Secretary of State Colin Powell has met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and other senior officials in Islamabad for talks on a wide range of issues.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani military says it has launched a fresh offensive against suspected al-Qaida fighters and their local supporters in a remote tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Rescue workers have called off the search for survivors of Wednesday's massive car bomb blast at a hotel in Baghdad. The U.S military says 17 people were killed and dozens of others were wounded in the blast.
Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi arrived in Vientiane Wednesday to start a three- day visit to Laos. She is expected to sign a package of 11 agreements on bilateral economic and trade cooperation with Laotian leaders during her stay in the country.
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