A private guard working for the international shipping company DHL opened fire and killed the company’s country director and his deputy today before turning the gun on himself, officials said.

A British man was among three people shot dead in an attack in the Afghan capital Kabul today, according to police officials.

Gunmen kidnapped an American aid worker and her driver as they travelled through southern Afghanistan early today, a provincial governor said.

Australia today relocated its Afghanistan embassy out of a popular luxury hotel in Kabul that Taliban militants stormed yesterday, killing seven people.

A French court has ruled that a Maori head that New Zealand wants back must remain in France.

THE sun is so hot, the bus-loads of Japanese tourists put away their cameras and deploy fans instead.

Kerry 2-12 Galway 0-10

EGYPTIAN police were searching last night for three suspected bombers who they believe escaped the scene of country's deadliest terror attacks ever.

Egyptian police were today searching for clues in the aftermath of the deadly bomb blasts in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheik that killed 88 people.

An Egyptian carried out the suicide car bomb attack on a theatre in Doha, Qatar, popular with Westerners, that killed one Briton, according to to the country’s interior ministry.

Miranda Leitsinger, Khao Lak

Westerners living in Kuwait were warned today that an individual or group of people are driving around the oil rich nation with the intent of attacking them.

INSURGENTS attacked a car carrying at least three Westerners in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul yesterday, killing them and their Iraqi driver and cutting off the head of one of the victims, local witnesses said.

Gunmen killed four occupants of a car in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today and eyewitnesses claimed three of the victims were Westerners.

An unidentified attacker threw a grenade at some Westerners on a commercial street in central Kabul today and several people were reported killed or injured, police said.

EXPLOSIONS and gunfire erupted last night outside hotels housing foreigners and journalists in downtown Baghdad, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Mark Sage, New York

Kidnappers in Saudi Arabia paraded a captured American man on a website and threatened to murder him within 72 hours unless al-Qaida prisoners were released.

TWO car bombs exploded in separate cities in Iraq yesterday, killing at least 14 Iraqis and one US soldier. Dozens were wounded, including 10 soldiers.

A statement bearing Al-Qaida’s name warned tonight that Western airlines will be the terror group’s priority target in the near future.

Saudi security forces have stormed an expat housing complex where suspected Islamic militants are holed up with a reported 50 hostages after attacking oil company offices.

Five people are feared dead after gunmen opened fire today on housing offices of oil companies then taking hostages at a residential compound to use as human shields.

An audiotape purported to be from Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri that aired on an Arabic television channel today criticised France’s decision to ban Islamic headscarves in schools as part of the West’s campaign against Islam.

The US government has been told that the Gulf state of Bahrain may be the target for al-Qaida terror attacks between Christmas Eve and January 2.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell was still planning to visit Saudi Arabia today despite a series of explosions in the capital that targeted Westerners and the headquarters of a joint US-Saudi owned company.

Christian leaders in Pakistan today condemned the government for failing to protect minorities after gunmen stormed a Christian welfare organisation.

Sligo are down to 14 men following the dismissal of David Durkin for an off-the-ball incident.

Pakistan’s military rulers have sacked five senior police officials, including the police chief in Islamabad, following a grenade attack on a Protestant church known to be frequented by Westerners.

Rangers have appealed against Uefa's ruling that Thursday's Uefa Cup tie against Anzhi Makhachkala must go ahead in Dagestan.

Rangers have been told their match against Anzhi Makhachkala will be played on Thursday in Dagestan, despite the club's safety concerns.