MOGADISHU — A suicide squad killed at least five people as they tried to blast their way into Mogadishu airport yesterday, moments after top foreign envoys met the Somali president. The attack was claimed by the Shebab movement and capped an offensive against the government that has left hundreds d

BAGHDAD — Four detainees escaped from a US-controlled section of a tightly guarded prison near Baghdad overnight, Iraqi and American military forces said yesterday. "Four senior members of Al Qaeda escaped from Cropper prison on Wednesday evening," said Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qass

KHARTOUM — Sudan has resolved an dispute with the south by returning the payment of crucial oil revenues to hard currency, a senior southern government official said yesterday. Last month, southern finance minister David Deng Athorbei accused the north of "deliberately" weakening the fledgling sout

Beirut — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to make a two-day visit to Lebanon in October to discuss relations, including his country's offer of military assistance to the Lebanese army against Israeli threats. Ahmadinejad is expected to meet with his Lebanese counterpart and other

SOFIA — Somali pirates have released a Bulgarian-flagged ship they seized in May, the Bulgarian foreign ministry said yesterday. The chemical tanker Panega with 15 Bulgarian crew was seized about 100 miles east of the Yemeni port of Aden on May 11. "The ship has been released this morning. We know

El Arish, Egypt — Egyptian security forces yesterday destroyed five underground tunnels used to smuggle cars, petrol and other goods into the Gaza Strip. Egyptian security officials said they destroyed the tunnels with explosive blasts only after confirming that no one was underground at the time t

CAIRO — Eleven police recruits died and another four were injured when flames engulfed their barracks in a Cairo suburb yesterday, a security official said. "The blaze in a barracks at Al Marg caused the deaths of 11 conscripts who were all asleep. Seven were asphyxiated and four burned," the offic

TEHRAN — One of three US hikers detained in Iran for more than a year is expected to be freed tomorrow, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance said in a text message. In a brief message, the ministry said: "Freedom of one of the American detainees on Saturday 20th of (Iranian month of) Shahri

Amman — Jordan’s King Abdallah II flew to Damascus yesterday for talks with Syrian President Bashar al Assad on the latest Middle East developments, government officials said. Last week’s re-launch in Washington of face-to-face negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel is expected to top the

Damascus — Syrian President Bashar al Assad met with Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Kossa yesterday to discuss trade and political ties between Arab and African nations. Among the key issues discussed, officials with the Syrian presidency said, were ways for Arab states to utilise Libya’s position