In Brief: Pakistan captures Taliban chief's hometown after fierce fighting
Sunday October 25 2009
Pakistani soldiers yesterday captured the strategically located town of Kotkai, home of Pakistan's Taliban chief, after fierce fighting.
A suspected US missile killed 22 people elsewhere in the northwest, but apparently missed a top Taliban figure.
Pakistan's eight-day-old offensive in the Taliban and al-Qaeda stronghold of South Waziristan is considered its most critical test yet in the campaign to stop the spread of violent Islamist extremism. The army operation has prompted a wave of retaliatory attacks by militants this month that have killed some 200 people.
UN inspectors to visit Iran nuke site
A team of UN inspectors is heading to Iran to visit a recently revealed nuclear site. The International Atomic Energy Agency experts will examine an unfinished uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom to verify it is for peaceful purposes.
Disclosure of its existence last month raised suspicion over the extent and aim of the country's nuclear programme. The visit comes shortly after Tehran asked for more time on Friday to consider a UN-backed plan to ship much of its uranium to Russia for enrichment.
Vatican slammed over Anglican offer
A former leader of the world's Anglican congregation says it was inexcusable that the Vatican gave short notice of its offer to receive dissident traditionalists into the Roman Catholic Church, but nonetheless gave a cautious welcome to the Vatican's offer.
George Carey, archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, is urging his successor, Rowan Williams, to make a personal protest when he visits the Vatican next month.
US calls swine flu national emergency
US President Barack Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a US national emergency.
Mr Obama yesterday signed a proclamation that would allow medical officials to bypass certain federal requirements. Officials described the move as similar to a declaration ahead of a hurricane making landfall.
Swine flu is more widespread now than it's ever been and more than 1,000 Americans have died from it.
Germany's Merkel seals coalition deal
Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday finished building Germany's new centre-right government and announced an overhaul of the health care system, more help for families and tax cuts of up to €24bn over four years.
Dr Merkel said the coalition of her Christian Democrats, their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union and the pro-business Free Democrats, are capable of solving the country's problems following their victory in last month's parliamentary elections.
Journalist gets 60 lashes for TV show
A female journalist has been sentenced to 60 lashes for her involvement in a TV show in which a Saudi man publicly talked about sex. She is believed to be the first Saudi woman journalist to be given such a punishment.
The Saudi man who described having an active sex life received five years in jail and 1,000 lashes.
Egyptian train crash claims 25 lives
TWO passenger trains collided just outside of Cairo yesterday, destroying several passenger cars and killing at least 25 people, a police official said.
At least 55 others were injured in the accident.
Sunday Independent
