A roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan killed four Nato troops today, as bombings and clashes elsewhere in the country killed 14 other people, officials said.

A roadside bomb hit a convoy carrying the mayor of a key city in southern Afghanistan, killing a passer-by, while the US coalition and Afghan special forces killed five militants in the same region.

France is ready to launch a military operation against rebels in Chad if necessary, President Nicolas Sarkozy said today.

The UN Security Council today condemned the rebel attack on Chad and gave a green light for France and other countries to help the government repel the force.

French fighter jets bombed two rebel-held towns in the Central African Republic today, forcing rebels to pull troops out of one of them after fighting with government forces, officials said.