07 January 2005 Friday 25 Ziqa'ad 1425 US army reserve becoming 'broken force', says commander WASHINGTON, Jan 6: Faced with lengthy and gruelling deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US army reserve is rapidly turning into "a broken force" and may not be able to meet its operational requirements in the future ... Promise of work lures Iraqis to death BAGHDAD, Jan 6: Distraught relatives collected the bodies of 18 Iraqi construction workers at a Baghdad hospital on Thursday who had been murdered in the north of the country, where they had been lured with the promise of lucrative jobs. ... Iraq's Sunnis urged not to boycott elections: Arab states meet in Amman AMMAN, Jan 6: Iraq's Arab neighbours on Thursday prodded wavering Sunnis to vote in this month's election to prevent a clean sweep to power by Shias with close ties to Iran, diplomats and officials said. ... Iraq: only a legitimate govt can save the situation WASHINGTON: While the world's attention has been focused for the past 10 days on the catastrophic tsunamis in South Asia and the subsequent relief efforts ... Bush nominee faces blistering criticism: Senate hearing for AG WASHINGTON, Jan 6: President George Bush's nominee for attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, faced blistering criticism at a Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday for his role in formulating policies that led to the torture of terror suspects. ... No vote for Palestinian prisoners: Israeli court JERUSALEM, Jan 6: The Israeli supreme court on Thursday rejected an appeal by the Palestinian Authority that Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails be allowed to vote in Sunday's ballot to elect a successor to Yasser Arafat. ... Israel develops pen to detect explosives JERUSALEM, Jan 6: Israeli researchers have developed a pen-like device which can detect improvised explosives commonly used by militant groups to carry out deadly attacks. ... Arabs fearful of Iran's role in Iraq polls RIYADH: Iran and the Arab world are coming face to face on the issue of Iraq. In an apparent tit for tat for King Abdullah's outburst against Iran's perceived role in Iraq, Tehran has announced it will not attend a regional moot in Amman on Iraq. ... Conservative Iran MPs turn to fashion design TEHRAN, Jan 6: Deputies in Iran's conservative-run parliament have begun preparing designs for what will be a new national costume aimed at stemming the encroachment of western fashion, a top MP said on Thursday. ... US alerts world to child trafficking WASHINGTON, Jan 6: US authorities have alerted relief agencies working in tsunami-affected areas of the potential for human trafficking - especially of tens of thousands of children who have been orphaned by the disaster. ... Tsunami hippo forms bond with tortoise NAIROBI, Jan 6: A baby-hippopotamus that survived the tsumani waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombasa. ... Conspiracy theorists see dark forces behind tsunami HONG KONG: Just 11 days after Asia's tsunami catastrophe, conspiracy theorists are out in force, accusing governments of a coverup ... Chirac wants year of 'trust' with Bush PARIS, Jan 6: French President Jacques Chirac said on Thursday he hoped 2005 would be a year of "trust" with his re-elected US counterpart, George Bush ... Ex-Ukraine PM loses appeal KIEV, Jan 6: Ukraine's supreme court threw out on Thursday a challenge to last month's presidential election, paving the way for liberal Viktor Yushchenko to take power next week after two weeks in political limbo. ... Powell asks Jakarta not to use C-130s against rebels JAKARTA, Jan 6: US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday he hoped Indonesia would use new US aircraft spare parts only for tsunami relief work rather than to "go after" rebel forces in its devastated province of Aceh. ... Mandela's son dies of Aids JOHANNESBURG, Jan 6: Former South African president Nelson Mandela said on Thursday that his son Makgatho had died of AIDS. "We have called you here today to announce that my son has died of AIDS ... Teenager found after 10 days on a tree PORT BLAIR, Jan 6: A teenage boy clung to a tree for 10 days in India's remote Andaman islands chain without water or food after the tsunami before being plucked by a helicopter rescue crew, one of 17 survivors found on Thursday. ... Andaman tribes evacuated PORT BLAIR: Indian authorities have evacuated dozens of the world's most primitive people from their tsunami-hit homelands in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, potentially exposing them to unwelcome outside influence. ...

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