Bush – Asia: President Bush has praised his Indonesian counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for leading what he calls a "large and diverse" nation.
The two leaders met today (Monday) at the summer palace in Indonesia's resort of Bogor. The leaders say the discussed international issues, such as North Korea, Iran and the Middle East. Mr. Bush said they agreed that the six-party talks were the most beneficial way to end the current conflict involving North Korea's nuclear program. He also said that they are determined to bring an end to terrorism. The U.S. leader is spending only six hours in Indonesia.
Police set up barricades and cordoned off main streets to control the hundreds of protesters gathered in Bogor. No incidents have been reported. Many are protesting the U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Iraq: Iraqi authorities say police have found the bodies of 14 people believed kidnapped by men disguised as policemen in Baghdad.
Officials say the victims were found early today (Monday) in Oreij, a mixed Sunni-Shi'ite neighborhood of the capital. Police say the bodies were handcuffed and showed signs of torture.
Police say the victims, believed to be Sunni Arabs, were among those taken hostage Sunday night in the mostly Sunni Arab area of Dora in southern Baghdad.
In recent weeks, police have found scores of bodies of people who were kidnapped, tortured and killed in widespread sectarian violence.
Iraq – Saddam Trial: A U.S.-based rights group says former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein did not get a fair trial and therefore should not be executed.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch, in a report released today (Monday), says the former Iraqi leader's trial was plagued with procedural flaws.
Among other things, H.R.W. says the court failed to give defense lawyers important documents in advance, lost track of paperwork and kept no written transcript. The report says statements of 29 prosecution witnesses were read into the record without them being available for cross-examination.
Afghanistan – Blair: British officials say Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Afghanistan today (Monday), where he visited British troops serving with the NATO force battling Taleban insurgents.
Mr. Blair told soldiers at their southern Camp Bastion base, "Here in this extraordinary desert is where the future of world security in the early 21st century is going to be played out."
This is Mr. Blair's first visit to Afghanistan since 2002. He is expected to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss a revived Taleban insurgency and offer support.
Bangladesh: The Bangladeshi opposition has announced the resumption of a transport blockade Monday after failing to reach a compromise with the interim government over electoral reforms and the firings of election officials.
President Iajuddin Ahmed, who heads the interim government, and opposition Awami League Sheikh Hasina met Sunday evening but the two sides were unable to agree on the fate of key election officials.
The opposition demands the officials be removed before elections set for January, saying they favor former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
China Torture:
A senior Chinese justice official has acknowledged that almost every defendant wrongfully convicted of a crime in recent years was tortured to extract a confession.
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