Iraq: A devastating suicide-bomb attack on a police recruitment center in Baghdad has killed more than 30 people and wounded about 60.
Today's (Sunday's) attack took place in western Baghdad, at a recruitment center for Iraqi police commandos. Most of those killed were young men waiting to join the force.
One account says a suicide bomber carrying explosives strapped to his body walked into the center and triggered the device.
Another account says two bombers were involved in the attack, but this has not been confirmed. Insurgents have frequently targeted recruitment offices for Iraq's security forces.
UN – Mideast Veto:
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has defended Washington's veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning last week's Israeli attack in Gaza that killed 19 Palestinian civilians.
Rice says the resolution contained "inflammatory and unnecessary language" (reflecting a "one-sided political agenda").
The (draft) resolution, proposed by Qatar, condemned Israel's military offensive in Gaza -- in particular, an artillery strike (in Beit Hanoun) (on Wednesday) that killed 19 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Israel has expressed regret for the deaths and says the artillery strike was a mistake caused by unspecified technical errors. Israeli officials say the shellfire was intended to hit militants who fire rockets into Israel, and that there was no intent to cause civilian casualties.
Israel - Palestinians: Israeli forces hunting
for militants in northern Gaza shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian today (Sunday).
Witnesses in the town of Beit Lahiya say it appeared Israeli fire was aimed at the teenager because he had been standing near a rocket launcher used by militants a short time earlier.
Palestinian security officials (who asked not to be identified) say the teenager may have been the area by accident, and that he had no connection with the rocket fired into Israel.
Israeli military officials gave a roughly similar account of the incident, but said they believed they were firing at a member of a militant group.
Bangladesh: Opposition protesters in Bangladesh set fire to buses and trains in and around Dhaka (the capital) today (Sunday) during a transport blockade aimed at forcing electoral reforms.
News reports indicate most commercial activity in Bangladesh has been affected by the protest, with rail travel and port operations disrupted.
Few vehicles could be seen on the streets of Dhaka today ( -- a normal workday in Bangladesh -- ) but thousands of police are on duty, ready to disperse any political gathering. Activists have blocked roads, rail and river links leading to the capital, and the port of Chittagong, a conduit for almost all of the country's foreign trade, was paralyzed.
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