officials said U.S.-led coalition forces killed about 80 Taliban fighters during a six-hour battle outside a Taliban-controlled town in southern Afghanistan, the latest in a series of increasingly bloody engagements in the region.

His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday discussed efforts to ensure the success of the US-hosted international peace meeting to take place before the end of this year.

President Abdullah Gul warned Kurdish rebels on Thursday that Turkey’s patience was running out after Turkish forces said they had repelled a guerrilla attack near the Iraqi border.