Archive for the ‘World’ Category

US President Barack Obama has said his decision on a new strategy in Afghanistan will not please everyone. He told key figures from Congress, gathered to discuss future US plans, that he would decide the question with a sense of urgency. Democratic Senator Harry Reid said members from both parties told Mr Obama they would support his decision. But Republican Senator Mitch McConnell stressed backing would depend on Mr Obama following his generals' advice. The talks at the White House came as debate intensifies over whether the US should send more troops to Afghanistan. A US official, quoted by Full story

Somalia's junior minister for defence has been detained by Ugandan security forces during a trip to capital, Kampala, the Ugandan army has said. Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad, a former Islamist warlord known as Inda'ade, was held while visiting family in the city. Ugandan army spokesman Lt Col Felix Kulayigye told Reuters news agency the minister had come "for unclear reasons and we took an interest in him". Uganda provides many of the troops for the African Union Mission to Somalia. Full story

Amid mounting pressure from the West, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his government will review a recently approved version of a law that critics say legalizes marital rape and the U.S. president has called "abhorrent." "We understand the concerns of our allies in the international community," Karzai told reporters Saturday. The minister of justice would study the draft, he said. "If there is anything that is of concern to us then we will definitely take action in consultation with our and send it back to the parliament," Karzai said. "This is something that we are also serious about and we should not allow." Karzai's news conference was in response to a series of news reports by Western media since the president signed the law last month. He specifically mentioned a March 31 story by London-based The Independent, which called the law "a massive blow for women's rights" and cited critics who said Karzai "rushed" the bill through parliament in hopes of appeasing Islamic fundamentalists ahead of August elections. Human rights groups and news reports consistently refer to a report from the U.N. Development Fund for Women which reportedly stated that the legislation -- a piece of Full story