Al-Qaida in North Africa issues new threats

ALGIERS, Algeria — The leader of al-Qaida in North Africa has called for Muslims to unite in holy war against the region's governments and issued new threats against western targets, including France, Spain and the United States.

The message decried a "new colonial offensive" by the West in North Africa and warned Muslims not to back the local "regimes of apostasy and treason."
It was signed by Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, the pseudonym used by Abdelmalek Droukdel, the leader of al-Qaida's North African offshoot.
The authenticity of the message could not be independently verified. The 28-minute audiotape was issued along with video of heavily armed militants on Web sites frequently used by Islamist extremists. It was confirmed Monday by the U.S.-based SITE intelligence group, which monitors militant messages.

Famous Movie Star in Baghdad

Baghdad (CNN) -- Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is visiting Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region Sunday after cancellation of her flight from Baghdad because of bad weather.

Jolie's flight to Erbil was canceled Saturday, said Aurvasi Patel, assistant representative of the United Nation's refugee agency. She made it there a day later.

After she met with Kurdish officials at Erbil airport, the actress met with refugees at a Syrian camp in Dohuk province.

Jolie -- a special envoy for the refugee agency -- met Iraqi returnees from Syria and senior government officials Saturday in Baghdad.

She discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Iraq with Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari at his office in Baghdad, the ministry said in a statement.

They also talked about the Iraqi government's efforts to meet the daily needs of refugees, the statement said.

Libya 'arrests 50' over Benghazi US consulate deaths

The US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens died along with three others in the Benghazi attack

Libyan authorities have arrested some 50 people in connection with last week's deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, the president of Libya's interim assembly says.

Mohamed Magarief told CBS News he had "no doubt" the attack was pre-planned.

That appears to contradict US envoy to the UN Susan Rice who told ABC that the evidence suggested it had been part of "spontaneous" protests.

Egypt security HQ in Sinai hit by militants

There has been an Egyptian security crackdown in Sinai since early August

Suspected Islamist militants have attacked an Egyptian security HQ in Sinai, firing crude rockets and bullets from a nearby building, officials say.

They said the attack in al-Arish set off battles between militants and security forces in surrounding streets.

5 suspected al Qaeda militants killed in Yemen drone strike, officials say

By Hakim Almasmari, for CNN

updated 12:16 PM EDT, Wed September 5, 2012

(CNN) -- Five suspected al Qaeda members were killed Wednesday in a drone attack on a terrorist hideout in Yemen, three security officials in the restive Middle Eastern country said.

The suspected U.S. strike targeted a hideout in the village of Al-Ain in Yemen's southern Hadramout province, the officials said.

Those killed were mostly new al Qaeda members who were seeking to recruit more fighters from within the province, said a security official who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Only one of those killed had been with the network for more than three years, the security official said. None of those killed were on the government's list of most-wanted terrorists, he said.

At least three militants are believed to have fled the area, he said.

Ethiopia’s prime minister

The man who tried to make dictatorship acceptable

What will follow one of Africa’s most successful strongmen?

Aug 25th 2012 | NAIROBI | from the print edition

THE death of Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s prime minister, on August 20th reveals much about the country he created. Details of his ill health remained a secret until the end. A short broadcast on state television, late by a day, informed Ethiopians that their “visionary leader” of the past 21

Bomb explosions in Damascus 'kill at least five'

There has been a series of bombings in the Syrian capital since the uprising began in March 2011

Two bombs have struck the Syrian capital Damascus, according to state media and opposition activists.

A motorcycle bomb in the Rukn al-Din area killed at least five members of the security forces, state TV said.
Hours later, a car bomb struck the district of Mazzeh, near the Ministry of Information. It is not clear whether there were any casualties.
The blasts came as opposition activists said 55 people had been killed in fighting across the country on Friday.
Earlier on Friday the head of the international Red Cross said his talks with President Bashar al-Assad had been "positive".
Peter Maurer said they had focused on the need to reduce barriers to delivering aid and ensure aid workers could gain access to detainees.
"What we have today is commitments, what we have is a mechanism to implement those commitments," he added. "But we will have, of course, to witness whether commitments and mechanisms are producing results."