Around the World

Saturday, October 18, 2008

PAKISTAN

Army Kills 60 Fighters; Taliban Hostage Found

Troops backed by artillery and helicopter gunships pounded insurgents' positions in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 60 fighters and injuring many others, the military said Saturday.

The assault happened Friday evening in the Swat Valley, shortly after troops found one of two Chinese engineers who had been held hostage by Taliban fighters, an army statement said. It said the second engineer was still in the custody of militants and efforts were under way to rescue him.

AFGHANISTAN

Civilian Deaths Probed

Afghan authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 17 civilians during a clash between NATO forces and rebels in southern Afghanistan, an official said Friday.

Villagers and a senior police official said Thursday that a NATO airstrike killed the civilians, including women and children, in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province.

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan confirmed that it conducted an airstrike in the area Thursday but not that civilians were killed.

U.N.: 20,000 Georgians Go Home

The U.N. refugee agency says 20,000 Georgians displaced by the recent war with Russia have returned home since Russian troops pulled out of the so-called buffer zone around the breakaway South Ossetia region.

Thai Premier Refuses to Resign

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he will stay in power despite growing calls for his resignation after a deadly confrontation between police and protesters last week. Somchai took office only last month but was immediately targeted by anti-government protesters for his ties to his brother-in-law, deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Khmer Rouge Appeal Rejected

Cambodia's genocide tribunal rejected an appeal by the Khmer Rouge's former foreign minister for release from pretrial detention on charges of crimes against humanity and war atrocities. A tribunal spokesman said the decision reflected concerns that Ieng Sary, 82, could flee if released and also intimidate potential witnesses.

Brazilian Icon's Killer Out of Jail

The rancher who planned the 1988 killing of rain forest defender Chico Mendes has been allowed to leave his jail cell in Brazil for medical treatment. Darly Alves da Silva, 71, will be treated at his home for ulcers and infections and return to jail by Dec. 31. Silva was sentenced in 1990 to 19 years in jail for ordering the slaying of Mendes, a rubber tapper and union leader.

Ivory Coast Election Put Off

A top election official in Ivory Coast said a presidential vote scheduled for next month will be postponed. The long-expected and much-delayed vote was part of a 2007 peace deal signed by Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo and rebel chief Guillaume Soro.

From News Services