20 January 2005 Thursday 09 Zilhaj 1425 US made some bad decisions, says Rice: Iraq invasion WASHINGTON, Jan 19: In a rare acknowledgment of mistakes, US secretary of state-designate Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday the Bush administration had made some bad decisions in Iraq and was unprepared for stabilizing the country. ... 3 UK soldiers under trial over Iraq abuse OSNABRUECK, Jan 19: British soldiers accused of abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners were only following orders that their detainees be "worked hard", defence lawyers told a military court on Wednesday. ... Bush says his actions promoted extremism WASHINGTON, Jan 19: President George Bush said in an interview broadcast on Tuesday that some of his decisions, like the invasion of Iraq, had helped Muslim extremists in their public relations battle with the United States. ... Israeli army gets green light to invade Gaza JERUSALEM, Jan 19: The Israeli security cabinet gave the green light on Wednesday for military commanders to prepare for a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip if Palestinian attacks do not stop, public radio said. ... Action against Iran opposed WASHINGTON, Jan 19: A major new national opinion survey of 1,608 American voters released on Wednesday shows that only 42 percent of Americans would support the US invading Iran to stop its nuclear programme. ... Rushdie may be killed: Khamenei TEHRAN, Jan 19: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has labelled British author Salman Rushdie an apostate whose killing would be authorized by Islam, according to a message carried by Iranian media on Wednesday. ... Homeless kept off Washington streets WASHINGTON, Jan 19: As Americans celebrate President George Bush's second inauguration, the capital city's 8,000 homeless people will be mostly invisible. ... One million jobs lost, says ILO GENEVA, Jan 19: Asia's tsunami left over one million people without the means to make a living, but effective aid could see more than half of them back at work within a year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday. ... Pakistan to lead Ecosoc UNITED NATIONS, Jan 19: Pakistan on Wednesday was elected unanimously to lead the 54-member United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC ) at a crucial time in the world body's history. ... 'Quit India' drive against Coke, Pepsi NEW DELHI, Jan 19: Thousands of students and farmers plan on Thursday to form human chains around Pepsi and Coca-Cola plants in a "Quit India" campaign against the US firms which they accuse of selling drinks containing pesticide, a lobby group said. ... Tsunami: sea siren beckons but fishermen only hear death CHENNAI: The fishing folk on the coast of Tamil Nadu in southern India are among the most hardened traditional sea-faring communities anywhere in the world, with centuries old respect and reverence for the oceans. ... Baglihar project raises stakes for Kashmiris SRINAGAR: Engineers in Indian-0ccupied Kashmir are working round the clock building an electricity plant that officials say will ease the state's dire power shortage but which has neighbouring Pakistan up in arms. ... Kathmandu braces for bloodshed, violence KATHMANDU: Nawa Raj Joshi was a teacher for more than 30 years in a small village in western Nepal, until one day Maoist rebels decided they didn't like his politics. ... Tigers roar again for separate state: Tsunami thaw ends COLOMBO: The Tamil Tigers, whose calls for a separate north-eastern state were temporarily sidelined by the tsunami catastrophe worse than its bloody 20-year old war, is now beginning to roar again. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2005