Afghan suicide bomb attack kills 4 civilians
A suicide car bomber who took aim at a Western convoy in southern Afghanistan on Thursday killed four Afghan civilians and injured more than 30 other people, including three British nationals who were involved in reconstruction work, Afghan and British officials said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, where British forces had handed over security responsibility in the city to the Afghan police and army six months ago. Such hand-overs have been taking place across Afghanistan in preparation for an end to the Western combat role in 2014.
Gates foundation pledges $750 million
Software billionaire Bill Gates announced Thursday that his foundation would give $750 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The pledge, made in Davos, came after the fund's director, Michel Kazatchkine, announced his resignation Tuesday amid allegations of misused money in recipient countries.
Medical group halts work in Libyan prisons
Doctors Without Borders has suspended its work in prisons in the Libyan city of Misrata because torture was so rampant that some detainees were brought for care only to make them fit for further interrogation, the group said Thursday.
Doctors Without Borders said that since August, its medical teams have treated 115 people in Misrata who bore torture-related wounds, including cigarette burns, heavy bruising, bone fractures, tissue burns from electric shocks and kidney failure from beatings. Two detainees died after being interrogated, the group's general director said.
Pakistan accuses Iran of killing 6 on border
A Pakistani government official said Iranian security forces killed six Pakistani traders taking goats into Iran.
Abdur Rehman said the incident happened Thursday on the Iranian side of the border near the Pakistani town of Gwadar.
Vatican defends transfer of official
The Vatican on Thursday defended its transfer of a top official to Washington after he exposed alleged corruption in the awarding of Holy See contracts.
The Vatican also warned that it could take legal action against a TV show that reported on the case. The Italian investigative news program "The Untouchables" showed letters from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano to Pope Benedict XVI begging not to be transferred after exposing corruption costing the Vatican millions of euros.
From wire reports
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