JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Tsunami death toll rises above 150,000
Two weeks after a tsunami slammed into coastlines around the Indian Ocean, thousands of bodies were still being pulled out of the mud in remote villages, as the official death toll from the catastrophe rose above 150,000.

Militants kidnap 3 senior Iraqi officials
Militants abducted three senior Iraqi officials, beheaded a man who worked for the U.S. military and killed at least four others, officials said Saturday, a day after a U.S. general warned that insurgents may be planning "horrific" attacks ahead of Jan. 30 elections.

Army sergeant acquitted of manslaughter
An Army sergeant was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the alleged drowning of Iraqi civilian, but convicted of assault for forcing the man and his cousin into the Tigris River for violating curfew.

Int'l observers tour Mideast roadblocks
International observers toured army roadblocks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Saturday, and Palestinian officials complained Israel wasn't fully complying with promises to ease travel restrictions ahead of presidential elections to replace the late Yasser Arafat.

U.S. nuclear submarine runs aground
A nuclear submarine ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said.

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Iraq, Baghdad


Ananova: War In Iraq
Militants Kidnap 3 Senior Iraqi Officials
Militants abducted three senior Iraqi officials, beheaded a man who worked for the U.S. military and killed at least four others, officials said Saturday, a day after a U.S. general warned that insurgents may be planning "horrific" attacks ahead of Jan. 30 elections. Kansas.com: Iraq

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sudan hopes peace deal ends Darfur crisis
Sudan officially ends its two-decade southern civil war on Sunday with the signing of a peace deal. Amid the jubilation lies the hope that ending one war may spark a solution to the country's second - in western Darfur, where an equally brutal conflict has led to a massive humanitarian crisis. Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Tsunami donation scam warning
People donating to the Tsunami relief effort are being targeted by bogus collectors trying to cash in on the disaster or spread computer viruses, crime experts have warned.

Disaster aid held up by VIP visits
The steady stream of dignitaries flying in to visit the tsunami-devastated coast of Indonesia's Aceh province is clogging the region's tiny main airport and slowing down critical aid deliveries, say humanitarian workers.


BBC: Conflict with Iraq
US hails arrest of Iraq militant
US forces announce the arrest in Mosul of a militant allegedly linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. BBC: Conflict with Iraq


Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Army selects jury for GI's abuse trial
A jury of 10 soldiers was seated Friday to hear the court-martial of Army Spec. Charles Graner, the accused ringleader of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal who contends he was only following orders when he allegedly mistreated Iraqi detainees. Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Army Sergeant Acquitted of Manslaughter
An Army sergeant was acquitted Friday of involuntary manslaughter in the alleged drowning of an Iraqi civilian who was forced into the Tigris River by U.S. soldiers for violating curfew. The jury, however, convicted Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins, 33, of assault in the January 2004 incident. Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Militants kidnap three Iraq officials
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Militants abducted three senior Iraqi officials, beheaded a man who worked for the U.S. military and killed at least four others, officials said Saturday, a day after a U.S. general warned that insurgents may be planning "horrific" attacks ahead of Jan. 30 elections.Meanwhile, Shiite and Sunni religious leaders voiced sharply divergent views on whether the vote should be held at all. Fresno Bee: Iraq


Jury weighs Iraq punishment...Tsunami relief...More bad weather hits West
Katu.com: Iraq & Terror