government of Bangladesh has selected eight spots as top security places to ensure full-proof security to the South Asian leaders who are scheduled to arrive in the capital on January 8 to attend the 13th Saarc summit. ...		Stranded Pakistanis for tripartite meeting DHAKA: The stranded Pakistanis on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for a tripartite meeting between the representatives of Bangladesh, Pakistan and themselves to find a solution to their problems existing for the last three decades. ...
19 soldiers, six Maoists killed in Nepal KATHMANDU, Dec 15: At least 19 soldiers and six Maoists were killed while 14 others were injured when the two sides clashed on Wednesday morning in far-western Nepal, a local security source said. ...		Couple bridge Kashmir's divide The families were there, so were the gifts and the engagement ring. But the tradition of placing ring on finger could not be fulfilled - the bride-to-be was on the other side of a 30-metre-wide river. ...
Political corruption: a way of life in India NEW DELHI: It's a familiar sight during every election in India: a politician sits on one side of a giant scale while supporters heap cash and valuables on the other side until he is lifted into the air. ...		Dhanapala: Colombo's choice for top UN post? When Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was in New York for the UN General Assembly sessions, he was pointedly asked whether Sri Lanka plans to field a candidate for the post of UN Secretary General. ...
Film stars say 'no' to Pakistan bashing MUMBAI: The overtures towards friendship between India and Pakistan are being echoed in the Hindi film industry with top Bollywood stars rejecting movies that bash India's traditional rival and neighbour. ...		New Maldives island rises from the depths HULHUMALE: Life can be cramped when you live on a remote cluster of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean, so the Maldives has plumped for a novel if seemingly extreme solution - build a new island from scratch. ...