East Timor: Fighting in East Timor's capital is continuing today (Tuesday), despite the arrival of international peacekeeping troops, and looting has broken out as residents of Dili search for food and fuel. Government leaders are holding a second day of crisis talks on the violence, which has involved rival gangs from the east and west of the country. Homes and other buildings have been set ablaze, some only 100 meters from the presidential palace, where the Cabinet has been meeting.
Indonesia: More international help is reaching earthquake survivors on Indonesia's Java island, as aid workers from around the world take supplies to the worst-affected areas. Indonesian officials say Saturday's six-point-three magnitude quake killed more than five-thousand-400 people.
Afghanistan: Afghans in Kabul are assessing the damage caused by a day of rioting that began after a United States military truck plowed into civilian cars, killing at least five people and injuring several others. An overnight curfew has been lifted (Tuesday) and security forces are patrolling the capital to keep the peace.
Japan-US: Japan's Cabinet has approved an agreement with Washington for a major realignment of U.S. forces based in the country. The agreement calls for Washington to reduce its 50 thousand strong troop contingent in Japan. It also gives the Japanese military a greater responsibility for security in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the agreement, Washington will shift eight thousand troops and their dependents from the Japanese island chain of Okinawa to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. Other U.S. forces will be relocated around Okinawa.
Iraq: U.S. newspaper reports say the top American commander in Iraq has decided to send reserve troops to combat the rising insurgency in Iraq's Anbar province, west of Baghdad. The reports in the Washington Post and the New York Times cite U.S. military officials as saying General George Casey made the decision after consulting with Iraqi officials in recent days. The 35-hundred member brigade has been stationed in reserve in Kuwait.
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