Bulgarian troops deploy to Afghanistan

Bulgaria will send on Thursday its 21st contingent to Afghanistan.

The new unit will participate in an ISAF mission in Kabul. A total of 90% of the contingent's 165 soldiers have already participated in missions. The contingent includes 13 women and will be commanded by Svetoslav Godinov, company commander of the Bulgarian 38th Infantry Battalion.

Currently, a total of 600 Bulgarian soldiers and medical staff are currently stationed in Afghanistan in Kabul and Kandahar.

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Afghanistan: Wounded Czech soldier airlifted home

Prague, July 7 (CTK) - A military plane flew the Czech soldier who was seriously injured in Afghanistan on Wednesday to Prague Thursday evening, general staff spokeswoman Jana Ruzickova told CTK Thursday.

His condition is still very serious, Ruzickova said, adding that along with him, another two soldiers slightly injured at the end of June returned for convalescence to the Czech Republic.

A team of doctors and medical personnel was on board the Airbus A-319, Ruzickova said.

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Germany brings charges against Frankfurt Airport shooter

Germany has brought charges against the man accused of murdering two US servicemen en route to Afghanistan in broad daylight at Frankfurt Airport in March. Prosecutors declined to charged him with terrorism.

German authorities have indicted a man accused of shooting two US airmen at Frankfurt International Airport in March. Arid U., who is of Kosovar background, was accused of killing US servicemen Nicholas Alden and Zachary Cuddeback.

The 21-year old was also charged with three counts of attempted murder, for trying to kill three others before his gun jammed.

He faces life imprisonment. 

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US Marine awarded Silver Star for bravery in Afghanistan

On Monday, on a U.S. ship in the Gulf of Aden, one of the Marines from that deployment received a Silver Star for combat bravery. Sgt. Franklin M. Simmons, 28, was awarded the Marines' third-highest medal for bravery for actions on Aug. 8, 2008, while acting as a team leader for the Force Reconnaissance Platoon of the 2/7.

While on a patrol in the village of Shewan in Farah province, Simmons' platoon was attacked by "intense rocket-propelled grenade and machinegun fire," according to the Silver Star citation.

Read full story at the LA Times

Nigeria: Taliban kill 25 in beer garden bombings

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - Men riding motorcycles threw bombs into outdoor beer gardens Sunday night in northeastern Nigeria, killing at least 25 people in attacks bearing striking similarities to others carried out by a radical Islamic sect in the region, police said.

The bombs exploded in the restive city of Maiduguri, home to the sect known locally as Boko Haram. While the sect did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack late Sunday, the assault bore the hallmarks of the group now waging assassinations and attacks against the Nigerian government.

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Afghanistan: 60 dead in hospital bombing

A HUGE car bombing at a hospital killed 60 and wounded 120 in Afghanistan today, days after US President Barack Obama said 10,000 US forces would leave the country this year.


The brazen suicide attack in Logar province, just south of the capital Kabul, killed women and children and was described as "unprecedented" in the history of the near-decade-long Afghan war by officials.

Brit soldier in court for punching an escaping Taliban prisoner

A British soldier faces a court martial next month - for punching an escaping Taliban prisoner. 

The corporal, who cannot be named, was sent home and charged with assault after preventing the man from escaping. He has since quit the Army in disgust.

The Afghan rebel had been captured during an ambush on British forces last March - and is reported to have no interest in the trial.

A military insider called the case "disgusting" and "madness".

Patrick Mercer, a Tory MP and former Army commander, added: "We have to stop abusing our soldiers in this way."

Source: The Sun

Helicopter crash injures 6 in eastern Afghanistan

ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, 15th June: A helicopter crashed in Kunar province 185 km east of capital city Kabul on Wednesday, an official said.

"The chopper crashed in Mandapul, a suburban area of provincial capital Assadabad, at around 10 a.m. local time today. As a result, four foreigners and two Afghans were injured," spokesman for provincial administration, Wasifullah Wasifi, told Xinhua.

Click here for photo and full report

Services held for fallen police officer, Brett Benton

Visitation services were held Tuesday for a Kentucky police officer killed in Afghanistan. Mourners gathered Tuesday afternoon at First Christian Church in Richmond to honor Brett Benton.

Benton, a Madison County native, was recently killed by an explosive device while on a civilian mission in Afghanistan. He had just left the Kenton County Police Department and had only been in Afghanistan for 23 days as a private contractor training Afghan police officers, when he was killed.

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Tears as three heroes are saluted in Wootton Bassett

Hundreds of people united in their grief yesterday as the bodies of three British servicemen killed in Afghanistan within three days were repatriated. 

The bodies of Lance Corporal Martin Gill, of 42 Commando Royal Marines, Corporal Michael Pike, of 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and Rifleman Martin Lamb, of 1st Battalion The Rifles, were flown into RAF Lyneham. 

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Pakistan: 8 soldiers, 10 Taliban dead in dawn attack

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Eight soldiers and at least ten Taliban were killed after the militants attacked a Pakistani security checkpost in the lawless tribal belt before dawn Thursday, local security officials said.

More than 100 Taliban armed with rocket launchers and other sophisticated weapons attacked the post in South Waziristan, along the Afghan border, triggering a firefight which lasted for more than three hours, officials said.

AsiaOne News

Syracuse National Guard unit trains for Afghanistan

Fort Drum (WSYR-TV) - Hundreds of Central New Yorkers are nearly finished training for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan early next year. Members of the 27th Infantry Brigade have rotated through Fort Drum over the past six weeks to prepare.

Syrian town braces for military assault

Jisr al-Shughur residents flee to Turkish border, a day after government vowed retaliation for "deadly ambush".

Libya: Gaddafi vows to fight to the end

Libyan leader says he will not surrender or kneel to enemies as NATO intensifies air strikes in Tripoli.

Switzerland to Prosecute Libya for Taking Hostages

The Swiss government has authorized prosecutors to open criminal proceedings against Libya for allegedly taking two Swiss men hostage following the 2008 arrest in Switzerland of Muammar Qaddafi's son.

IRAQ: Bodies of 3 fallen US soldiers return home

The bodies of three US Army personnel killed in Iraq will arrive back in the United States at Dover Air Base, 8th June at 1.30am.

The three fallen soldiers are:

Sgt. Emilio J. Campo Jr.
from Madelia, Minn.
United States Army

Pfc. Michael B. Cook
from Middletown, Ohio
United States Army

Pfc. Christopher B. Fishbeck
from Victorville, Calif.
United States Army

US Marine Matthew Shank, injured in Afghanistan by IED

A Waynesboro Marine is in good spirits after suffering back injuries when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan Saturday morning.

Lance Cpl. Matthew Shank, 21, was driving an all-terrain military vehicle when it hit the IED, according to his mother, Kim Shank. “Fortunately, it flipped the vehicle instead of exploding it,” she said this morning.

Politician found beheaded in Afghanistan

POLICE found the beheaded body of a politician in central Afghanistan yesterday, three days after he was abducted by suspected Taliban-linked militants.

Jawad Zahaak was head of the provincial council in Bamiyan, seen as one of the country's most peaceful areas and among the first wave of places to transition from Western to Afghan security control from around July.

USAF female medic injured in Afghanistan RPG attack

USAF Afc. Bryenna Brooks, age 22, suffered serious injuries last week while her mobile unit was on night patrol in Afghanistan. She is serving as a medic with the 101st Airborne Division.

Taliban insurgents fired a rocket propelled grenade at her vehicle and she suffered shrapnel wounds to her face and neck.

Other soldiers in the vehicle were also wounded including the gunner, who suffered very serious injuries.

Nobody was killed in the attack.

3,000 US troops of 45th Infantry deploying to Afghanistan

Over 3,000 troops with the U.S 45th Infantry Brigade will deploy to Afghanistan later this week. The brigade have completed training at Camp Shelby, Hattisburg, Mississippi.

This will be the largest single deployment of U.S troops since the Korean War.

Foreign traveller killed in Afghanistan

A foreign male traveller - thought to be Italian - has been shot dead in Panjshir province, Afghanistan. A report via AFP indicates that the man had been visiting emerald mines in the area with a female companion when they were confronted by a local drug addict.

The foreigner apparantly fired a pistol at the addict and was confronted by an angry mob, one of whom shot him dead.

Australian Special Forces capture three Taliban leaders

URUZGAN, Afghanistan (3rd June 2011): Australian Special Forces, together with an Afghan National Police team have captured three top insurgent leaders.

The three men were known prominent bomb experts, logisticians and insurgent facilitators.

Australian Special Forces have killed or captured twenty key insurgents since December 2010.

Commandos find remote-controlled bomb - Khanabad

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (3rd June 2011) An Afghan 5th Commando Kandak unit, supported by U.S. Special Operations Forces, recovered a remote controlled improvised explosive device at a possible RCIED training facility in the Khanabad district of Kunduz on Thursday 2nd June.

The troops were searching for an insurgent when they made the discovery. The device was subsequently destroyed.

Libya: British Special Forces on the ground

According to a report in British newspaper, The Mirror, British special forces troops are on the ground in Libya.

The paper reveals images taken of British SAS troops in Libya. It goes on to reveal that the unit, comprising ex-British special forces soldiers, are employed by a private security firm that is sanctioned by the British government.

The Mirror goes on to say "The elite unit is funded by the MoD via a security firm to topple Colonel Gaddafi."

Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, insists no British boots are on the ground in Libya. But a senior military source said: “They’re representing Britain.”

Is this Britain's secret ground war?

Read full story and view photos at The Mirror

SAS capture two top Taliban commanders

A crack SAS team has captured two top Taliban commanders without a shot being fired in a secret dawn raid in Afghanistan.

The 12 elite troops seized Maulawi Rahman and Maulawi Mohammed at a high-walled compound north of the remote town of Babaji in Helmand province.

Both men, who surrendered without a fight, are said to have been close confidants of Osama Bin Laden, the terror mastermind killed by US Special Forces in Pakistan last month.

2 Australian soldiers wounded by bomb blast

Two Australian soldiers have been wounded after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (home-made bomb) while on patrol in southern Afghanistan.

The soldiers are in a satisfactory condition following the incident on Wednesday and are being treated as outpatients at their Tarin Kot base, the Defence Department said in a statement on Saturday.

They had been part of an Afghan National Police and Special Operations Task Group joint patrol.

Russia sells 21 helicopters to U.S. forces in Afghanistan

In a multi-million dollar deal that has taken over a year to seal, Russian arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, now has a contract to supply 21 Mi-17v5 multipurpose helicopters to the U.S Armed Forces Command for use in Afghanistan.

At 17.5 million dollars each, the first batch are due to arrive in Afghanistan in October this year. The deal includes service maintenance, ground support and spare parts - supplied by Russia.

The Mi-17 is an export version of the Mi-8 Hip helicopter, which can transport up to 37 passengers.

Source: Xinhua

Norwegian soldier fires grenade at Afghan police building

A soldier with the Norwegian army in northwest Afghanistan accidentally fired a 40mm grenade while preparing a launcher on a military patrol vehicle.

The grenade hit a building in the Afghan police compound in Almar, Faryab province, killing one civilian and wounding another. The incident happened on Wednesday 25th May 2011.

Norwegian military police are investigating the incident.

Polish soldiers on trial for Afghan war crimes

Poland's military Prosecutor General demanded 12-year sentences for seven Polish soldiers who shot civilians in Afghanistan in 2007 at a hearing on Tuesday 24th May.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers fired a heavy machine gun and a 60 mm mortar at the village of Nangar Khel in the Paktika province, killing six civilians, including a pregnant woman and three children. Three other women were left badly injured.

The troops say their commander ordered them to attack the village after their patrol was attacked by militants.

If found guilty, the soldiers face between five and 12 years in prison for violating international law.

The prosecution is demanding 12 year sentences for the accused commanders and from eight to ten years for the soldiers.

Source: IANS/RIA Novosti

Ottawa Marine survives Afghanistan explosion

Ottawa Marine survives Afghanistan explosion

French fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan

French fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan | The Asian Age

IRAQ: Two U.S soldiers killed

BAGHDAD: The U.S. military has reported that two American soldiers were killed on Sunday 22nd May while conducting operations in central Iraq. 

The military statement released Sunday gave no further details about the deaths. The soldiers were killed on a day marked by a wave of deadly explosions around Baghdad that killed at least 16 people most of them Iraqi security forces.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Taliban leader Mullah Omar killed

An Afghan local television network has quoted Afghan intelligence sources as saying that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been killed in Pakistan.

"Mullah Omar was killed on way from Quetta to North Waziristan," TOLO television said in its news bulletin, Xinhua news agency reported today, 23rd May.

The private television channel, however, did not provide any further details.

Meanwhile, a security official confirmed the killing, emphasizing that Mullah Omar was killed inside Pakistan.

“It is correct that Mullah Omar has been killed," the official said.

Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to 2001.

The Taliban leader had survived US military manhunt since the US-led invasion of on Afghanistan in 2001.

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U.S marine critically injured in Afghanistan

A U.S. Marine from Edinburg is reportedly clinging to life after an improvised explosive device hit his patrol unit in Afghanistan.

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Suicide bomber kills 6 in Kabul hospital attack

KABUL: A Taliban suicide bomber targeting NATO medical trainers infiltrated Kabul’s main military hospital on Saturday and blew himself up in a tent full of Afghan medical students eating lunch, killing six and wounding 23.

No foreign medical doctors or nurses were among the dead or wounded, Afghan and NATO officials said.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was targeting foreign trainers and Afghan doctors who work with them. He claimed two bombers took part, but Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammed Zaher Azimi spokesman said only one attacker was involved and only one blast was heard at the Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital.

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Afghanistan school torched

Militants have destroyed yet another state-run school in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, local officials have said.

Unknown gunmen torched the school building in Chaparhar district, south of the provincial capital, Jalalabad, in the early hours of Saturday, local officials told Press TV.

Two Afghan security personnel guarding the school were injured in the incident after taking a beating from the assailants.

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British aid worker Linda Norgrove gets postumous award

AID worker Linda Norgrove, who died last year after being kidnapped in Afghanistan, has received a posthumous Green Star award from the UN and Green Cross International.

The 36-year-old was killed by a grenade thrown by a US soldier in a failed rescue attempt.

Award organisers said: "Her death was a great tragedy not only for her family and friends but also for Afghanistan."

Afghanistan: 4 Iowa soldiers injured by bomb

Four soldiers with the Iowa National Guard have been wounded when their patrol vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan during a combat mission on Wednesday 18th May.

The injured soldiers were taken to a Military hospital at Bagram.

The four soldiers, serving with 34th Infantry Division are, Sergeant Chisum Frisch, Specialist Jacob Hutchinson both from Cedar Falls, Specialist Benjamin Ward from Rowley and Private 1st-class Tanner Williams from Tama.

The military has not given further details of the wounded soldiers conditions.

UK leaving Iraq on Sunday after 8 year presence

Britain's Defence secretary says the departure of 170 navy training personnel from Iraq on Sunday 22nd May will mark conclusion of Operation Telic.

Britain's eight years of military commitment in Iraq will finally and formally come to an end on Sunday 22nd May, when the remaining forces in the south of the country will withdraw.

The announcement to bring to an end one of the most controversial military campaigns in recent history was made on Wednesday in a statement by the defence secretary, Liam Fox.

In total, the UK still has about 170 mostly naval personnel in Iraq, helping to train the fledgling Iraqi navy from the port of Umm Qasr. The contingent includes a few Royal Marines.

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NATO: More than 1,700 Taliban give up their arms

NATO: More than 1,700 Taliban give up their arms

25 killed in Afghanistan protest, car bombing

25 killed in Afghanistan protest, car bombing

Soldier hangs himself after seeing 5 comrades die in Afghanistan

A traumatised young soldier who saw five of his comrades die in action killed himself after becoming unable to cope with the loss, his friends have claimed.

The body of Rifleman Allan Arnold was discovered by dog walkers on 2nd May  just hours after he had been out socialising with civilian friends while on leave.

The 20-year-old, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was found hanged in a copse.

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Israel fires on Malaysian aid ship

KUALA LUMPUR, 16th May 16: Israeli forces fired shots at a Malaysian vessel ferrying aid for Palestine when it was approaching the Gazan shores this morning, forcing it to withdraw into Egyptian waters, a Malaysian activist group said.

A spokesperson of the Perdana Global Peace Foundation said in a statement that the Israeli naval force circled the humanitarian ship twice and fired shots.

Anti-war activists and journalists, including seven Malaysians, two Irish and two Indians were on board the "Spirit of Rache Corrie Mission" aid ship. No one was injured in the incident.

The ship was also carrying 7.5 kilometers of UPVC plastic sewage pipes which would be used to restore the devastated sewerage system in Gaza, the group said.

Iraq: 3 Norwegians injured in bomb blast

BAGHDAD, 16th May: Three Norwegian nationals and two Iraqis were wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad today, an Interior Ministry source said.

The attack took place in the morning on a main road in New Baghdad district when a roadside bomb struck a convoy of vehicles carrying Norwegian contractors working on a project for Iraq's Water Resources Ministry, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The blast wounded three Norwegians and two policemen guarding their convoy.

Thailand: 2 monks killed by roadside bomb

BANGKOK, 16th May: Two Buddhist monks were killed and two soldiers seriously wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in southern Thailand early today, police said.

The attack occured around 6 am local time when six soldiers were taking two monks to collect alms in Yaha district, Yala province, the Thai News Agency (TNA) quoted police as saying.

The two monks died at the scene, and two injured soldiers were rushed to Somdej Phra Yupparaj hospital for treatment, TNA said.

Police said the bomb was a homemade explosive device built into a cooking gas cylinder hidden on the roadside.

The bomb was attached to an electric detonation wire over 100 metres long extending into the nearby roadside forest, and that it was triggered manually using a battery.

Police blamed separatist militants for the attack.

More than 4,000 have been killed by suspected separatists since January 2004 in three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and some parts of Songkla province.

4 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan chopper crash

4 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan chopper crash - World - CBC News

Tunisia repels Libyan government troops

TUNIS (15th May): Tunisian forces have repelled a 200-strong force of Libyan government troops that had entered Tunisian territory earlier today.

Tensions have flared on the border in recent weeks as fighting in Libya has spilled over into Tunisia, which is struggling to restore stability after an uprising earlier this year that sparked revolts around the Arab world.

New Zealand troops deploy to Timor Leste

A 62-strong New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent from the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry left for a six-month deployment to Timor- Leste Saturday, to support the Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Timor-Leste.

The NZDF has supported various peacekeeping operations in Timor-Leste since 1999, when a referendum was held on independence from Indonesia, sparking violence.

The NZDF contribution includes a military observer with the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste, five advisors to the F-FDTL, and four personnel in the National Support Element based in Darwin, Australia.

Yemen: 6 policeman killed in al-Qaida attack

SANAA, 14th May: At least six Yemeni policemen were killed and another one wounded on Saturday in an al-Qaida attack in southern province of Al-Bayda, a local security official said.

The attack targeted the policemen security checkpoint in Lamsan district in Radaa town of Al-Bayda, the official told Xinhua News on condition of anonymity.

"Following the attack, the al-Qaida militants seized the policemen's weapons and two security vehicles then fled," the official added without elaborating further.

700kg opium haul seized in Afghanistan

More than 700 kilograms of dry opium has been seized by Afghan forces working alongside British troops in Helmand province.

The drugs were found hidden in the back of a flatbed truck that was stopped and searched at a vehicle checkpoint run by Afghan forces, who are being partnered by British troops, in the Garmsir district.

The find is the biggest made by British and Afghan forces in the area, and such a quantity of opium could have been used to produce heroin with a street value of more than £2m.

300kg explosives seized in Afghanistan

300 kilograms of explosives were seized by a joint Afghan Army and ISAF operation in the southern province of Ghazni, on Wednesday 11th May.

The explosives were found buried in an orchard in Asfandi village on the outskirts of Ghazni City, police chief, Col. Zarawar Zahid, said.

French military contractor killed in Libya

BENGHAZI, Libya — The head and founder of a French military contracting company was killed in an accidental discharge of a weapon in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi as he was arguing about his team getting arrested, a rebel commander said Friday 13th May.

In Paris, the private military company SECOPEX Conseil said Pierre Marziali died Thursday at a Benghazi hospital after being wounded at a checkpoint as he and colleagues were leaving a restaurant overnight.

Marziali, 48, died hours before a planned meeting with the transitional government of rebels fighting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces. He was in Libya to set up a security guard service and a "secure corridor" on the road to Cairo, the company said.

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Baptist physicians deploy to Afghanistan

SOUTHAVEN - Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will be temporarily losing the services of two emergency medicine physicians when they deploy to Afghanistan in the coming weeks but CEO James Huffman said the hospital is proud of them for serving a higher calling.

"They will certainly be missed and our prayers are with them but we couldn't be prouder that two of our doctors are serving our U.S. military," Huffman said.

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Libya: Royal Navy destroy shore-based artillery battery

British Royal Navy warship HMS Liverpool destroyed a Libyan shore battery this week which had opened fire on the ship and its helicopter.

Whilst engaged on surveillance operations off the Libyan coast, the ship was tasked to intercept small, high-speed inflatable boats approaching the port of Misurata, suspected of attempting to mine the harbour.

A Libyan artillery battery on the coast fired rockets at HMS Liverpool whereupon she immediately returned fire with her 4.5-inch (11.5cm) gun, silencing the shore-based aggressors. As a result of the prompt action by HMS Liverpool and her fellow NATO vessels, Colonel Gaddafi's boats were forced to abandon their operation.

Yemen: 7 soldiers, 3 police killed

SANAA, 13th May: Suspected al-Qaida militants killed seven soldiers in two separated attacks on Friday in Yemen's troubled provinces of Marib and Shabwa, local security officials said.

In Marib, militants killed four soldiers and injured several others in an ambush on a military convoy in Sarwah district, a local official said.

Elsewhere in the southern province of Shabwa, another group of suspected al-Qaida militants attacked a security checkpoint in Baihan district on Friday, killing three policemen and injuring another one, a local police official said.

Algeria: 7 soldiers killed

ALGIERS, 13th May: Seven soldiers were killed and two others injured on Friday by a terrorist attack in Algeria's northern province of Jijel, local French speaking El Watan daily reported on its website.

The joint security forces then launched a counterattack operation in the region and eliminated three armed Islamists, according to the report.

An eighth soldier was still missing, while two other soldiers suffered injuries.

Source: Xinhua

Sudan: gunmen shoot four UNMIS peacekeepers

KHARTOUM, 11th May: Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded four Zambian peacekeepers belonging to the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), who were on patrol in Sudan's Abyei area, UNMIS said in a statement today (Wednesday).

The shooting took place on Tuesday afternoon in Goli, some 25 km north of Abyei town, the statement said, adding the four peacekeepers, one of whom is in a serious condition, have been taken to Abyei town for treatment.

"UNMIS strongly condemns this unprovoked attack and has commenced an investigation into the incident," the statement said.

The attack came after an agreement reached between north and south Sudan governments to withdraw all their forces unauthorized to be deployed at the disputed Abyei area and to implement a security agreement inked earlier under the support of the African Union.

Afghanistan: helicopter emergency landing injures four

ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, 11th May: A helicopter made an emergency landing in Nuristan province today (Wednesday) wounding four people, provincial police chief Shams Rahman Zahid said.

"The incident happened at 11:00 am local time in nearby provincial capital Parun and four people aboard sustained injuries," Zahid said.

All those injured are Afghans, he said. However, he did not provide further details.

The mountainous province of Nuristan, 180 km east of Kabul, was the scene of conflict on Tuesday as over 400 Taliban insurgents raided Wama district, but police had repelled the attack, Zahid said.

Source: Xinhua

Army dog handler awarded Elizabeth Cross

The family of an army dog handler who was killed in Afghanistan has been presented with the Elizabeth Cross by the Princess Royal.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, aged 26, from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, was killed on 1st March 2011 when he was on patrol in Helmand province with springer spaniel Theo.

The sniffer dog, described as a "true friend" to the soldier, died hours later after suffering a seizure.

The Princess presented the medal to the soldier's family at a private ceremony.

Four hundred Taliban launch attack

Hundreds of insurgents have attacked Afghan police checkpoints in a remote eastern province with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, but failed to overrun the government positions, officials say.

The assault in Nuristan province, a rugged and mountainous area bordering Pakistan, is the second significant Taliban attack on Afghan government forces in less than four days and is part of the insurgents' long-awaited spring offensive.

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U.S to withdraw 70,000 troops from Afghanistan

America would withdraw 70,000 troops from Afghanistan over the next three years and rely increasingly on special forces to lead operations in plans being discussed by the White House.

Commandos would continue missions to kill or capture insurgents and to train Afghan forces while conventional troops begin leaving in July according to reports.

The plan is being debated as commanders are said to be proposing Barack Obama begin the withdrawal by pulling out up to 10,000 troops by the end of this year.

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Afghanistan: Taliban kill ex-commander

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan: Taliban militants have targeted and killed a former commander along with four others in Kunduz province, 250 km north of capital city Kabul, a local official said Monday.

"Taliban rebels raided the house of Mullah Mohammad Nabi a former Taliban commander in Imam Sahib district and killed him along with four others Sunday night," Governor of Imam Sahib district Mohammad Ayub Hakmal told Xinhua.

Mullah Nabi had switched sides and joined the government a couple of months ago, the official further said.

Meantime, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in talks with media via telephone from an unknown location claimed responsibility, saying the Taliban fighters have punished Mullah Nabi for quitting the Taliban ranks.

Xinhua

Prince Harry targeted by extremist group

A MUSLIM extremist group has placed Prince Harry at the centre of a hate campaign against the Royal Family, it emerged last night.

Muslims Against Crusades have said the Prince’s Afghanistan duty makes him a prime target for their fury.

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Iran: 3 Americans to go on trial

TEHRAN, 9th May: Iran will put three Americans facing espionage charges on trial on Wednesday 11th May, the state IRIB TV website has reported.

"If there is no problem, and if there is no request from the lawyer of detainees (to postpone), the trial session will be held on time," said Iranian Judiciary spokesman Gholm-Hossein Mohseni- Ejei.

In February, an Iranian court held a close-door trial of three detained Americans, Josh Fattal, Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer, who were arrested in Iran on 31st July 2009 for illegally entering Iran 's western border and were later charged with espionage. The U.S. government considered the charges totally unfounded.

Syria: 13 soldiers killed

Thirteen soldiers were killed in the central Syrian city of Homs today (9th May) in what authorities said was an ambush set by an "armed terrorist group."

Al-Jazeera TV reported they were killed in Homs, the third largest Syrian city, after troops backed by tanks were deployed there to quell anti-government protests.

Ten Syrian workers, on their way back from Lebanon to Damascus, were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by armed groups.

The assailants opened fire on them from a close distance on the Damascus-Homs highway.

Protests and ensuing violence in Syria have left more than 100 soldiers and security agents dead across the country, while protesters say hundreds of civilians have been killed.

Libyan refugees rescued after boat sinks

Hundreds of refugees were rescued by Italian coast guards after their boat hit rocks off the island of Lampedusa forcing many, including women and children, to jump into the sea.

Italian coast guards and local fisherman saved all 500 refugees on a boat from Libya early Sunday after their vessel hit rocks off the island of Lampedusa, an operation one rescuer described as a "miracle".

Refugees threw themselves into the water in the night, with some clinging to ropes strung between the rusty fishing boat and the shoreline by rescuers, as officers and local residents dived in to help along the rocky coast.

"There were about 500 people on board. It was a difficult situation. Our patrol boats couldn't come close because of the shallow water and the undertow was very strong," said Antonio Morana, a coast guard spokesman.

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Journalist shot dead in Algeria

A journalist for several French-language newspapers was shot dead in a region where the north African branch of al-Qaeda is known to be active, but there has been no confirmation that militants linked to it were responsible.

The journalist, Ahmed Nezar, was shot dead on Friday afternoon in his hometown of Baghlia, about 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

Nezar was a local freelance correspondent for several French-language newspapers in Algeria, an energy exporter which won its independence from France in 1962.

“The journalist lived in this dangerous area where several local officials have been killed in the past few years,” the security official said.

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Tunisian protesters tear-gassed

Tunisian police used teargas to disperse anti-government protesters in the capital Tunis on Sunday 8th May, one day after authorities imposed an overnight curfew amid growing unrest in the country.

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Iraqi al-Qaeda leader killed in jail fight

Abu Huzaifa Al Batawi and up to 15 others shot dead after prisoners try to overpower their guards in Baghdad prison.

The most senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been shot dead during clashes between officers and prisoners inside a jail in Baghdad, officials say.

Abu Huzaifa Al Batawi, the leader of the Islamic state of Iraq - the most powerful al-Qaeda faction in the country - was killed along with up to 15 others after detainees tried to overpower their guards on Sunday.

Among the policemen killed was Brigadier General Moayed al-Saleh, the head of counter-terrorism for Baghdad's central Karrada district; a lieutenant colonel and two first lieutenants, the capital's security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta said.

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Dagestan: Russian troops kill 8 militants

MOSCOW, 8th May: Russian troops killed eight militants in a special anti-terrorism operation in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, according to local media reports.

Citing a spokesman for the National Anti-terrorism Committee, Itar-Tass news agency said the special operation was conducted in a forest in Dagestan's Kizlyar region.

"The killed gunmen are being identified," the spokesman was quoted as saying.

One soldier was also killed in the exchange of fire.

Violence is common in the North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia with militants frequently mounting attacks targeting police officers and authorities.

Moscow has vowed to bring stability to the region via improving social services and raising pensions and salaries as measures to tackle corruption and terror infiltration. 

Source: Xinhua

23 suicide bombers killed in Afghanistan

Afghan security forces had killed 23 suicide attackers and detained four others in fighting against Taliban insurgents in southern Kandahar province on Saturday 7th May, Interior Ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashari said Sunday.

"Twenty three suicide bombers had been killed and four others made captive by security forces after militants' attacks in Kandahar on Saturday," Bashari told newsmen at a press conference.

He also added that 15 civilians, 12 policemen, two Afghan soldiers and 11 insurgents were injured in the gun battle which lasted for a few hours, he further added.

Source:Xinhua

Canadian journalist abducted in Pakistan believed dead

B.C. woman abducted in Pakistan believed dead - World - CBC News

Armenia to send more troops to Afghanistan

Armenia to send more peacekeepers to Afghanistan - PanARMENIAN.Net

South Korean base in Afghanistan hit by artillery

Seoul, May 5 (Yonhap) A base for South Korea's aid workers and troops in Afghanistan has been shelled, but no injuries were reported, a military official said today.

Four artillery shells dropped in and around the base compound in Charika, a city in the northern Afghan province of Parwan on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military official.

"Two of the shells appear to have dropped inside the base, with one of them landing outside and the other detonating in midair. We have yet to confirm who was responsible for the attack," he said, adding that there were no injuries or damages to properties.

South Korea has about 90 aid workers and police officers in Afghanistan as its provincial reconstruction team, or PRT.

Some 340 troops are stationed there as members of the "Ashena" unit to protect the team.

British soldier dies in Cyprus

A British soldier from 73 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers), attached to the 3 Royal Anglian Group, died in Cyprus on Tuesday 3rd May 2011.

The soldier was deployed on operations as part of Operation TOSCA, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) based in Nicosia, Cyprus. 

The soldier was taken ill and flown to a hospital in Nicosia where he died.

British Gurkhas back in Afghanistan

A search operation in an area thought to be a Taliban safe haven has been carried out by soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles (2 RGR) in their first major operation since recently arriving in Helmand province.

Operation TORA GORGA was carried out by soldiers from 2 RGR's B Company along with members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Police.

They searched a series of compounds near the village of Shin Kalay in Nad 'Ali district which had been identified as insurgent 'bed-downs' and used by insurgents to launch ambushes from.

The operation began with the ISAF and Afghan forces first searching people on a nearby bridge used as a key crossing point by locals, before moving on to the compounds.

Australian SAS in Afghan hit squads

AUSTRALIAN special forces soldiers have been serving in highly secretive American and British hit squads in Afghanistan, and some have served with the US unit whose troops killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan this week.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that since 2001, Australians from the SAS and Commando regiments have served on ''third country deployments'' and in turn have fought alongside some of the most highly classified and best-trained combat groups in Afghanistan. Crucially, the Australian troops have been refused permission to participate in cross-border raids into Pakistan.

The so-called ''capture or kill'' squads ramped up their pursuit of senior insurgent leaders under the Obama administration, especially after US General David Petraeus took command in Afghanistan last year. They do not operate under NATO's protocols and rules of engagement, rather they fight under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom, which gives them ''greater freedom of action'', according to an Australian source.

Read full story

Illinois vet wounded in Afghanistan returns home

Illinois vet wounded in Afghanistan returns home | abc7chicago.com

Tinley Park soldier gets “coined” in Afghanistan by Petraeus

Tinley Park soldier gets “coined” in Afghanistan by Petraeus - The SouthtownStar

$5 million offered for capture of JI leader

MANILA, May 3: The Philippine military is seeking the assistance of the public to neutralize the top Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader, who is believed to be hiding in the country.

The person who can give the military information on the whereabouts of JI leader Zulkifli Abdhir will be given 5 million U. S. dollars as reward, Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang said.

"The U.S. Rewards For Justice Program is offering a payment of up to 5 million U.S. dollars for information leading to the capture of Abdhir. A priority of the U.S. Rewards For Justice Program is maintaining the anonymity of the source," Cabangbang said.

Adhir is facing a terrorism-related charge before a US federal court and is in the US State Department's list of most wanted terrorists.

At least 30 JI members have been earlier said to be have been operating in the country, including Omar Patek who was arrested last January in Pakistan.

Source: Xinhua

Bomb disposal experts checked for mental stress

UK: Military doctors have found evidence suggesting that Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel are at greater risk of mental health problems than other service personnel because of their extremely dangerous work.

The standard six-month tours that EOD personnel serve in Afghanistan could also be cut to relieve the strains on them.

Last month, Captain Lisa Jade Head of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, became the latest “high threat” operator to be killed clearing explosives in Afghanistan.

In February, an inquest into the death of Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid, from the same regiment, heard that he had appeared “under pressure” and “rushed” on the day he died in an explosion in 2009.

Read more at The Telegraph

Vacancy; head of Global Terrorist Organisation

With Bin Laden gone, an unusual vacancy has arisen in the world of terrorism.

Job Title: Head of Global Terrorist Organisation

Salary: to be agreed

Job location: to be agreed (possibly Islamabad, Pakistan)

Perks: multi-million dollar luxury mansion; multiple wives; army of millions at your beck and call 24/7; placement on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list.

Egyptian, Ayman al-Zawahri becomes the top candidate for the world's top terror job. Al-Zawahri was Bin Laden's right hand man for years and his extremist views and his readiness to use deadly violence are proven beyond doubt.

Read full story at the Boston Globe

Afghanistan: 5 private security guards killed

Kabul, 3rd May 2011: Five private security guards have been killed by a NATO air strike today.

Afghan police reported that the contractors were guarding a supply convoy for international troops. NATO confirmed the strike in Ghazni province but contradicted the police report by suggesting the attack was on suspected insurgents (terrorists in other words).

Afghan officials said there were no insurgents involved.

"This morning, there was some sort of incident between an American convoy and security guards from Watan Risk," said Zirawer Zahid, the police chief of Ghazni. He was referring to Watan Risk Management, a private company that supplies guards for convoys, offices and international organizations.

More to follow on this story.

Iraq: American soldier killed in action

A US Army soldier lost his life in Iraq on 29th April 2011 when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket propelled grenades and small arms.

Cavalry Pfc. Robert M. Friese, aged 21, from Chesterfield, Michigan, was on patrol in Al Qadisiyah province, Iraq when the incident happened. Pfc. Friese was serving with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment which is based at Fort Hood in Texas.

Britain expels Libyan ambassador

Britain has moved to expel Libya's ambassador after the UK embassy in Tripoli was attacked by a mob.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Omar Jelban was "persona non grata" and had been given 24 hours to leave the country.

Diplomatic missions belonging to a number of Nato states have been targeted after an air strike reportedly killed Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son and three of his grandchildren.

Read more

65yo U.S electrician heading for Afghanistan

Ken Rowe, a 65 year old electrician from the U.S, has landed a job in Afghanistan, working for four to 16 months.

In his 40-year career as an electrician, Ken Rowe always found work, one way or another, but his latest job is far from ordinary.

Read full story

The 12yo Afghan suicide bomber

A suicide bomber said to be aged 12 has killed four people in east Afghanistan, one of several attacks a day after the Taliban announced a spring offensive.

Read more

Syria: leave home and risk being shot

Concern is mounting for tens of thousands of Syrians trapped in a military siege imposed on their towns as party of bloody crackdown on protests.

Troops and tanks remain the town of Deraa in the south and Douma, near the capital Damascus.

Snipers are said to be shooting civilians if they leave their homes.

Read more at SkyNews

Libya: missing foreign photographer

The wife of a UK-based photographer missing in Libya has renewed appeals for help in contacting her husband.

Penny Sukhraj said she was desperate for news of Anton Hammerl who is believed to have been seized by Colonel Gaddafi loyalists along with three other journalists on the outskirts of the east Libya oil town of Brega on 5th April.

The 41-year-old - who lives in Surbiton, Surrey, but has South African and Austrian citizenship - is believed to be held separately in or around Tripoli from his captured colleagues.

Mr Hammerl's family has received no word from him since his disappearance although the three other journalists - two US correspondents and one Spanish photographer - were allowed to make a phone call to their families last weekend.

Iraq: suicide bomber hits army checkpoint

Eight people have been killed and 19 others wounded after a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Iraqi army checkpoint next to a market in the northern city of Mosul, police and hospital sources say.

A hospital source confirmed the number of dead and wounded and said Saturday's attack had taken place at a popular market in eastern Mosul, 390km from the capital, Baghdad.

"The suicide bomber exploded himself at the entrance where Iraqi soldiers were manning a checkpoint to frisk people entering the market," the source said.

Syrian troops storm mosque

Syrian forces have continued their military crackdown in the flashpoint city of Deraa, seizing control of a mosque and shooting dead the son of its imam, witnesses say. Four people were reportedly killed as the southern city came under heavy shelling and gunfire on Saturday, as residents attempted to bury those killed a day earlier during Friday's "day of rage" protests against the government.

"We are totally besieged. It is a tragedy. Many houses are levelled by shelling from the army. For the past six days we haven’t seen an ambulance," one witness told Al Jazeera via telephone, as gunfire rang out in the background.

"We are keeping the bodies of the dead in refrigerator trucks, but many bodies are still lying in the streets. Many of the bodies are bloated and are reeking."

Read full report

Iraq: US Army Spc. Andrew Lara

The U.S Department of Defence has announced the death of Spc. Andrew E. Lara, aged 25, from Albany, Oregon, who died on 27th April 2011, in a noncombat related incident, in Babil province, Iraq.  He was assigned to F Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment.

Gaddafi offers truce but not exit

Gaddafi offers truce but not exit - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Iraq: 11 killed as violence spreads

At least 11 people were killed in a string of bombings and shootings in central Iraq, a day after a suicide bomber killed 10 worshippers in a Shia mosque.

The violence on Friday underlined the security concerns Iraq still faces as American troops prepare to leave the country by the end of this year.

In Baghdad, a bomb went off in a predominantly Shia neighbourhood, killing three police commandos and one civilian and wounding 24 policemen and five civilians, police and medical officials said.

As police arrived on the scene to investigate, a second bomb exploded. Armed groups often use such staged blasts to lure in security and medical personnel who arrive on the scene to help and then fall victim to the subsequent blast.

Read full story

Injured American soldier back in the U.S

US Army Specialist, Zachary Durham, has arrived in the U.S after being medically evacuated from Afghanistan where he suffered injuries while attempting to rescue to pilots in a helicopter crash last week. He will be treated at Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington DC.

Staff Sergeant James Justice was killed in the same rescue mission.

Ivory Coast warlord killed

An Ivory Coast militia leader has been killed by forces of the country's new President Alassane Ouattara.

The leader of the so-called Invisible Commandos, Ibrahim Coulibaly, was killed in an offensive on Wednesday, a defence ministry spokesman said.

The Commandos had helped Mr Ouattara gain control of parts of Abidjan during a post-poll dispute.

But they had since fallen out and their respective forces clashed on Wednesday in the city, Ivory Coast's largest.

Read more

French blogger wounded in Misrata

A French blogger has been wounded in the neck in Misrata after travelling to Libya to report on the revolt against Moamer Kadhafi, according the Rue89 website which published some of his reports. 

French officials are trying to repatriate the man, named only as Baptiste, after a first operation in Libya.

He was hit by a stray bullet fired by pro-Kadhafi troops on Sunday, although he was not close to the fighting at the time, a group calling itself “Friends of Baptiste” says. They have not made his surname public out of consideration for his family. 

He underwent surgery in Misrata but the French authorities are trying to send him back to France so as to be operated on in more hygienic conditions, they say, adding that the conflict is making the plan difficult.

Baptiste went to Libya as part of a group of French activist-bloggers who covered the Libyan conflict and other uprisings in the Arab world. Rue89 published his account of the battle for Misrata.

Activists prepare new aid flotilla to Gaza

Pro-Palestinian activists say a planned convoy of aid ships to the Gaza Strip will be twice as big as a similar flotilla that was raided a year ago by Israeli forces, leaving nine people dead on a Turkish boat.

Organizers say they hope to depart around the May 31 anniversary of the fatal raid, but say it could happen later than that.

Huseyin Oruc, a spokesman for an Islamic aid group in Turkey, said Tuesday that an international coalition of 22 non-governmental organizations plans to send 15 ships with a total of 1,500 people.

The goal is to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Israel says any attempt to reach Gaza by sea is aimed at provoking violence.

Pepsi building $60 million bottling plant in Kabul

PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies has recently signed an exclusive deal with the Dubai based Alokozay Group to manufacture and distribute popular PepsiCo beverages such as Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew and 7-UP in Afghanistan. 

A $60 million beverage bottling plant will be built in Kabul in order to make this happen. It is expected that the new plant will come into operation in March 2012. 

The really good news for Afghans is that this deal will create 800 direct jobs. “The beverage industry in Afghanistan has grown tremendously and industry estimates point to more than 30 per cent growth year on year. 

We are delighted to take the PepsiCo franchise into Kabul as this will enable us to service the growing requirement for beverages in the country, with one of the most internationally renowned brands” said Jalil Alokozay, CEO of Alokozay Beverages Company. “As one of the largest organizations of Afghan origin, the Alokozay Group of Companies has remained committed to contributing to the economic development in Afghanistan, and the establishment of this plant is further evidence of this commitment,” he added.

Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Commerce and Industries, and Najeebullah Mojadidi, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates were present at the deal signing ceremony.

Egypt: gas pipeline bombed

An explosion in Egypt's North Sinai has rocked a terminal that supplies natural gas to Jordan and Israel.

Flames shot into the air at the al-Sabil terminal on Wednesday, sending nearby residents fleeing from their homes.

A security official blamed saboteurs for the blast south of the town of El-Arish, 50km from the border with Israel.

"An unknown armed gang attacked the gas pipeline near Arish city," the unnamed security source told the Reuters news agency, adding that the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan had been hit.

"Authorities closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline and are working to extinguish the fire," the source said.

On February 5, an explosion at a different section of the pipeline severed gas exports to neighbouring Israel and Jordan in an incident that came during an 18-day popular uprising that forced former president Hosni Mubarak from power.

Egypt's natural gas company blamed the February incident on a gas leak, although local security officials said they suspected sabotage in that blast.

Bedouin tribesmen of the Sinai Peninsula attempted to blow up the pipeline last July as tensions intensified between them and the Egyptian government, which they accuse of discrimination and of ignoring their plight.

Source: agencies

Video: Syrian army bombard Deraa

This video was recorded by a Syrian citizen 25th April 2011 as Syrian artillery began pounding the city of Deraa

Bahrain: medical centres raided

Activists in Bahrain say security forces arrested medical workers in retribution for treating protesters injured in the uprising.

Security forces have seized at least eight health workers from two separate medical facilities in Bahrain, according to Al Jazeera.

The Aali Health Centre in Manama was raided early on Tuesday morning. Medical staff working in the two centres were beaten and an unknown number were arrested.

Human rights groups have accused Bahrain of arresting patients and medical staff suspected of taking part in protests, and sacking hundreds of public workers. Bahrain says it targets only those who committed crimes during the unrest in March.

Read full story

Thai-Cambodia border dispute spreads east

Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed on Tuesday afternoon in the disputed area around Preah Vihear temple on the border in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province, and again on the border in Surin province.

The fighting began about 1.30pm, with sounds of fierce exchanges involving both small arms and heavy weapons, local reports said.

Continuous gunfire could be heard from the area near Wat Kaew Sika Khiri Savara, around the Preah Vihear temple and Phu Makhua.

The violence reportedly erupted after Cambodian soldiers at Wat Kaew Sika Khiri Savara opened fire at a Thai F16 fighter which was flying along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Second Army spokesman Prawit Hookaew said 10 Thai soldiers were wounded in an earlier clash today on the border in Surin province.

Col Prawit said the fighting occurred between 3.20am and 5am, when Cambodian soldiers tried to capture Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temple ruins but were repulsed.

Renewed fighting was reported in the afternoon as the two sides exchanged heavy fire near Ta Muen Thom temple from about 3 pm. Clashes were also reported near Ta Kwai temple and Chong Krang border pass in northeastern Surin province.

There were no reports of death or injuries from either side. In late afternoon  the sound of artillery fire was still being heard.

UN aid worker killed in Sudan

Santino Pigga Alex Wani, a Senior Programme Assistant working with the UN World Food Programme was killed during an ambush by armed assailants in Jonglei state on 22nd April 2011.

Santino, a Senior Programme Assistant, was on mission with members of WFP’s cooperating partner, Joint Aid Management, or JAM, when the vehicle they were travelling in was attacked.

 

Santino first started working with WFP in 2004. He was born in the Western Equatoria State capital of Yei in Southern Sudan. He leaves behind a wife and a teenage son and daughter.

UK in Libya 'for the long haul'

The UK "must prepare for the long haul" in Libya, Downing Street has said.

Earlier Foreign Secretary William Hague briefed the cabinet about the situation in Libya.

Number 10 said progress was being made in putting greater pressure on Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and there were "grounds for optimism".

RAF fighter aircraft "successfully attacked" three armoured personnel carriers near the besieged city of Misrata over the weekend.

But a spokeswoman for the prime minister said: "We must prepare for the long haul."

Read more

Georgian sailor liberated from captivity returns home

Georgian sailor, 29 year old Georgi Chkadua, who was freed from captivity of Somali pirates, has returned home. His father, Otar Chkadua, told journalists that the captured sailor is already in his native Vardisubani village in the Telavi region.

Chkadua was a crew member of the Greek supertanker "Irene SL", which was captured by Somali pirates. Chkadua was released earler this month.

3 killed as Yemen accepts Gulf plan

Yemen's opposition has decided to be part of a transitional government under a Gulf-brokered plan for president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step aside, an opposition source told Reuters. According to the plan, Saleh will stay in power for a further 30 days before quitting, and the opposition had earlier said it would stay out of a unity government.

As opposition leaders gathered in Sanaa to discuss the proposal, Yemeni forces killed three protesters at rallies outside the capital, witnesses said. In the city of Taez, witnesses said security men opened fire on protesters. A woman watching the clash from her balcony was shot dead, and medical sources said 25 others were shot and injured in this southern town.

Clashes reported also in the town of Ibb, where one protester was shot dead and a dozen were hurt by live bullets as police tried to break up a march, witnesses said. Security forces also shot dead a protester in the southern province of al-Baida.

source: Al Bawaba News

Jimmy Carter leads North Korea peace mission

Jimmy Carter, the former US president, has arrived in Pyongyang hoping to meet with North Korea's leader as part of a mission to discuss dangerous food shortages and stalled nuclear disarmament talks.

Carter was joined by Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish president, Gro Brundtland, former Norwegian prime minister and Mary Robinson, former Irish president, for the three-day visit to North Korea, which started on Tuesday.

The former leaders were not told ahead of their trip who they would meet with, but said they hoped to see Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader, and his son and heir apparent Kim Jong Un.

The mission comes as diplomats struggle to find a way to restart talks meant to persuade the North to abandon its atomic weapons ambitions.

Read more

Britain's economic problems solved

We couldn't resist posting this obvious solution to Britain's economic woes. It's a pity politicians can never find an easy solution to anything.

Our letter to Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron:


Dear Mr. Cameron,

Please find below our suggestion for fixing Britain's battered economy.


Instead of giving billions of pounds to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, we suggest using the following plan. You could call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:


There are about 10 million people over the age of 50 in the work force.


Pay each of them 1 million pounds severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:


1) They MUST retire.
Result: 10 million job openings - unemployment problem solved!


2) They MUST buy a new British car.
Result: 10 million cars ordered - ailing car industry fixed!


3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage.
Result: Britain's housing crisis fixed!


4) They MUST send their kids to school/college/university.
Result: Crime rate solved!


5) They MUST buy 100 pounds worth of alcohol/tobacco each week.
Result: you get your money back in tax and duty!


We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours etc etc.

Real IRA Threatens More Police Killings

Northern Ireland: Dissident republicans have threatened to kill more police officers and disrupt the Queen's historic visit to Ireland.

The warning from the Real IRA was read by a masked man at an Easter Rising commemoration in Derry City Cemetery.

Referring to the police, he said: "...those who turn traitor ...are as liable for execution as anyone else regardless of their religion, cultural background or motivation."

It is three weeks since PC Ronan Kerr, a Catholic recruit, was killed by a booby trap bomb planted beneath his car in Omagh.

The group also vowed to ensure the Queen "gets the message" that she is not welcome when she visits Ireland next month.

Read more and view video at Sky

Kuwait gives $180m to Libyan rebels

Kuwait City - Kuwait on Sunday gave $180m to the Libyan opposition Transitional National Council (TNC), its chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said.

"This amount will help us pay part of the salaries of employees," Jalil told reporters after talks with Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. "We are in need of urgent assistance."

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah said "Kuwait will provide large and urgent humanitarian aid through the national council."

Sheikh Mohammad said Kuwait and the TNC "will work closely so that it becomes the legitimate channel of the Libyan people", but stopped short of officially recognising the council.

Source: news24

London Taliban target women and gays

'Wear a headscarf or we will kill you': How the 'London Taliban' is threatening women and trying to ban gays in bid to impose sharia law.

Women who do not wear headscarves are being threatened with violence and even death by Islamic extremists intent on imposing sharia law on parts of Britain, it was claimed today.

Other targets of the 'Talibanesque thugs', being investigated by police in the Tower Hamlets area of London, include homosexuals.

Stickers have been plastered on public walls stating: 'Gay free zone. Verily Allah is severe in punishment'.

Read full story at Daily Mail

Syria: US orders partial embassy evacuation

The United States has ordered State Department family members and some non-emergency embassy personnel to leave Syria, citing the "uncertainty and volatility" of a crackdown on protesters.

The department also urged Americans to defer all travel to Syria and advised those already in the country to get out while commercial transportation is still available.

It said the embassy would remain open for limited services.

The move came as thousands of Syrian soldiers backed by tanks and snipers moved in to the southern city of Daraa and opened fire on civilians, killing at least 11 people, witnesses said.

Source: news.com.au

Attempted Alitalia hijacking thwarted

A man has been overpowered by cabin crew on an Alitalia flight from Paris to Rome, after he drew out a small knife and demanded the plane divert to the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

A female flight attendant was slightly injured as the man was subdued.

The suspect, from Kazakhstan, was handed over to police and arrested after flight AZ329 landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport at 2005 GMT.

Read more

Sudan: 57 dead in army and militia clash

At least 57 people have been killed in fighting between government forces and a rebel militia in South Sudan, officials have said.

South Sudan army spokesman Brig Malaak Ayuen said dozens were also wounded in the clashes in the state of Jonglei.

The local authorities accuse the government in Khartoum of backing the rebels to destabilise South Sudan, which will soon become independent.

The UN says more than 800 people have been killed in the region this year.

Read more

Mauritania: protesters tear-gassed

Mauritanian police have fired tear gas at protesters attempting to hold a "day of rage" against President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz's government.

A BBC reporter in the capital says police prevented hundreds of people from entering one of the main squares.

Twenty two people were arrested and opposition MPs were prevented from joining the demonstrators.

Read full story

Italy to join Libya bombing missions

Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has approved the use of his country's air force in Nato's Libya mission.

Italy was ready to allow its jets to take "targeted military action", he said in a statement.

Earlier, a Nato air strike badly damaged buildings in Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli.

Mr Berlusconi announced the decision after a telephone call with US President Barack Obama, and would also call other European leaders to brief them personally, said his statement.

Italy had previously said it would not take part in Nato-led air strikes, citing its 40-year colonial rule of Libya.

Read full story at BBC