Militants set fire to NATO trucks
Armed militants in Pakistan set fire to two trucks taking supplies to U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, police told CNN on Sunday. FULL POST
Kandahar's deputy governor killed
The deputy governor of Afghanistan's Kandahar province was killed in a suicide attack Saturday, a government official said.
Abdul Latif Ashna was killed and his driver was wounded in Kandahar City on Saturday morning, said Zalmai Ayoubi, a spokesman for the governor. FULL POST
Kidnapping crisis in Afghan province
CNN's Arwa Damon reports on kidnappings and attacks in what was a "safe" Afghanistan province.
German parliament votes to end Afghan combat mission by 2014
The German parliament voted Friday to end Germany's combat mission in Afghanistan by 2014.
For the first time, the mandate authorizing the use of German troops in Afghanistan contains a time frame for the nation's troops to withdraw, said Guido Westerwelle, the foreign minister.
The mandate includes a 12-month extension of the current military mission in Afghanistan, the German Bundestag or parliamentary news office said.
"It is confirmation of the work of the government that we're not just lengthening the mandate, but that we're saying that it shouldn't be endless," Westerwelle said.
Germany has 4,590 troops serving with NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
FULL POST
Taliban claim responsibility for Kabul blast that killed 8
he Taliban claimed responsibility Friday for a blast that killed eight people at a market in the Afghan capital that is popular with international residents.
At least six others were wounded, authorities said.
FULL POST
Secret report reveals new funding channels for Taliban, al Qaeda
In August last year, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was not happy with Saudi Arabia. He complained that the Saudis appeared to be funding an opposition candidate, Anwar Ibrahim, in upcoming elections.
What's more, the Malaysian authorities suspected two senior Saudi princes of involvement. The Saudis launched an investigation, and uncovered something very different - and more alarming.
A secret report seen by CNN concludes: "There is no evidence any Saudi official ever supported Anwar Ibrahim" and "claims of support from the Saudi royals named in the initial report [names redacted] were found to be without basis."
But the investigation found that hundreds of millions of dollars of Saudi money had been funneled to leading Islamist politicians and political activists overseas. It also found that al Qaeda and the Taliban were still able to use Saudi Arabia for fund-raising, despite numerous measures to choke off those sources of cash.
Prisons ideal Taliban recruitment center
CNN's Arwa Damon reports that overcrowding in Afghanistan prisons is creating an ideal breeding ground for the Taliban.
Afghanistan inaugurates new parliament
Afghanistan's new parliament was inaugurated in Kabul on Wednesday, four months after a nationwide election that critics said was marked by extensive fraud.
The inauguration ended a political standoff between President Hamid Karzai and the parliament. FULL POST
Pakistani police probe alleged honor killing
Relatives of a 21-year-old Pakistani woman are under arrest for allegedly electrocuting her because she secretly married a man they didn't approve of, police told CNN.
Police arrested Saima Bibi's father and three other relatives after being
tipped off by an anonymous caller, said police official Muhammad Ismail.
FULL POST
13 dead in Lahore blast, 3 dead in Karachi, Pakistan
Suicide bombings targeting Shiite Muslims on Tuesday killed 16 people in Pakistan, 13 in Lahore and three in Karachi.
The Lahore blast occurred in front of a market and near a procession of
Shiite mourners commemorating the 40th day of Ashura, which observes the death
of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson.
In Karachi, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up next to
a police van at a security checkpoint outside another Shiite festival, police
said. Two police officers were killed in the blast. Police say Shiites were the
target.
The attacks reflect the sectarian violence that erupts in Pakistan from
time to time. Shiite Muslims are a minority in Pakistan, a Sunni majority
country.
Zahid Pervez, medical superintendent at a hospital in Lahore, told
reporters that dead bodies, including one woman, were brought to the hospital.
Police said at least four officers were killed. Pervez said 52 injured people
were also brought to the hospital, and 15 of them were in critical condition.
Shakir Ullah Shakir, a spokesman for the Fedayeen-e-Islam, said his group
targeted the Lahore procession and labeled the Shiites enemies of Islam.
The group is an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban and Laskhar-e Jangvi. Both Sunni militant groups are notorious for targeting Pakistan's Shiites.
One of the senior leaders of Fedayeen-e Islam is Qari Hussein - widely believed to be the trainer of child suicide bombers for the Pakistani Taliban.
Nayab Haider, Lahore police spokesman, told CNN the suicide bomber was between 13 to 15 years old and that the boy tried to enter the procession carrying a bag.
Moments after police stopped him, the attacker blew himself up, Haider said.
Local TV reports showed footage of debris and rescue crews whisking away injured people.
Pakistani intelligence agencies had warned Shiite religious leaders in Pakistan's major cities about the threat of attacks targeting events commemorating the holy day. FULL POST
