Musharraf Promises Cooperation With Winners of Pakistan's Parliamentary Elections

PAKISTAN: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to cooperate with the winners of today's (Monday's) parliamentary elections, which are seen as a major step from military rule to civilian-led democracy. Mr. Musharraf made the comments after casting his vote today in Rawalpindi. His office is not contested in this election, but if opposition parties win a two-thirds majority, they will have enough votes to impeach him if they choose. More than 80 million people are registered to vote for representatives to the National Assembly and Pakistan's four provincial assemblies.

KOSOVO: The United Nations Security Council and European Union foreign ministers will meet separately today (Monday) to discuss Kosovo's secession from Serbia and subsequent declaration of independence. Serbia and Russia consider the move illegal but Moscow failed to get the declaration proclaimed null and void at an emergency, closed-door U.N. Security Council session on Sunday. The meeting took place hours after Kosovo's Prime Minister (Hashim Thaci) made the independence announcement in the provincial capital, Pristina.

BUSH-AFRICA: President Bush traveled to Tanzania's rural north today (Monday), to promote Washington's fight against mosquito-born malaria. Mr. Bush launched a plan in 2005 to dramatically reduce malaria deaths by 50 percent in 15 sub-Saharan African countries, the worst affected region in the world. On his second day in the country, the president and First Lady, Laura, toured a hospital where Mr. Bush announced a plan to distribute more than five million free mosquito nets in Tanzania. He said it would be enough to protect every child between the ages of one and five in the country.

AFGHANISTAN: Pol ice in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province say seven civilians have died in a bomb blast today (Monday), one day after more than 100 people died in a suicide attack in the same region. Few details are immediately available from today's explosion. Police say at least nine people were wounded, including three soldiers. The attack took place in the town of Spin Boldak, near the border with Pakistan.

THAILAND POL: Thailand's new prime minister unveiled his coalition government's proposed policies today (Monday), which restored and expanded many of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's programs. In a speech to Parliament, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said his plan would include cheap loans for villages, debt assistance to farmers and other policies that the military had suspended after it ousted the former leader in a coup. Opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva denounced the plans, telling parliament that the ruling coalition was returning to Thaksin-era policies.

Audio in Lao.