KABUL, Afghanistan – Political and religious leaders invoked Afghan and Islamic traditions of chivalry and hospitality Sunday in attempts to shame the Taliban into releasing 18 female South Korean captives.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan (AFP) – Taliban militants threatened to start killing Monday their 22 South Korean hostages if the government did not accept by noon their demand for the release of jailed rebels.

 GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A female hostage among the remaining 22 Koreans held by Taliban fighters appealed on Saturday for a speedy end to their ordeal, as a senior Afghan official said force may be used to free them if talks fail.

 KABUL, Afghanistan – Two lawmakers — one of them a former Taliban member — and several influential elders have joined negotiations with the hardline militia to step up pressure for the release of 22 South Korean hostages, an official said Saturday.

The issue of civilian deaths in Afghanistan is itself becoming a “battleground” with truth often a casualty, showing the difficulty of establishing facts in a war fought in often remote areas.

Taliban guerrillas killed three policemen in an ambush on a convoy of U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan on Wednesday, a provincial official said.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Thousands of American troops celebrated their 4th of July independence holiday in Afghanistan on Wednesday, far from home but treated to a feast of hotdogs, burgers, corn on the cob and ice cream.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) – A bomb struck a NATO vehicle in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, killing six Canadian soldiers and their interpreter, while a German national was reported kidnapped in a remote and dangerous area.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US military has said coalition forces in Afghanistan are going to “great lengths” to minimize civilian casualties during attacks on Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters.

ROME (AFP) – A two-day global meet on the state of law in war-battered Afghanistan opened in Rome Monday and due to be addressed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and NATO head Jaap De Hoop Scheffer.