News In Brief

Drone strike kills top Shebab militant
Afp, Mogadishu

A top suicide bomb-maker for Somalia's Shebab rebels has been killed in a drone strike, government officials said Tuesday after the latest attack by US forces against the Al-Qaeda-linked group.
Somali Interior Minister Abdikarin Hussein Guled told government radio that his intelligence services had been tracking Ibrahim Ali Abdi, also known as Anta-Anta, for some time before the strike took place on Monday.

Tiananmen crash linked to terrorism
Afp, Beijing

Chinese police have named two suspects from the restive Xinjiang region after a car crash on Beijing's Tiananmen Square killed five people, state-run media said yesterday, as analysts said the incident looked like a premeditated attack.
In a notice to hotels, police identified two suspects and four car number plates, all from Xinjiang, in relation to a "major case" on Monday, the Global Times reported.

US backs Saudi women drivers
Afp, Washington

The United States said Monday it supports the "universal rights" of women to drive in Saudi Arabia, after a weekend protest there saw several women defy the law by taking the steering wheel.
"We support, of course, the right of women everywhere to make their own decisions about their lives and their futures and the right to benefit equally from public services and protection from discrimination," US spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki stressed.

Aussie war in Afghanistan over: PM
Afp, Sydney

Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared Australia's longest war at an end during a surprise visit to Afghanistan, with more than 1,000 troops to return home before Christmas in a "bitter-sweet" withdrawal.
He reaffirmed Canberra's commitment to support Afghanistan in the future, notably by training Afghan National Security Forces and development assistance. Several hundred Australians will continue to serve in non-combat roles in the country.

Obama's Twitter, FB accounts hacked!
Afp, Washington

Hackers from a group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army claimed Monday they had taken control of US President Barack Obama's Twitter and Facebook accounts.
The group, which backs Syria's government and previously hacked major organisations, published screen shots which it said backed its claims.