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Political leaders in Pakistan are looking for a new president. Pervez Musharraf stepped down Monday to avoid being impeached. The Bush administration — which saw Musharraf as an important ally — is watching the search for a replacement closely. On the streets of Pakistan's cities, though, reaction to his departure is mixed.

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says Afghan and U.S. forces foiled an attempt by the Taliban to blow up a dam on the eve of national elections. U.S. officials have not confirmed the plot against the dam in the southwestern part of Afghanistan. Afghan authorities say 20 people were arrested after a three-hour gun battle.

A wave of suicide car bombings in the southern Iraqi city of Basra leaves 68 dead and more than 100 wounded. At least 17 children are among the dead, caught on the way to school by the attacks, which occurred near three police stations. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Moving into their third day of fighting, U.S. troops in Fallujah capture close to one-third of the city. In Baghdad, kidnappers seize three family members of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and demand an end to the Fallujah offensive. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

Iraq's national assembly gives approval to a partial list of Cabinet heads submitted by Prime Minister-elect Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds are included, with the majority of positions going to Shiites. But several key leadership posts remain vacant, including the defense and oil ministries.

Sri Lanka moves into the complex phase of reconstruction and resettlement, with about half of the 800,000 people displaced by the tsunami leaving shelters. The country lost more than 38,000 in the disaster.

India's political leadership is about to change. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigned after major losses by his party in parliamentary elections. Now National Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi appears poised to claim the prime minister's chair. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Philip Reeves.

More than 20 people are killed in Iraq in two separate double bombings. A vehicle packed with explosives drove into a crowd in a popular Baghdad ice cream shop, followed shortly by a second car bomb. Another, similar pair of explosions struck in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

Iraq's National Assembly endorses Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari's partial list of Cabinet members. But several key positions, including the ministers of defense and oil, have still not been named amid continued squabbling among the main political factions.

Nearly three months since Iraq's national elections, the formation of a transitional government appears stalled by squabbles over ministerial jobs among the Kurds, Shiites, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and the Sunnis. U.S. officials say insurgents are exploiting the political paralysis with renewed violence.