Afghan central bank chief quits, flees to US

The governor of Afghanistan's central bank, Abdul Qadeer Fitrat, says he is resigning because he thinks his life is in danger.Speaking in the United States, he says he is...

Rebels have been engaged in fierce firefights with government forces in mountain plains about 80km (50 miles) south-west of Tripoli.

A BBC correspondent who was with the rebels was told by a volunteer medic two of them had died in the battle.The rebels said government forces suffered far greater...

A young maid is facing death by beheading in Saudi Arabia for a crime she claims she did not commit.

Rizana Nafeek, who alleges she was a teenager at the time of the incident, was arrested in May 2005 on charges of murdering a four-month-old baby who was in...

The bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan will no longer be honoured with a public parade but will be driven through back streets to avoid upset, it has emerged.

For several years, the flag-draped coffins of fallen servicemen and women have been met by large crowds who line the streets to pay their respects as they return to...

U.S. President Barack Obama announced Thursday to begin pulling out U.S. troops from Afghanistan in next July

While U.S. President Barack Obama announced Thursday to begin pulling out U.S. troops from Afghanistan in next July, the war-weary Afghans have shown mixed reaction towards the decision."The decision...

UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie meets with asylum seekers at detention centres in Malta and Lampedusa.

The Oscar-winning actress listened as the asylum seekers - many of them women from Libya, Somalia, Ethiopia and sub-Saharan Africa awaiting the processing of their claims - recounted the...

Mohamed VI rewrites constitution and gives elected politicians greater power after biggest protests in decades

Morocco's king, Mohamed VI, has responded to the Arab spring by rewriting his country's constitution and giving greater power to elected politicians but leaving him with a firm grip...

Tunisia began the trial on Monday of former president Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali,

Tunisia began the trial on Monday of former president Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali, whose ouster by protesters angry over corruption and police repression inspired the "Arab Spring" that has...

Canadian warplanes have bombed the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the military confirmed Thursday.

CF-18 jet fighters took part in four days of targeted strikes over last weekend, said Col. Alain Pelletier, who commands Canada’s air contingent in Italy.Pelletier could not say whether...

Royal Marines on alert to help with evacuation of British citizens in Yemen

The marines are said to be on board the support ship RFA Fort Victoria, according to the BBC. The Fort Victoria is part of the navy’s response force task...

Russia 'key player' in move towards Afghanistan Taliban talks

An attempt by western powers to kickstart peace talks with the Taliban by overhauling the United Nations' sanction regime against the hardline movement and its al-Qaida allies hangs on...

NATO warplanes dropped bombs in repeated low-flying raids Tuesday on targets in and around Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s compound

NATO warplanes dropped bombs in repeated low-flying raids Tuesday on targets in and around Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s compound in their most intense daytime strikes on the Libyan capital since...

LIBYAN rebels are reported to have recaptured the town of Yafran, 100km south of Tripoli, adding to the sense that Muammar Gaddafi and his regime are beginning to lose their battle for survival.

Yafran is the most easterly of several towns stretched along the Nafusa mountains that are inhabited mostly by members of Libya's oppressed Berber minority who have been fighting government...

British Apache helicopters strike Gaddafi's forces for first time

British Apache attack helicopters have launched their first strikes on Muammar Gaddafi's troops in Libya, including near the key coastal oil city of Brega, Nato has confirmed.The RAF Apaches...

NATO has for the first time used attack helicopters in Libya,

NATO has for the first time used attack helicopters in Libya, striking military vehicles, military equipment and forces backing embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi, the military alliance has announced."Attack helicopters...

Lunacy in Libya

They swore blind that there would never be foreign "boots on the ground" in Libya, but as NATO's campaign against Moammar Gadhafi's regime enters its third month it is...

Libya's oil minister Shukri Ghanem has defected

Libya's oil minister Shukri Ghanem has defected and now supports the rebels, striking another blow to Muammar Gaddafi, as Nato and its partners decided to extend their Libyan mission...

Former SAS soldiers in Libya

Former special forces soldiers working for private security companies are in the Libyan city of Misrata, advising the rebels and supplying information to NATO, the Guardian reported Wednesday.Former members...