Civilian, NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan

KABUL – NATO said Monday that one of its soldiers was killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, where another foreign soldier was killed in a small arms fire.

One Afghan civilian was also killed in the eastern region, while roadside and suicide bombings injured 18 people elsewhere in the country, officials said.
Both foreign … Read more »».

Maoists to use 19 tonnes explosives before 2010 expiry, warns expert

RAIPUR – The country should be prepared for more deadly blasts by Maoists as the guerrillas are planning to use some 19 tonnes of explosives before they expire by the end of this year, a senior de-mining expert of the Chhattisgarh Police claimed Monday.

In February 2006, Maoists had stormed into an explosives depot of public … Read more >>>.

US presses Pakistan to divulge more air passenger info

WASHINGTON – The United States is increasing pressure on Pakistan for much broader airline passenger information, considered a crucial tool to track terrorist travel patterns, but a step that Pakistan has resisted, according to the New York Times.

Pakistan, like other countries, currently provides the names of airline passengers travelling to the United States. But the …. Original article  : US presses Pakistan to divulge more air passenger info.

Man arrested after Paris-to-Mexico City flight denied US airspace is diverted to Montreal

Man arrested on warrant after flight diverted

WASHINGTON – An Aeromexico flight from Paris to Mexico City was diverted to Montreal on Sunday when the U.S. denied the flight access to its airspace after a man named in an outstanding warrant was reported aboard, an official said.
The man, whose name officials did not release, was removed … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Man arrested after Paris-to-Mexico City flight denied US airspace is diverted to Montreal.

Head found during search of Calif. park thought to be that of man slain in double-murder plot

Police: Search turns up head of slain Calif. man

LOS ANGELES – Authorities searching a Long Beach park found the final missing body part – a severed head – believed to belong to a community college student killed and dismembered in a double murder-for-profit plot in Orange County, police said Sunday.
FBI agents and police from Costa … Original source on Gaea Times at : Head found during search of Calif. park thought to be that of man slain in double-murder plot.

Ex-Uribe defense minister dominates Colombia vote; to face clean-government outsider in runoff

Uribe torchbearer dominates Colombia vote
BOGOTA, Colombia – A conservative former defense minister who promises to build on Alvaro Uribe’s security gains easily defeated a maverick outsider in Colombia’s election Sunday but fell short of the votes needed to avoid a presidential runoff.

Juan Manuel Santos, a political veteran who says he’ll continue President Uribe’s popular pro-Washington …. Source  : Ex-Uribe defense minister dominates Colombia vote; to face clean-government outsider in runoff.

Mexican authorities recover 20 to 25 bodies from abandoned silver mine

More than 20 bodies found in Mexican silver mine

MEXICO CITY – Authorities have found between 20 and 25 corpses in an abandoned silver mine in southern Mexico, apparently victims of drug gang violence, police said Sunday.
Federal police commissioner Facundo Rosas said the bodies were pulled from the mine late Saturday and throughout the day Sunday …. Original source  : Mexican authorities recover 20 to 25 bodies from abandoned silver mine.

Authorities recover 20 to 25 bodies from abandoned silver mine in Mexico

Up to 25 bodies found in Mexican silver mine

MEXICO CITY – Between 20 and 25 bodies were recovered from an abandoned silver mine in southern Mexico, apparently victims of drug gang violence, federal police commissioner Facundo Rosas said Sunday.
The corpses appear to have accumulated over an undetermined time as they were tossed over a 300-foot … Read more : Authorities recover 20 to 25 bodies from abandoned silver mine in Mexico.

Police searching S. California park find head believed to be man killed in double-murder plot

Police find head believed to be slain S. Calif man

LOS ANGELES – Authorities searching a Long Beach park found the final missing body part – a severed head – believed to belong to a community college student killed and dismembered in a double murder-for-profit plot in Orange County, police said Sunday.
FBI agents and police from …. Original article  : Police searching S. California park find head believed to be man killed in double-murder plot.

Freed Malawi gay couple keep low profile after pardon, warned homosexuality remains illegal

Malawi gay couple keep low profile after pardon

BLANTYRE, Malawi – A gay couple from Malawi have kept out of the public eye after being pardoned and freed from prison, in what a relative said Sunday was a deliberate decision prompted by the conservative view of homosexuality in the southern African country.
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Freed Malawi gay couple keep low profile after pardon, warned homosexuality remains illegal.

US laywer being held in Rwandan prison on charges of genocide denial sees legal team

US lawyer held in Rwandan prison sees legal team

NAIROBI, Kenya – An official from an international lawyers’ group says an American lawyer charged with genocide denial in Rwanda has been allowed to see his lawyers.
Alison Turner, a board member of the International Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, said Sunday two lawyers representing Peter Erlinder were allowed … Original source on Gaea Times at : US laywer being held in Rwandan prison on charges of genocide denial sees legal team.

Police arrest 7 men suspected of links to attacks on minority sect in Pakistan

Pakistan: 7 arrested over links to sect attackers

LAHORE, Pakistan – Seven men have been arrested over alleged links to the militants who attacked a minority sect in eastern Pakistan, killing 93 people, police said Sunday.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited one of the two mosques attacked Friday in Lahore and promised to work with local officials [..] Read the original article: here.

Blagojevich on trial: Combative former Illinois governor faces fight of his life

Former Ill. governor faces fight of his life
CHICAGO – The day before Rod Blagojevich’s world came crashing down, he stood before the TV cameras confident and defiant, as always, declaring he had nothing to hide, even as a giant political scandal was about to engulf him.
“If anybody wants to … Read more »».

Bamyan residents fear return of Taliban

BAMYAN – The more the violence in Afghanistan escalates, the more the West clings to the hope that negotiations with the Taliban could solve the conflict and bring within reach the withdrawal of the international troops.

While that idea, born out of sheer desperation, also gains support in Afghanistan, the plan triggers fear among the people … Read : Bamyan residents fear return of Taliban.

Let ULFA give formal proposal for peace talks, says Gogoi

GUWAHATI – Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Sunday asked the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to formally apprise the state government of its decision on opening peace talks to end three decades of insurgency in the region.

“Let them first decide if they want to talk or not. If at all they are … Read more : Let ULFA give formal proposal for peace talks, says Gogoi.

Malawi gay couple freed hours after presidential pardon, warned homosexuality remains illegal

Malawi gay couple freed after presidential pardon

BLANTYRE, Malawi – A gay couple from Malawi arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison after they threw a lavish engagement party was freed from prison hours after receiving a presidential pardon, prison officials said Sunday.
Prison Service spokesman Evance Phiri said Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were released … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Malawi gay couple freed hours after presidential pardon, warned homosexuality remains illegal.

Four killed in blasts in Afghanistan

KABUL – Four civilians were killed in separate blasts in Afghanistan as Taliban militants torched six fuel tankers destined for NATO forces in the southern region, officials said Sunday.

The civilians, including a child and a woman, were killed in a total of four separate blasts in the eastern provinces of Khost, Nangarhar and Paktika and …. Source article  : Four killed in blasts in Afghanistan.

Pakistani forces report killing 15 Taliban militants

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani jet fighters and artillery Sunday pounded militants’ positions in the country’s lawless tribal region, killing at least 15 rebels, a security official said.

A local intelligence official said the jets targeted six Taliban positions in three villages in the Orakzai tribal district, where Pakistani forces have been fighting Islamist insurgents since late March. … Read : Pakistani forces report killing 15 Taliban militants.

Maoists blow up panchayat building

BHUBANESWAR – Maoist guerrillas Sunday blew up a panchayat office building in Orissa’s Malkangiri district, police said. No one was injured as it was empty at the time of the attack.

About 30-40 rebels came to Kankurukunda village at about 1 a.m. and blasted the building using explosives, a police officer told IANS.
The attack … Read : Maoists blow up panchayat building.

Wanted Khalistani terrorist arrested in Amritsar

AMRITSAR – One of the most wanted terrorists in Punjab, Bakshish Singh alias Baba of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), has been arrested in this Punjab city, police sources said Sunday.

“Baba was arrested yesterday (Saturday) from Amritsar on the basis of a secret tip-off,” a Punjab police source told IANS.
According to the source, police …. Source  : Gaea News Network.