At least 24 people were killed and 25 wounded when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb that ripped through a crowded Pakistan hotel restaurant in the north-western city of Peshawar today.

Security guards prevented a suicide bomber from killing Pakistan's interior minister in an attack at a political gathering in a north-western town today that left at least 22 dead and 35 wounded, officials said.

A suicide attacker detonated a bomb at a public meeting in north-western Pakistan today, killing at least seven people and wounding Pakistan’s interior minister, police said.

Pakistan today rejected the US intelligence chief’s claims that Osama bin Laden and his deputy are hiding in the country, and that al-Qaida is setting up camps near the border with Afghanistan.

A key suspect being held in Pakistan in connection with the alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights from the UK has given interrogators “vital clues,” a Pakistani government minister said today.

Pakistani intelligence agents were questioning at least 17 people, including British nationals, over their alleged links to a plot to blow up US-bound passenger jets from Britain, officials said today.

POLICE arrested 40 people in cities throughout Italy in raids on Muslim gathering places in a security crackdown after Britain thwarted an alleged terror plot, the Interior Ministry said last night.

Pakistan has no information on where al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden could be hiding, a Cabinet minister said today.

A suspect killed in a shootout with Pakistani agents this week was a senior al-Qaida operative from Syria behind militant attacks in Pakistan’s tribal regions and against US forces in eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan’s interior minister said today.

Pakistani helicopter gunships opened fire after pro-Taliban tribesmen traded mortar and gun fire with security forces near the Afghan border today. At least 22 militants were killed, the interior minister said.

An apparent suicide bombing ripped through a Shiite Muslim procession today in north-western Pakistan, killing at least eight people, injuring 40 and sparking riots during the Muslim sect’s most important holiday.

An al-Qaida explosives and chemical weapons expert and a relative of the terror network’s number-two leader were among three top operatives believed killed in a US missile strike in Pakistan last week, Pakistani security officials said today.

RESCUERS struggled to reach remote, mountainous areas and stricken residents of a devastated city scavenged for food and gasoline yesterday, a day after a massive earthquake struck Pakistan and India.

Villagers dug with bare hands into collapsed schools and homes today in desperate searches for survivors of a huge earthquake that killed more than 30,000 in South Asia.

Pakistan’s interior minister today expressed concern over attacks against Muslims in Britain in the wake of last week’s bombings in London.

Pakistan’s interior minister today said a terror attack was thwarted in Britain before the May general elections – and arrests were made in several countries – because of help from Pakistan’s government.

Al-Qaida has lost its ability to launch co-ordinated attacks following the arrests in Pakistan of several top figures, a government minister said today.

SECURITY officials who arrested al-Qaida's number three commander said yesterday that they were "on the right track" to catch Osama bin Laden himself.

Authorities arrested al-Qaida’s No 3 commander and said today they were “on the right track” to catch bin Laden himself.

Pakistan has barred major gatherings and sent police to guard mosques today after two devastating attacks killed 70 people within a week in suspected sectarian attacks – raising concern this key US anti-terror ally might witness a spiral of bloodshed.