Afghan blast

Kandahar, Jan. 16 (Reuters): Bombers killed at least 26 people in two separate attacks in southern Afghanistan today, a day after a Canadian diplomat and two civilians were killed in the area.

At least 20 people died when a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded at a playground where hundreds of people had gathered for a festival in Spin Boldak, bordering Pakistan.

Turkey flu

Istanbul (Reuters): Turkey’s health ministry said on Monday that a fourth person had died of the bird flu virus that has swept the country over the past two weeks, state-run Anatolian news agency reported.

Lanka deaths

Colombo (Reuters): Two men were shot dead in eastern Sri Lanka on Monday in violence ahead of visits by US and Norwegian envoys trying to halt a slide back to civil war.

Bangla court

Dhaka (Reuters): A Bangladesh court has sentenced a member of an outlawed Islamist group to 15 years in prison for involvement in serial bomb attacks across the country in August.