The heavily guarded U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has come under attack. Authorities say gunmen stormed the consulate in the Red Sea port city today and seized a number of hostages. Witnesses heard gunfire and explosions, and a thick pall of smoke rose into the sky from the American compound.
Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar is meeting at the White House with President Bush shortly on security issues and arrangements for next month's elections in Iraq. Mr. Yawar opposes any further postponement of the Iraqi elections, now scheduled for Jan. 30. The Iraqi president has told American journalists that delaying elections for a national assembly would only "prolong the agony" that Iraqis have suffered during months of insurgent attacks.
Violence continues to flare in Thailand's southern provinces despite the government's latest campaign to ease tension in the Muslim-dominated region-- an air drop of millions of paper doves as a gesture of peace. Police said a bomb exploded in Narathiwat province today, injuring at least one soldier. Arson attacks in the same area on Sunday destroyed a home for teachers and damaged a school.
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