Civil society rap Somali knuckles
Civil society groups in Somalia have criticised the Somali government after security forces raided the compound of a NGO. Somali officials claim to have found hundreds of weapons in the compound, while activists are scathing of the transitional government's track record of abuse and rights violations.
Afghan civilian toll mounts
Human rights monitors and civil society organisations working within Afghanistan are growing increasingly alarmed by the escalating toll coalition operations are having on civilians in the country. They hope to convince foreign and Afghan forces to strike against the Taliban with a greater delicacy and concern for safeguarding civilians.
At least sixty civilians have been killed in fighting near the border with Pakistan.
Lebanon abuse probe
Human Rights Watch is calling for a probe into the conduct of Lebanese military operations against Islamist militants in the country's Palestinian refugee camps, after allegations emerged of indiscriminate detention and torture.
Palestinian mediators have met with both the Lebanese army and members of the Fatah al-Islam militant group in an effort to end some of the worst fighting in Lebanon in decades.
Heavy fighting in Serendip
Sri Lankan military spokesmen claim that security forces killed 70 Tamil Tiger rebels in a single day of fighting, as the bloody conflict intensifies.
Israel zeroes in on Gaza
Four Palestinians were killed as Israeli forces commenced their first major attack on Gaza since the fateful elections that brought Hamas to "power" in the Palestinian territories. Israeli officials claim to have struck rocket launchers "loaded with rockets" aimed at Israel.
Palestinian Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has ruled out the possibility of dialogue with Hamas, as he takes control of a new government in the West Bank.
Ambassador warns of long Afghan sojourn
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, the British ambassador in Afghanistan, has warned that UK forces will remain for a while longer still, saying "it's a marathon, not a sprint. We should be thinking in terms of decades."
Missile strike along Pakistani border
Human Rights Watch has called for an independent investigation into a suspected missile strike that destroyed a seminary building in the border region of Waziristan where many Islamist militants are thought to be sheltering. The explosion killed at least 30
Many Uzbeks, who were caught up in recent fighting with local Pashtun tribesmen, are thought to be among the dead.
Militant group in US link-up denial
The Iraqi Sunni militant group, the 1920 Brigades, has denied any involvement in recent US-led operations against al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Qaida fighters are thought to have slain key leaders of the Brigades. In recent months, US and Iraqi forces have attempted to encourage local Sunni militants to fight against their common al-Qaida foe.
Indonesian group unfazed by crackdown
The recent arrests of two of the principal leaders of the Indonesian Islamist group Jemaah Islamiyah has not had as deep an impact on the organisation's resolve as local authorities hoped. According to an in-depth Al Jazeera report, JI members remain committed to the group's goal of establishing a global caliphate governed with sharia law, though many disagree on the use of violence to achieve the group's ends.
ETA member arrested in Quebec
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have arrested Ivan Apaolaza Sancho, a member of the militant Basque separatist group ETA. Sancho has been on a European Union list of terrorism suspects for his alleged participation in attacks that broke a ceasefire in 1999.
Turkey pick up score in Qaida sweep
Over twenty alleged al-Qaida operatives have been arrested in Turkey. The suspected militants were arrested in the northwestern province of Bursa. Ankara continues to face militancy and terrorism emanating from its southeast, where the army remains embroiled in operations against Kurdish separatists.
