Six In The Morning

Afghanistan and US in 'Taliban talks'

Karzai says three-way negotiations have taken place, and says he believes Taliban is "definitively" interested in peace.

Last Modified: 16 Feb 2012 09:14
The US and Afghan governments have held three-way talks with the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said. "There have been contacts between the US government and the Taliban, there have been contacts between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and there have been some contacts that we have made, all of us together, including the Taliban," Karzai told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Thursday. The newspaper said Karzai had declined to specify the location of the talks or go into further detail, saying he feared this could damage the process.

Bangkok bombers planned to attack Israeli diplomats, say Thai police
Iranians who accidentally set off 'sticky' bombs intended to target individuals, according to investigators

Kate Hodal in Bangkok and agencies guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 February 2012 05.40 GMT
Thai police have said three Iranians, arrested after accidentally setting off homemade explosives at their rented home in Bangkok, were plotting to attack Israeli diplomats, bolstering claims by Israel that the group was part of an Iranian-backed network of terror. But Thailand's deputy prime minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, said the three men were not linked to Hezbollah as the bombs were not designed for large-scale destruction. "It was not a terrorist act, it was just an act to demonstrate some insignificant symbol," he told reporters.

Guatemalan leader: the only way to beat gangs is to legalise drugs
The US's failure to cut demand for narcotics leaves Central America no choice, says President


The President of Guatemala has floated the prospect of legalising drugs in a bid to stop criminal gangs bringing even more bloodshed to Central America, and will attempt to win regional support for an idea which is likely to face fierce opposition in Washington. Otto Perez Molina used a meeting with Mauricio Funes, his counterpart from neighbouring El Salvador, to discuss the concept earlier this week. He described it as the only way to respond to America's failure to cut the demand for illicit drugs from consumers.

Outspoken critic of Malawi's president jailed
An outspoken opponent of Malawi's president who once served as his attorney general says the administration sent thugs to petrol bomb his law office - and the government critic ended up in jail.

Sapa-AP | 16 February, 2012 10:56
Ralph Kasambara was arrested Monday, accused of kidnapping and torturing three men he told reporters confessed to his bodyguards that they had been sent after him by the government. Information Minister Patricia Kaliati denies Kasambara's accusations, and Kasambara denies the kidnapping and torture charges.

Amnesty International report brands Libya's militias 'out of control'
Six months since the Libyan civil war ended in Muammar Qaddadi's death, a new report from Amnesty International says hundreds of militias remain active in the country, extorting money and killing their enemies.

By Dan Murphy, Staff writer
Last week, Libya's transitional leaders requested that Niger extradite a son of Muammar Qaddafi to stand trial in the country. Today, a new report from Amnesty International lays out its case for why it would be crazy for anyone to send someone to the new Libya to face "justice." More than six months since Muammar Qaddafi was killed near his hometown, the torture and murder of former Qaddafi loyalists (or suspected loyalists) remain widespread. Some of the victims are sub-Saharan Africans caught in the crossfire of Libya's war, who the revolutionaries insist fought for Qaddafi. (When I was in Libya last year, I was shown African men, wearing rags and some without proper shoes, described as "mercenaries" for Qaddafi; that did not seem accurate to me.)

Precarious balance for Myanmar reform
Southeast Asia

By Larry Jagan
The future of Myanmar's reform process is in question as hardliners and liberals in government ramp up an increasingly bitter power struggle. Change in Myanmar remains fragile despite some encouraging reform signals and growing international goodwill towards President Thein Sein. So far, though, President Thein Sein's good intentions have produced only limited practical change. Now, there are growing fears that the recent political gains, including the release of political prisoners and allowances for the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) to contest upcoming by-elections, could be reversed.