Afghanistan
BAGRAM — Mortar shells were fired early today near the U.S. military's main base in Afghanistan, but there were no injuries, the military said. The mortar rounds landed about 1 1/2 miles from a guard tower north of Bagram Air Base.
JALALABAD — The third explosion in as many days rattled this eastern Afghan city today, blowing out windows of a government office but causing no casualties, police said. No one has taken responsibility for the spate of bombings in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Police blame remnants of al-Qaida and the Taliban.
Algeria
ALGIERS — Experts from Boeing Co. headed to Algeria today to help investigate the fiery crash of an Air Algerie jet that killed 102 people. There was just one known survivor — a young soldier.
Australia
MELBOURNE — A United Airlines jet veered off the tarmac after landing at Melbourne Airport today, authorities said. None of the 150 passengers or 12 crew were injured.
Britain
LONDON — The British Broadcasting Corp. today said shots of George Michael's backing musicians wearing anti-war T-shirts will likely be cut from a television show. Michael performed a cover of Don McLean's anti-war song "The Grave" on BBC's music show "Top of the Pops" on Thursday. His cellists wore T-shirts with the logo "No war, Blair out" — referring to Prime Minister Tony Blair.
LONDON — A Muslim cleric who urged his followers to kill Hindus, Jews and Americans was sentenced to nine years in prison today for inciting others to commit murder and stirring up racial hatred.
China
BEIJING — Chinese legislators huddled today to discuss how to carry out new official promises to help the poor and praised the communist leadership, invoking the name of retiring President Jiang Zemin and reforms proposed at an annual legislative session that is to name his successor.
BEIJING — An appeals court reversed the conviction of a former Chinese state bank president who was accused of taking bribes in exchange for loans, a newspaper reported today.
Colombia
MEDELLIN — An intense fire swept through a squatter neighborhood Thursday evening, engulfing more than 500 wooden homes. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.
Congo
KIGALI, Rwanda — The Congolese government and rebels have agreed to meld their armed forces into a new national army in a bid to end a 4 1/2-year civil war and reunify the vast central African nation, rebel officials said today.
Cuba
HAVANA — President Fidel Castro was elected a sixth term Thursday, and he wasted no time in criticizing the United States, warning that Cuba doesn't need its foreign office.
East Timor
DILI — Four South Korean soldiers drowned and another is missing after they were swept away while crossing a river in East Timor, officials said today.
Ecuador
QUITO — Ecuador and other nations neighboring Colombia should brand the rebels from the largest guerrilla group there as terrorists, the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador said Thursday.
India
SRINAGAR — Heavy snow set off avalanches along the cease-fire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, killing at least 17 people and stranding hundreds, police said today. The dead were all soldiers except for one civilian.
Italy
PALERMO, Sicily — Italian police raided a house in Palermo and captured a top Mafia boss, an arrest officials described today as a major blow to organized crime.
Philippines
DAVAO — Police filed a complaint today against leaders of a Muslim separatist group suspected of carrying out an airport bombing that killed 21 people.
Russia
MOSCOW — A train carrying Russian soldiers and military equipment left war-ravaged Chechnya today, the second contingent to leave as part of a planned troop reduction ahead of a constitutional referendum later this month.