1.   Meanwhile, US bombing continues in Kandahar and Kunduz.

2.   According to Doiron, the Taliban intended to trade the hostages for Taliban and al-Qaida war prisoners or kill them if U.S. bombing of Taliban positions continued.

3.   There were no details of any ground fighting, although bombing was continuing into Saturday, Safi Ullah said.

4.   The Russian forces in Chechnya began a limited withdrawal on Monday though bombing of villages continued in the southeast of the republic despite a unilateral ceasefire promise by Moscow.