Police in Iraq say a suicide bomber who blew up a fuel truck in Baghdad killed at least eight people and wounded nearly 20 others, just hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited the Iraqi capital.
Hundreds of millions of Christians paused today (Saturday) to celebrate Christmas, despite conflict, persecution and fear of terrorist attack. In his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and to the world") message, Pope John Paul called for peaceful solutions to end unrest that threatens to turn into open conflict. The Roman Catholic pontiff specifically mentioned the war in Iraq as well as violence in Sudan, Ivory Coast and Sub-Saharan Africa.
President Bush made Christmas Eve telephone calls to U.S. troops at home and overseas, thanking them for their services.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il says his country has no plan to invade South Korea. The North's official Radio Pyongyang carried a commentary today (Saturday) quoting Mr. Kim as saying a second Korean war would not be triggered by North Korea, but by an attack from the South.
The commentary also accused South Korea of an arms buildup in preparations for an invasion planned by the United States.
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