December 25, 2005

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Five children died in Guatemala City when a blaze started by fireworks swept through their house. A traditional holiday firecracker called a "silbador" shot into their small wooden house started the fire. The children were aged 2, 3, 6, 10 and 13. (Scotsman)
40 people killed in DR Congo in a clash between Ugandan rebels and UN-Congolese troops. The Ituri area has been the site of a joint action. (BBC)
A railroad train on the Uetsu Main Line in northern Japan derailed, killing four and injuring at least 33. (CNN) (BBC)
Joseph Pararajasingham, 71, a pro–Tamil Tiger politician, was shot dead at a Christmas Midnight Mass in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. (BBC) (Reuters)
Nazir Ahmad, a Pakistani laborer, admitted to, and was arrested for murdering his four daughters, aged 4, 8, 12, and 25, after his eldest daughter, Muqadas Bibi, married a man against his wishes. (Reuters)
The Supreme Court in Libya overturned the death sentences given to international health workers charged with infecting children with HIV. (BBC)