An Islamic militia that seized Somalia’s capital this week began talks with the country’s largely powerless UN-backed government today, the latest sign of the fundamentalists’ growing influence as Somalia tries to emerge from 16 years of anarchy.

The last of six Muslim militants accused in the 2004 suicide bombing at the Australian Embassy was today sentenced to 10 years in prison for helping the alleged masterminds carry out the attack.

A High Court judge in Nairobi is expected to rule today on whether four Kenyan men charged with murder for their alleged roles in the al-Qaida car bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya can go free.

Ronnie O’Sullivan suffered an early scare when he began the defence of his Embassy world title in Sheffield this morning against Scotland’s Stephen Maguire.

A rusty, unexploded grenade was found near the Hilton Hotel in Jakarta, police and hotel officials said, days after foreign governments warned that terrorists were planning attacks on Western targets ahead of Christmas.

Police have arrested the wife of one of Southeast Asia’s most wanted terror suspects and plan to charge her in connection with last year’s suicide bombing at the Marriott hotel in the Indonesian capital, police said today.

Police received a phone text message before the Australian Embassy bombing, warning that foreign missions in Jakarta would be attacked unless the alleged head of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group was freed, Australia’s foreign minister said today.

YESTERDAY’S dramatic swoop on terrorist suspects in Britain heightens the urgency of increased garda vigilance against the threat of al-Qaida attacks in Ireland.

Iraqi police have arrested four men – including two Saudis – in connection with the bombing of Iraq’s most holy Shi-ite Muslim shrine.

A cement truck packed with explosives detonated outside the offices of the top UN envoy in Iraq, killing him and 19 other people.

A Mossad-led team of Israeli experts was carrying out sweeping searches in Mombasa today, after the two terrorist attacks on their countrymen.

Al-Qaida leader Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the network's chief of operations in the Gulf, has been captured according to senior US government officials.