Afghan hotel assault; all attackers killed

KABUL: Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a top Kabul hotel, sparking a five-hour battle with Afghan commandos backed by a NATO helicopter in an assault that left at least 10 people dead Wednesday.

Red tracer bullets arced through the night sky around the hilltop Intercontinental Hotel, whose faded grandeur frequently pays host to Afghan officials and foreigners. Part of the building was in flames.

The state-owned 1960s hotel, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, was hosting delegates attending an Afghan security conference and a large wedding party when the insurgents struck at dinner-time.

Kabul police chief Ayub Salangi said that 10 people, mostly workers at the hotel, were killed in the raid.

"Unfortunately as a result of this terrorist attack, 10 of our countrymen, all of them civilians lost their lives," he said, adding that three police were also injured.more

Serena, Venus, Wozniacki, Petrova out of Wimbledon

LONDON: Defending champion Serena Williams, five-time champion Venus Williams and top seed Caroline Wozniacki were sent crashing out of Wimbledon Monday as the women's singles was rocked by a triple upset.

Serena, who has only recently returned from a year-long layoff caused by injury and life-threatening health problems, was stunned 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) by fiery Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in a pulsating battle on Court One.

Big sister Venus lost 6-2, 6-3 to Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, who had also defeated the American in the last eight here last year.

Pironkova will face Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova who skated past Belgian 19th seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-0, 6-2. more

Washington deems 'ironic' Iranian terrorism summit

WASHINGTON: The US State Department on Monday branded as ‘ironic’ an anti-terrorism summit held last week in Tehran.

"We consider it quite ironic that Iran, the most active state sponsor of terrorism, is holding a meeting on terrorism," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

Delegates from 60 countries took part in the June 25 conference, including Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which on Saturday announced that they would work together in the anti-terrorism fight.

"Iran's financial, material and logistical support for terrorist and militant groups throughout the Middle East and Central Asia flies in the face of efforts to promote peace, threatens economic stability, and undermines the growth of democracy throughout the region," Nuland said.

"So instead of engaging constructively in the region, with the international community, the Iranian government continues to engage unhelpfully and in an unfounded way," she added. (AFP)

Hague court issues arrest warrant for Gaddafi

TRIPOLI: The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant Monday for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and rebels trying to oust him said their forces had advanced to within 80 km (50 miles) of the capital Tripoli.

The court approved warrants for Gaddafi as well as his son Saif al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity. ICC prosecutors allege they were involved in the killing of protesters who rose up in February against Gaddafi's 41-year rule.

Celebrations erupted in Benghazi after the ICC ruling. People honked their car horns, waved flags, fired shots into the air and flashed victory signs in the street

Gaddafi has "absolute, ultimate and unquestioned control" over Libya's state apparatus and its security forces, presiding judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng said in reading out the ruling.

She added that both Gaddafi and Saif al-Islam "conceived and orchestrated a plan to deter and quell by all means the civilian demonstrations" against the regime and that al-Senussi used his position of command to have attacks carried out.

Gaddafi's government denies targeting civilians, saying it was forced to act against armed criminal gangs and al Qaeda militants.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China had had contact with both sides in the Libyan conflict. More

Trial of 85 Qaeda suspects begins in Saudi

RIYADH: Eighty-five Al-Qaeda suspects went on trial in a special Saudi security court on Sunday in connection with deadly attacks carried out in the kingdom, state news agency SPA said.

The defendants face charges of belonging to Al-Qaeda, of taking part in attacks on public buildings and residential compounds, and of smuggling and possession of weapons, it said.

Thirteen of the group are accused of participating in the May 2003 car bombings of three residential compounds that left 129 people dead or wounded, including women and children, SPA said. Nine US nationals were among 35 of those killed.

SPA said the arrests of the 85 suspects had foiled plots to attack two air bases, a residential compound in the Eastern Province of the Gulf state and on state oil giant Aramco.

In April, a judicial source said a total of 5,080 terrorist suspects either faced trial or had already been tried before the special court which has come in for criticism from lawyers. (AFP)