UK police raids

Manchester, May 24 (Reuters): Hundreds of police officers raided houses in Britain’s biggest cities today in a major crackdown on people suspected of playing a role in terrorism overseas.

Police said they arrested seven people in Manchester, one in the area around Liverpool and one in London in early morning raids on 18 addresses.

Istanbul fire

Istanbul (Reuters): A large fire, possibly sparked by an electrical fault, ripped through a cargo area of Istanbul’s main Ataturk Airport on Wednesday, injuring three people.

Tariq Aziz

Baghdad (Reuters): Iraq’s former deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz made his first public appearance in three years on the stand for Saddam Hussein on Wednesday.

Taliban gains

Kabul (Reuters): The Taliban are gaining strength in parts of Afghanistan, the US military said on Wednesday, after a week of the heaviest fighting in years killed about 300 people.

Jolie photo

Swakopmund, Namibia (Reuters): A South African photographer was arrested in Namibia on Wednesday for the second time in a week while trying to snap a picture of Hollywood superstars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.