no proof of Darfur ‘mass rape': UN
Khartoum: The UN said on Monday it has found no evidence Sudanese troops had raped 200 women and girls in the Darfur region, where insurgents have been battling Government forces since 2003. local media reported soldiers entered Tabit in North Darfur after one of their troops went missing last month and raped 200 women and girls.
Sudanese troops denied peacekeepers access to the area last week, but the United Nations said a patrol reached Tabit on Sunday, spending several hours interviewing residents.
Iran: ready to help Iraq fight IS jihadists
Tehran: Iran said on Monday that it was at Iraq’s disposal
to help its neighbour battle the Islamic State jihadist group, media reported. Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri made the pledge during talks in Tehran with his Iraqi counterpart, former premier Nuri al-Maliki.
Taliban bombs kill 10 Afghan policemen
Kabul: Two Taliban bombs killed at least 10 policemen in Afghanistan on Monday, officials said, the latest attacks against the security forces who are suffering huge casualties as US-led NATO troops pull out.
Egypt’s jehadist group pledges support to IS
Cairo: Egypt’s deadliest militant group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State organisation in Iraq and Syria, in a recording posted on its Twitter account on Monday. “We announce our pledge of allegiance to the caliph Ibrahim Ibn Awad... To listen and obey,” the audio recording said, referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
China unveils Mars rover
Beijing: Seeking to catch up with India’s Mangalyaan mission, China has unveiled its Mars rover being developed to scurry the Red Planet’s surface for signs of water and life and plans to test it in the rugged terrain of Tibet.
Clashes in Pak kill 2 soldiers, 4 militants
Peshawar: At least two soldiers and four militants were killed on Monday in an exchange of fire in Pakistan’s restive northwestern tribal belt, where military has launched a major offencive against the Taliban.
‘Shot Osama third time for good luck’
New York: A former US Navy SEAl, who claims to have gunned down Osama bin laden during the daring 2011 raid in Pakistan, has said he fired a third shot for “good luck” after hitting two on the elusive al-Qaeda chief’s head.