TV3 NEWS. 25/12/2004

News, sport and weather.

Algerian asylum seeker Ahmed Zaoui has enjoyed his first New Zealand Christmas as a free man. Ahmed Zaoui (Algerian Refugee); Father Peter Murnane (Dominican Friar).

The last of the Tampa Refugees who had been confined on Nauru have now settled in New Zealand and are enjoying their first New Zealand Christmas. Habib Aqeli (New settler); Abdul Ahad Hakimi (New settler); Jan Nabizadah (New settler).

Some New Zealand members of the Defence Force are celebrating a white Christmas in Afghanistan.

A massive bomb blast in Iraq occurred shortly after US Defence Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld left after a surprise visit. Donald Rumsfeld (US Defence Secretary).

In Northern Ireland the police suspect the IRA to be behind a recent massive bank robbery. Margaret McClenaghan (Sinn Fein).

Ukrainians tomorrow get a chance to vote in a new President in a rerun of last months election, which was widely considered to be fraudulent.

In Bethlehem hundreds of Christians assembled to celebrate the birth of Christ. Attending was Mahmoud Abbas who is expected to win the Presidential Election to replace the late Yasser Arafat.

The first major film about the Iraq war is being made, starring Harrison Ford.