News in Brief

Israel to deport African migrants
Afp, Jerusalem

 
Israel has struck a deal to deport tens of thousands of illegal African migrants to Uganda, Haaretz newspaper reported yesterday.
Israeli immigration authorities say there are about 55,000 illegal African migrants in the country.

Drone kills al-Qaeda leader in Yemen
Afp, Sanaa

 
A drone strike yesterday killed an al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, sources said, the latest in a string of attacks targeting what the US considers the extremist group's most dangerous branch.
Witnesses confirmed the death of Qaeed al-Dhahab, a military chief of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who had previously fought with the group in Iraq.

Vietnam declares prisoner amnesty
Afp, Hanoi

 
Vietnam will free more than 15,000 convicts to mark its independence day celebrations, the president's office said Thursday, in a major amnesty that excludes prominent political prisoners.
The 15,446 detainees, including 1,842 women, will be released for the 68th National Day anniversary which falls on Monday, said  an official. The mass pardon is one of the country's largest in recent years.

Five rebels killed in Indian Kashmir
Afp, Srinagar

 
Indian police and troops killed five suspected rebels in an overnight gun battle in a forested area of northern Kashmir, triggering anti-India protests by local residents, police said yesterday.

Blast kills Afghan district governor
Afp, Kunduz

 
A suicide bomber detonated himself at a mosque in northern Afghanistan yesterday, killing the local district governor, a policeman and at least six other worshippers, officials said.
The blast erupted in the middle of a crowd gathered outside the mosque building after a funeral prayer session for a tribal elder.