Taliban storm Government buildings in heart of Kabul, kill 26

Taliban militants launched suicide bomb and gun attacks on Wednesday on three Afghan Government buildings, killing at least 26 people, in the worst and the most daring assault on the capital since 2001.

The Defence Ministry said eight suicide attackers also died in the near-simultaneous strikes on the prisons directorate, and justice and education ministries.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, told AFP in a telephone call that 16 suicide attackers had entered Kabul and would carry out a wave of strikes, as the violence sowed panic across the city.

“So far we have registered 26 people killed and 55 wounded,” Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah Fahim said. Most were civilians, he said.

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Day after Musharraf goes, Pakistan army chief meets NATO in Kabul

Pakistan’s army chief rushed to neighbouring Afghanistan for meetings Tuesday, the day after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation, Afghan officials said.

Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani spoke with President Hamid Karzai over the phone in Kabul on Tuesday, three officials told The Associated Press. Kayani’s visit was striking in that even Afghanistan’s top leadership did not know he was coming, officials said.

During his visit to Afghanistan, Kayani was to have met with the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, though NATO officials would not immediately confirm that.

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Bollywood actress, Aussie troops: Afghan 'sex scandal' under probe

A small time Bollywood import from Australia has landed in the middle of a raging controversy back home with the Australian government saying it is investigating claims that she had sex with Australian soldiers while touring a military base in Afghanistan last month.

Tania Zaetta, whose most famous role to date has perhaps been playing actor Arshad Warsi's Australian wife in the 2005 hit Salaam Namaste, has denied the allegations and the Australian Defence Department has since issued an unreserved apology for her name getting leaked to the media from a draft briefing note.

Although the final note prepared to brief the Australian Defence Minister does not include names, the investigation into what has been termed "inappropriate behaviour" will continue, the department said.

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It was like living in hell... I had left it to destiny

Two families are celebrating Eid today in India, it's festive time," said a jubilant Munir Ahmed Nasib at his Mumbai residence as news came of the release of his son-in-law Naeem Sarang Mohammed after 28 days in the custody of kidnappers in Afghanistan.

Naeem, an officer with HEB International logistics contracted to supply logistics to Afghan police training camps, and 55-year-old Gurong Karna Bahadur were kidnapped by unknown militants while they were travelling in western Adraskan district bordering Iran on April 21. Their Afghan driver was later let off by the abductors.

Naeem is among the 30 Indian employees in the firm, all holding top managerial positions. Bahadur worked in the catering department.

Describing his ordeal while speaking to The Indian Express over phone, Naeem said: "It was like living in hell...


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