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It is 19:30 universal time and here is the news in Special English on the Voice of America.I'm Jim Tedder in Washington.

1.The United States ambassador to Afghanistan says officials are investigating the death of 9 Afghan children in American air strikes.Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad says he is deeply saddened by the death Saturday in the Southern town of Ghazni.The United States and local Afghan officials say the target of the strikes was a commander of troops link to the ousted Taliban government.In other news the Afghan interior minister says two Turkish road builders are missing from a village near Kabul.The official says they have been kidnapped.

2.The top American general in Iraq says he expects arrives in violence leaving up to the change in power next year.L general Ricardo Sanchez says resistance forces will probably increase attacks on economic and political targets.He said they would try to stop the United States from giving controlling power to a new temporary Iraqi government.That government is expected to be in place by July first.Also in Iraq 1 American soldier is reported killed and 2 others wounded in a bomb explosion in Mosul.

3.Palestinian groups have ended 3 days of talks in Cairo without reaching agreement about a ceasefire offer for Israel.Delegates say the groups disagreed about its showed proposal a full ceasefire or a conditional truce.On Saturday Palestinian said they will ready to stop attacks on civilians in Israel if Israel would stop targeting Palestinians.But Israel says it will reject any offer that does not include measures to end attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers in the occupied territories.

4.Indian officials say at least 5 people have died during fighting between Hindus and Muslims in H .As many as 24 others were wounded.The fighting started later Saturday.Hindus was celebrating the anniversary of the destruction of an ancient Islamic religious center in the Northern town of A.A mob of Hindus attacked the center in 1992.Attacker said it had been built on top of ancient Hindu Holy place.A temporary curfew is in affect in parts of H.However police say fighting has largely stopped.

You are listening to the news in VOA Special English.

5.The Indonesian Security Minister says terrorists maybe planning new attacks in Indonesia.Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono says the attacks could take place during new year celebrations and country's 2004 elections.He says terrorist group are probably reorganizing because of Indonesian government efforts to shut them down.On Friday the American embassy in Jakarta warned that westerners could be the targets of a terrorist campaign in later December and early January.Indonesian blames the Jemaah Islamiah group for several deadly attacks including bombings on Barli last year.More than 200 people died in the attack.

6.Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is traveling to Washington for talks with President Bush.The two men meet Tuesday to discuss Taiwan,North Korea's nuclear program and international trade.China had denounced a Taiwanese plan for a public vote in March about security issues.The ballot will ask voters if they want China to remove hundreds of Chinese missiles aimed at Taiwan.Mainland officials have threaten to take direct action to block any such moves.

7.Commonwealth officials say a 6-nation committee has reached an agreement about how to deal with Zimbabwe's suspension from the 54-nation group.Officials says the committee's commission will be presented Sunday at a meeting of commonwealth members in the Nigerian Capital Abuja.It is not clear if the committee will support continued suspension from the commonwealth.However a spokesman for British Prime Minister Tonny Blair says he has extended his stay in Abuja to push for that.The African nation has threaten to leave the commonwealth if its suspension is not ended.

8.Germany and Italy say they will continue to support efforts to reform the European Union voting system.German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi met Sunday in Berlin.They are preparing for a meeting in Brussels later this week on reforming the EU constitution.If approved the new constitution would give more voting power to more popular's EU nations such as Germany,France and Italy.However smaller countries such as Span and incoming member Poland want each member to have an equal vote.

9.In Russia unofficial election results show the pro-government party United Russia has won 37 percent of the vote in Parliamentary elections.The Communist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party appeared to competing for second place.Russian citizens voted Saturday and Sunday for representatives to the 450-seat parliament.They also elected representatives for most of naiton's 89 local government.

And now briefly here again is the major news of the hour.

The United States ambassador to Afghan says officials are investigating the death of 9 Afghan children in an American air strikes.The top of American general in Iraq says he expects arrives in violence leading up to a change in power nest year.And Palestinian group have ended 3 days of talks in Karro without reaching agreement about a ceasefire offer for Israel.

That is the news.Jim Tedder reporting.