World Briefs

Pakistani army takes Taliban chief's hometown

Pakistani soldiers captured the hometown of the country's Taliban chief yesterday, a strategic and symbolic initial prize as the army pushes deeper into a militant stronghold along the Afghan border. An army spokesman said the Taliban were in disarray, with many deserting the ranks. The 8-day-old air and ground offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region is a key test of nuclear-armed Pakistan's campaign against Islamist militancy. (AP)

Taliban threaten Afghan voters in November runoff

Taliban militants threatened Afghans with violence yesterday if they vote in the November 7 runoff presidential election, as President Hamid Karzai's campaign ruled out any power-sharing deal to avoid another ballot. Supporters of Karzai's challenger, meanwhile, urged the country's top three election officials to step down - alleging they were involved in rigging the first round of fraud-marred voting in August. (AP)

Two passenger trains collide in Egypt, killing 25

A passenger train collided into the back of a second train just outside Cairo yesterday, destroying several passenger cars and killing at least 25 people, a police official said. At least 55 others were wounded in the accident, which occurred in Girzah district of 6th of October province, said the official. (AP)

Iraqi court seeks arrest of Sunni MP

A local criminal court in Iraq's Diyala province issued an arrest warrant for a Sunni member of parliament on suspicion of financing and inciting sectarian violence, a security official in the northeastern province said yesterday. The security official said the warrants for parliamentarian Tayseer al-Mashhadani and her husband, Hashim al-Hiyali, were issued on Thursday. A man in police detention told his interrogators the couple gave him instructions and money to kill and expel Shi'ites from the religiously mixed province. (AP)