SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan – One of Afghanistan’s most notorious militia leaders threw his support behind President Hamid Karzai at a chaotic rally yesterday, the final day of campaigning for this week’s election.
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TEHRAN – Iranian police used batons to disperse dozens of opposition supporters chanting “death to the dictator” in central Tehran yesterday to protest against the closure of a reformist newspaper, a witness said.
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BAGHDAD – The U.S. military commander in Iraq said yesternday he had proposed setting up security teams formed of Iraqi, Kurdish and U.S. forces to protect volatile areas disputed by Kurds and Arabs from insurgent attacks.
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BANGKOK – More than 20,000 supporters of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra rallied in the historic heart of Bangkok yesterday, seeking a royal pardon for the fugitive billionaire and illustrating a deep political divide.
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PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A bomb planted in a vehicle killed six people in northwestern Pakistan yesterday as soldiers killed 13 militants in fresh clashes in the Swat valley where the army has made gains in a three-month offensive.
