British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s war cabinet is meeting today after a second night of military strikes against Osama bin Laden and his Taliban protectors.

Journalist Yvonne Ridley says she went on hunger strike while held captive by the Taliban.

British journalist Yvonne Ridley tonight spoke of her delight at being freed by her Taliban captors - and her desperation to get home to see her daughter Daisy.

Anti-aircraft fire crackled in the night sky over Kabul, signalling the start of a second night of attacks by the US and British coalition.

Yvonne Ridley has reportedly arrived in Pakistan after being released by her Taliban captors.

The family of British journalist Yvonne Ridley was today awaiting official confirmation that their daughter had been released by the Taliban after reports suggested she had been freed by her captors.

Yvonne Ridley's mother has condemned the US and British governments for not delaying attacks on Afghanistan until her daughter was safely home.

Fears are mounting today over the safety of British journalist Yvonne Ridley, who was arrested in Afghanistan more than a week ago on suspicion of spying.

Yvonne Ridley has been freed, say the Taliban.

Reports are coming in that British journalist Yvonne Ridley has been released by the Taliban.

Hopes were rising that British journalist Yvonne Ridley could be released from Afghanistan some time today after her employers said she could be freed ‘‘within hours rather than days’’.

The Taliban was tonight preparing to free British journalist Yvonne Ridley as Prime Minister Tony Blair said everything was now in place for a military strike.

The Taliban has told consular officials Yvonne Ridley is to be released, the Foreign Office confirms.

British journalist Yvonne Ridley is to be released by the Taliban, it has been reported.

The British Foreign Office was today urgently checking reports that Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban plan to put journalist Yvonne Ridley on trial for illegally entering the country.

Celebrations for the birthday today of Daisy Ridley - whose journalist mother Yvonne is being held in Afghanistan - have been postponed until she safely returns home, the family said.

The eight-year-old daughter of Yvonne Ridley the British journalist being held in Afghanistan returned to boarding school today after being comforted by relatives.

The Taliban has sent a special team to the northeastern city of Jalalabad to investigate the case of a British journalist who was arrested after sneaking into Afghanistan, a news agency reported today.

Fears are growing for the safety of a British journalist arrested in Afghanistan by the ruling Taliban.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have arrested a female journalist from Britain in the north-east of the country, according to the Afghan Islamic Press.