Suicide bomber in a wheelchair kills Iraqi general

Jerusalem A suicide bomber in a wheelchair killed an Iraqi general inside a security headquarters in Central Iraq yesterday, the latest use of disabled people by terrorist organisations to spread mayhem (James Hider writes).

The man, who police believe was genuinely handicapped, had visited the combined police and army base in Samarra, north of Baghdad, at least once in the past few days.

Yesterday, having passed through three checkpoints, he chatted to Major-General Abdul-Jabbar Rabee Muttar, the second in command of Iraq security forces in the city, for a few minutes before detonating the explosives vest he was wearing.

Police said that the man was a local from Samarra and had spoken to the general previously.

The attack was not claimed by any group, but bore the hallmarks of Sunni extremists linked to al-Qaeda.

Earlier this month, two women initially thought to have been Down’s syndrome sufferers, but later identified as simply having received psychiatric treatment, blew themselves up in Baghdad, killing close to 100 people.

Islamic scholars condemn terror at sect summit

Luncknow Terrorism has been declared un-Islamic by scholars at a Wahabi madrassa, which some believe inspired the Taleban, according to a senior cleric.

In a declaration, as many as 20,000 leaders representing different sects of Islam also called on the Indian Government to ensure that Muslims were not harassed in the name of terrorism, Maulana Shaukat said. He was speaking from the 150-year-old Darul Uloom Deoband madrassa at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, northern India.

The declaration said: “Islam is a religion of mercy for all humanity. Islam sternly condemns all kinds of oppression, violence and terrorism.”

Adil Siddiqui, another Deobandi representative, noted that “whenever there is any incident of terrorism, every possible attempt is made to link it to Muslims, particularly who have studied in madrassas. This is totally wrong.” (AFP)

Turkey continues raids on Kurdish rebels in Iraq

Amadiyah Turkey continued its offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq yesterday despite calls by Baghdad and Washington for a withdrawal.

Raids took place through Sunday night on the Hakurk region, a stronghold of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) 12 miles (20km) from the Turkish frontier.

The Turkish army released footage of the incursion, showing soldiers in white camouflage boarding a Sikorsky helicopter that took off from an un-named base with Cobra attack helicopters. Soldiers could also be seen in deep snow on hills. President Gül of Turkey has postponed a trip to Africa while the operation - the biggest in years - is under way. The country says that it has killed at least 112 rebels since Thursday. It puts its losses at 15.

A PKK leader said yesterday on the website of the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency that the rebels had killed 81 soldiers.

Baghdad urged Turkey “to withdraw its forces from Iraqi soil as soon as possible”, echoing a similar call by Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary.(AFP)

'Doomsday' vault to preserve seeds under Arctic ice

Longyearbyen A “doomsday” vault built to protect seeds from man-made and natural disasters has been completed deep in the permafrost of an Arctic mountain.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will open today, less than a year after drilling started in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway, 620 miles (1,000km) from the North Pole. The vault, which cost 50 million kroner (£5million), is designed to store 4.5million seed samples at a temperature of minus 18C (-0.4F).

Cary Fowler, of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, a project partner, said: “Many seeds could last 1,000 years at that temperature.” He added that the vault would be a “failsafe back-up” for the other 1,400 seed banks in the world. The European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, and Norway's Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, are expected at the opening ceremony, 130m (425ft) underground. (AP)

Migrant woman shot dead on border

Ismailia Egyptian police killed a woman, believed to be Eritrean, and shot and wounded three other people when they opened fire on a group of at least ten migrants, including five children, trying to cross Egypt's desert frontier and enter Israel illegally, security officials said.

The death brings to six the number of African migrants killed trying to cross the border since the start of the year.

Israeli police detained about 200 Africans who infiltrated the country through the porous border with Egypt in recent months, a police official said, after the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, ordered a crackdown on the illegal immigrants. (Reuters)

Drug gang arrests

Rome Sicilian police arrested 13 people for allegedly trafficking hashish in coffins from a sham funeral parlour. The smugglers started a small engine as a code for deliveries during phone calls. The arrests followed a two-year investigation in Palermo. (AFP)

Hope for Cyprus

Nicosia Cyprus's division could be resolved by the end of the year, Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, said, a day after Greek Cypriots elected Dimitris Christofias, a champion of unification talks, as their new President. (AP)

'Death leave' plea

Vatican City Pope Benedict XVI has called for those caring for the dying to be granted “death leave” akin to maternity leave for couples having children. “Similar rights should be granted to family members caring for the terminally ill,” he said. (AFP)

Shark kills diver

Vienna An Austrian man aged 49 has died after being attacked by a bull shark while diving off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The man, a lawyer from Vienna, was severely injured and died in hospital, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said. (AFP)

Booby prize stars

Los Angeles Eddie Murphy and Lindsay Lohan were crowned the worst actors of 2007 at the Golden Raspberry Awards but neither turned up to the spoof Oscars to collect their gold, spray-painted trophies - worth $4.89 each. (Reuters)

Explore World News

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• No cause for celebration in crushed Sarajevo
• Jazz funeral for the final victims of Katrina
• French fined for 'insulting' civil servants