World News, 1/8/05 - 2005-01-08

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been visiting tsunami-ravaged areas of Sri Lanka, which is still struggling to recover from the catastrophic and ocean waves that hit south Asia two weeks ago.

The official U.S. death toll from Asian tsunami has risen to 37.

Two U.S.-based human rights groups have launched efforts to help Burmese refugees who were caught in the deadly tsunami that hit Thailand.

Palestinian presidential candidates have wrapped up their campaigns ahead of Sunday's ballot, in which Palestinians will pick a successor to the late Yasser Arafat. Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas, who leads in the polls, said that if he wins the election, he will ask Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia to remain at his post and form a new government.

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