The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on at around 9:01 a.m. Baikonur time on Tuesday, or 10:01 p.m. CDT Monday. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the Poisk module of the station at 11:39 p.m. on Wednesday.

Aboard are NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba, Russian Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, who will join Expedition 31 Commander Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Flight Engineers Don Pettit of NASA and André Kuipers of the European Space Agency, who have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since December 23, 2011.

Upon arrival, Acaba, Padalka and Revin will become members of the Expedition 31 crew, restoring the station’s crew complement to six and continuing scientific research aboard the station. They are scheduled to work together for about two months.

Also on board with the crew was a small “Smokey Bear” plush toy serving as the traditional Soyuz “talisman.” Smokey Bear is the U.S. national symbol for wildfire prevention. Acaba said he proposed flying Smokey Bear in an effort to raise awareness for human-caused wildfires.

Late last month, three members of the Expedition 30 crew undocked from the ISS and safely returned to Earth, wrapping up a five-and-a-half-month mission in space. The trio, which arrived at the station on November 16, 2011, spent a total of 165 days in space, 163 of them conducting research on the station.

The European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR) said the operation was conducted from the air with the support of the United Nations (UN) and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, which is the internationally recognized government of Somalia. No forces went ashore.

The multinational force said the “focused, precise and proportionate” action was aimed to disrupt known pirate supplies on the shore. “We believe this action by the EU Naval Force will further increase the pressure on, and disrupt pirates’ efforts to get out to sea to attack merchant shipping and dhows,” said EUNAVFOR Commander Rear Admiral Duncan Potts.

Potts emphasized to local residents and fishermen in the region that the military action is only targeting known pirate supplies. “The EU Naval Force action against pirate supplies on the shoreline is merely an extension of the disruption actions carried out against pirate ships at sea,” he said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the air assault, which is the first of its kind by EUNAVFOR. Somali pirates have attacked merchant ships up to 1,750 miles (2,816 kilometers) off the Somali coast in recent years, hijacking them and keeping its crews hostage until a ransom is paid.

HMAS Glenelg, operating under the control of Australia’s Border Protection Command, intercepted the suspected people smuggling vessel northwest of Christmas Island on Monday evening. It happened after the illegal vessel was detected by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Korena Flanagan, a spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare, said the vessel was carrying a total of 121 passengers and two crew members on board. “Border Protection Command will now make arrangements for the passengers to be transferred to Christmas Island, where they will undergo initial security, health and identity checks and their reasons for travel will be established,” she said.

So far this year, the Australian Navy has intercepted 2,723 irregular maritime arrivals (IMAs), most of them coming from Afghanistan and Iran who use Indonesia as a transit region. As of March 31, a total of 4,197 people are being held in immigration facilities while 1,712 people have been approved for a residence determination to live in the community.

This month alone, authorities have caught nearly 700 asylum seekers who attempted to reach Australia by boat, indicating a sharp increase in the number of new arrivals. On Friday, the Australian Navy intercepted one vessel carrying 99 passengers and two crew members northeast of Christmas Island while another vessel west of Christmas Island was found to be carrying 84 passengers.

Australia’s Migration Act 1958 requires people who are not Australian citizens and who are unlawfully in Australia to be detained. This law has been heavily criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations as many asylum seekers are in detention for months. In 2010, a total of 4,612 irregular maritime arrivals were intercepted by the Australian Navy.

However, the boat journeys made by asylum seekers are not without risk. In December 2010, at least 30 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 90 asylum seekers sank off the coast of Christmas Island. Forty-two people were rescued, while an unknown number of people remain missing.

Army Technical Officers (ATOs) were called to Enniskillen/St Angelo Airport near the town of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh at around 8 p.m. local time on Monday after a suspicious object was discovered on a plane. The main Enniskillen to Kesh road was closed during the alert.

Airport sources told the BBC that the suspicious object had been confirmed to be a viable explosive device, but police denied those reports on Tuesday morning. “Police wish to say that the object found on a plane at St Angelo Airport last night was not an explosive device,” said Lorraine McLearnon, a spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

McLearnon said the package was examined at the scene by ATOs who determined it was “nothing untoward.” Other details about the object and the incident, which comes amidst a series of security alerts, were not immediately released by authorities.

Late last month, authorities in Northern Ireland defused two powerful car bombs which were blamed on dissident republican paramilitaries who remain violently opposed to a 1998 peace deal which ended most violence in the region. A car bomb found in Newry, not far from the border with the Republic of Ireland, contained some 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of homemade explosives.

Just over 24 hours after the discovery in Newry, police evacuated up to 70 homes after a suspicious object was found under a parked car in a garage in north Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. The device was made safe several hours later, and officials said it would have been a ‘real tragedy’ if the bomb had exploded.

And earlier this month, ATOs were called to the Ballysillan Presbyterian Church in northern Belfast after someone cutting grass discovered a suspicious device, prompting the evacuation of nearby residents. It turned out to be a pipe bomb which authorities said could have caused fatalities, but it remains unclear if the church was the target and who left it there.

In August 1998, a total of 29 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured when a car bomb exploded in the town of Omagh in Northern Ireland. The attack, carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) which broke away from the mainstream Provisional IRA, was Northern Ireland’s worst terror attack in 30 years.

The peace deal in 1998 brought an end to more than three decades of violence between mainly nationalist Catholics opposed to British rule in Northern Ireland and pro-union Protestants who wanted it to continue. In April 2011, a booby-trap car bomb near Omagh killed Police Constable Ronan Kerr.

The Dornier 228 aircraft, belonging to local airline Agni Air, crashed into a hill at around 9:45 a.m. local time in Jomsom, a town in the Mustang District of the country’s Dhawalagiri Zone. It happened near a Nepal Army barracks as it was attempting to land at the town’s airport.

The plane was heading toward Jomsom from Nepal’s second largest city of Pokhara and was carrying eighteen passengers and three crew members. Of the passengers, sixteen were identified as Indian nationals while two others were reportedly from Denmark. The death toll was established at fifteen, with six people injured.

According to Nepal News, the Indian nationals were on their way to visit Jomsom’s popular pilgrimage site Muktinath, which is commonly visited by both Hindus and Buddhists. The destination of the Danish nationals was uncertain, although it is not uncommon for western tourists to visit the scenic area and hike around the region.

Initial reports indicated that at least thirteen of the victims were Indian nationals, while two others were crew members, including pilot Prabhu Sharan Pathak and co-pilot JD Maharjan. Indian media, however, reported that eleven of the casualties were Indian, adding that the two Danish nationals were killed, as well as two Nepalese crew members.

Details of the incident remain unclear, but Chief District Officer of Mustang Laxmi Gautam explained that a joint emergency team conformed by members of the Nepal Army and Nepal Police rescued eight survivors. But while they were being airlifted to Pokhara for medical service, two of them died.

The Kathmandu-based Agni Air began operating in 2006, offering a number of destinations in Nepal. On August 25, 2010, at least fourteen people were killed, including six foreigners, during an Agni Air flight accident caused by poor weather conditions and a generator failure.

The explosion occurred at around 3:48 p.m. local time at a plant operated by Shaoguan Steel Co. Ltd. in the municipality of Shaoguan in China’s southern province of Guangdong. It happened as workers from China MCC5 Group Corp. were installing facilities at the location.

The state-run Xinhua news agency cited local government officials as saying that eight people died at the scene, while a ninth victim died late on Monday evening. Six workers were injured, including one person who remains seriously injured.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but investigations have already been launched.

The rapid economic growth in China, in combination with poor safety measures, frequently result in deadly industrial accidents. In late February, thirteen people were killed and 43 others were injured when a blast ripped through a chemical plant in China’s northern Hebei province.

The Dutch Navy warship Van Amstel came across the dhow when its helicopter carried out a reconnaissance flight in the area. The dhow was pulling two smaller skiffs carrying ladders behind it, but the suspected pirates threw them overboard once they noticed they were discovered.

“The Van Amstel headed to the location and made radio contact. The dhow then stopped,” the Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “With the use of Rhibs, fast motorboats, a special boarding-unit consisting of marines made the ship safe under observation of the (Van Amstel helicopter) Lynx.”

The marines took eleven suspected pirates into custody and seized weapons, ammunition and other items which can be used in piracy. The Ministry said it also rescued seventeen hostages although their nationalities were not immediately released and it was unclear when they were taken hostage.

“The freed crew is doing fine considering the circumstances and has continued on their way,” the statement added. “The suspected pirates were transferred to the frigate. At the moment the staff of the European Union mission Atalanta is discussing the possibilities of prosecuting the suspected pirates.”

Last month, the Danish Navy warship Absalon freed nine Pakistanis and three Iranians who were being held captive by Somali pirates in the Horn of Africa off the coast of Somalia. Seychelles later agreed to prosecute four of the Somali pirates, but it remains unclear what will happen to the other pirates. Most pirates are eventually released as many countries cannot or do not want to prosecute them.

In February, a similar operation carried out by Absalon resulted in the deaths of two hostages while several others were rescued. But with none of the nearby countries willing to prosecute the pirates, the seventeen suspects involved in the incident were released in April.

The 5.7-magnitude earthquake at 4:28 a.m. local time (2328 GMT Saturday) was centered about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) southwest of Obikhingou, a small town in a region known as the Districts of Republican Subordination. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The country’s Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense confirmed one man was killed when a wall collapsed at his house in a village near the epicenter, but officials were still checking if there were other casualties in the remote region. Several residential houses and other buildings also collapsed, burying more than 20 livestock.

The earthquake also caused a landslide in another village, destroying two residential houses and several supporting buildings.

The USGS estimates that some 10,000 residents near the epicenter may have felt moderate to strong shaking, while more than 7.1 million people may have felt weak to light shaking. Residents in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, northern Afghanistan and eastern Uzbekistan previously also reported feeling very light shaking.

Moderate and strong earthquakes in Tajikistan are relatively rare. The worst earthquake on record in the region happened in October 1907 when a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Tajikistan-Uzbekistan border, killing at least 12,000 people. It was followed by another 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Tajikistan’s Rushon District in February 1911, killing at least 90 people.

Most recently, a relatively light earthquake struck the Khatlon region in southern Tajikistan in July 2006, killing three people and leaving 19 others injured. The earthquake destroyed some 320 buildings and damaged 1,200 more, leaving more than 1,200 people homeless.

The Mirage-V aircraft had taken off from Base Masroor in Karachi for a routine training flight and crashed soon later near the coastal town of Sonmiani, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) northwest of Karachi. “The pilot was able to eject safely from his aircraft and we will now investigate why it crashed,” a spokesman said.

There were no reports of damage or injuries on the ground.

In February, a pilot identified as Tauseef Ahmed was killed when a China-made F-7PG fighter jet crashed in a mountainous area about 24 nautical miles (44.4 kilometers) north of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The cause of the crash, which was the fourth of a Pakistani air force jet in as many months, was not immediately known.

A joint ISAF/USFOR-A statement said it extends its “deepest regrets and sympathies” to the families and loved ones of those who died in last week’s airstrikes. “Unfortunately, the preliminary investigations into these events have determined that our actions have resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to Afghan civilians,” it said.

While Afghan officials reported at least 20 civilian deaths, coalition forces have been unwilling to release casualty numbers from the airstrikes. “These are preliminary findings and the investigations are still ongoing,” said Lt. Col. Jimmie E. Cummings, Jr., an ISAF spokesman. “Once they are complete, we will brief [the President of Afghanistan] prior to putting out additional information/numbers on each.”

Friday’s joint statement said the coalition takes “full responsibility” for what it called “tragic and regrettable” incidents. Coalition officials are expected to meet with the family members of those who died or were injured in the coming days to apologize and express their condolences.

Daud Ahmadi, a spokesman for Helmand governor Muhammad Gulab Mangal, earlier said the first incident took place on the evening of May 4 when an ISAF helicopter targeted a militant hideout in the Sangin area of Helmand province but missed and instead struck a home, killing a mother, her three daughters and two sons.

Then on May 6, a separate ISAF airstrike was carried out in the Bala Murghab district of northwestern Badghis province, killing at least fourteen civilians, according to Afghan officials.

A joint ISAF/USFOR-A statement said it extends its “deepest regrets and sympathies” to the families and loved ones of those who died in last week’s airstrikes. “Unfortunately, the preliminary investigations into these events have determined that our actions have resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to Afghan civilians,” it said.

While Afghan officials reported at least 20 civilian deaths, coalition forces have been unwilling to release casualty numbers from the airstrikes. “These are preliminary findings and the investigations are still ongoing,” said Lt. Col. Jimmie E. Cummings, Jr., an ISAF spokesman. “Once they are complete, we will brief [the President of Afghanistan] prior to putting out additional information/numbers on each.”

Friday’s joint statement said the coalition takes “full responsibility” for what it called “tragic and regrettable” incidents. Coalition officials are expected to meet with the family members of those who died or were injured in the coming days to apologize and express their condolences.

Daud Ahmadi, a spokesman for Helmand governor Muhammad Gulab Mangal, earlier said the first incident took place on the evening of May 4 when an ISAF helicopter targeted a militant hideout in the Sangin area of Helmand province but missed and instead struck a home, killing a mother, her three daughters and two sons.

Then on May 6, a separate ISAF airstrike was carried out in the Bala Murghab district of northwestern Badghis province, killing at least fourteen civilians, according to Afghan officials.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said two of its service members were killed when two individuals wearing Afghan police uniforms opened fire at coalition service members, killing two of them. “One of the individuals who opened fire was killed when coalition forces returned fire; the second individual is being sought,” the alliance said in a brief statement.

It was not immediately clear if the gunmen were official members of the police force or if they were insurgents who were simply dressed as police officers. However, a spokesman for police in Helmand province – where the shooting took place – said the gunmen are believed to have joined the force in 2011.

The nationalities of the victims were not immediately released, but Helmand province is home to mostly British service members. “The incident is under investigation,” ISAF said, although other details about such incidents or the outcome of any investigation are rarely made public.

If Saturday’s shooting is confirmed to have been carried out by Afghan police officers, it would add to an increasingly frequent series of attacks by Afghan security forces against foreign troops. At least 20 coalition service members have been killed by Afghan security forces this year alone, not including the victims of Saturday’s attack.

On Friday morning, one American service member was killed and two others were injured when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them at a check-post in the Ghaziabad district of eastern Kunar province, reportedly after a verbal argument. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed one of its fighters was behind the shooting, although the insurgent group frequently claims credit for attacks or accidents it played no role in.

There are currently more than 130,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, including some 90,000 U.S. troops and more than 9,500 British soldiers. U.S. President Barack Obama previously ordered a drawdown of 23,000 U.S. troops by the end of this summer, and foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

The 5.7-magnitude earthquake at 4:28 a.m. local time (2328 GMT Saturday) was centered about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) southwest of Obikhingou, a small town in a region known as the Districts of Republican Subordination. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Seismologists said strong shaking was likely felt in towns near the epicenter, and some shaking may have been felt across the border in northern Afghanistan. Several residents in the capital Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan which is some 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the epicenter, reported feeling light shaking.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the region.

Moderate and strong earthquakes in Tajikistan are relatively rare. The worst earthquake on record in the region happened in October 1907 when a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Tajikistan-Uzbekistan border, killing at least 12,000 people. It was followed by another 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Tajikistan’s Rushon District in February 1911, killing at least 90 people.

Most recently, a relatively light earthquake struck the Khatlon region in southern Tajikistan in July 2006, killing three people and leaving 19 others injured. The earthquake destroyed some 320 buildings and damaged 1,200 more, leaving more than 1,200 people homeless.

The brief but harsh storm in China’s northwestern province of Gansu mostly affected Minxian county, where all townships reported heavy damage. It began at around 5 p.m. local time on Thursday and lasted about an hour, enough time to damage or destroy tens of thousands of buildings.

Director Xu Guangyao of the Minxian county civil affairs bureau told the state-run Xinhua news agency that the confirmed death toll stood at 40 as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, while at least 18 others remain missing. Another 87 people have been hospitalized, including some who are seriously injured.

On Friday, a Ministry of Civil Affairs spokesperson said the hail storms and heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in the mountainous region, collapsing 2,844 houses, damaging 29,878 houses, destroying 13,000 hectares (32,000 acre) of crops, and affecting more than 358,000 people across 31 townships in the counties of Minxian, Zhangxian and Weiyuan.

China’s National Disaster Reduction Committee and the Civil Affairs Ministry on Friday also raised the level of emergency response from level 4 to level 3. A total of 950 tents, 1,270 beds and other relief supplies have already been sent to the disaster-stricken area, but more supplies are needed for the more than 30,000 people who have been evacuated.

HMAS Wollongong, operating under the control of Australia’s Border Protection Command, intercepted the suspected people smuggling vessel northeast of Christmas Island on early Friday morning. It was initially detected by a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft.

Korena Flanagan, a spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare, said the vessel was carrying a total of 99 passengers and two crew members on board. “Border Protection Command will now make arrangements for the passengers to be transferred to Christmas Island, where they will undergo initial security, health and identity checks and their reasons for travel will be established,” she said.

The office of Clare also reported that the HMAS Childers intercepted another people smuggling vessel northwest of Ashmore Island on Thursday. There were a total of 60 people on board who were also transferred to Christmas Island, where all asylum seekers are taken to and detained.

So far this year, the Australian Navy has intercepted 2,518 irregular maritime arrivals (IMAs), most of them coming from Afghanistan and Iran who use Indonesia as a transit region. As of March 31, a total of 4,197 people are being held in immigration facilities while 1,712 people have been approved for a residence determination to live in the community.

Australia’s Migration Act 1958 requires people who are not Australian citizens and who are unlawfully in Australia to be detained. This law has been heavily criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations as many asylum seekers are in detention for months. In 2010, a total of 4,612 irregular maritime arrivals were intercepted by the Australian Navy.

However, the boat journeys made by asylum seekers are not without risk. In December 2010, at least 30 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 90 asylum seekers sank off the coast of Christmas Island. Forty-two people were rescued, while an unknown number of people remain missing.

HMAS Wollongong, operating under the control of Australia’s Border Protection Command, intercepted the suspected people smuggling vessel northeast of Christmas Island on early Friday morning. It was initially detected by a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft.

Korena Flanagan, a spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare, said the vessel was carrying a total of 99 passengers and two crew members on board. “Border Protection Command will now make arrangements for the passengers to be transferred to Christmas Island, where they will undergo initial security, health and identity checks and their reasons for travel will be established,” she said.

The office of Clare also reported that the HMAS Childers intercepted another people smuggling vessel northwest of Ashmore Island on Thursday. There were a total of 60 people on board who were also transferred to Christmas Island, where all asylum seekers are taken to and detained.

So far this year, the Australian Navy has intercepted 2,518 irregular maritime arrivals (IMAs), most of them coming from Afghanistan and Iran who use Indonesia as a transit region. As of March 31, a total of 4,197 people are being held in immigration facilities while 1,712 people have been approved for a residence determination to live in the community.

Australia’s Migration Act 1958 requires people who are not Australian citizens and who are unlawfully in Australia to be detained. This law has been heavily criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations as many asylum seekers are in detention for months. In 2010, a total of 4,612 irregular maritime arrivals were intercepted by the Australian Navy.

However, the boat journeys made by asylum seekers are not without risk. In December 2010, at least 30 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 90 asylum seekers sank off the coast of Christmas Island. Forty-two people were rescued, while an unknown number of people remain missing.

The shooting took place at around 9 a.m. local time at a check-post in the Ghaziabad district of eastern Kunar province, reportedly after a verbal argument between the U.S. and Afghan soldiers. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed on of their service members was killed.

The multinational force did not release other details about the incident, including information about the gunman, the exact time and location of the attack, and whether there were any injuries. But a U.S. military official confirmed the victim was a U.S. soldier while two other service members were injured, although their conditions were not made public.

The shooting attack, apparently carried out by an Afghan National Army soldier, is the latest in a series of attacks by Afghan security forces against foreign troops. “The incident is under investigation,” ISAF said, although other details about such incidents or the outcome of any investigation are rarely made public.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed one of its fighters was behind the shooting, although the insurgent group frequently claims credit for attacks or accidents it played no role in. “The said spirited Afghan had been enlisted in the puppets’ army for that very purpose and after accomplishing his heroic mission joined Mujahideen (Muslim fighters) of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) safe and sound with his machine gun and an American heavy machine gun,” Mujahid said.

Meanwhile, also on Friday, another ISAF service member was killed as a result of an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan. “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities,” the alliance said in a brief statement, without giving other details.

With Friday’s incident, at least 20 coalition service members have been killed by Afghan security forces this year alone. Last Sunday, another person wearing an Afghan National Army uniform killed an American service member before coalition forces returned fire and killed the gunman. A U.S. second soldier was injured.

There are currently more than 130,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, including some 90,000 U.S. troops and more than 9,500 British soldiers. U.S. President Barack Obama previously ordered a drawdown of 23,000 U.S. troops by the end of this summer, and foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

The family was among some 1,500 families who have been ordered by Pakistani security forces to evacuate parts of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency, where a majority of violence takes place. The evacuations were ordered in preparation of a military operation to combat militants in the region.

Officials told the Express Tribune newspaper that four children were killed while a woman was injured, although her condition was not immediately known. The report did not indicate whether the mortar shell was fired by Pakistani security forces or by militants in the area, and a military spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Those evacuating Bara tehsil have been told to move to either Peshawar or Jalozai camp, the largest camp for internally displaced persons in the country. The United Nations Refugee Agency previously stated that around 230,000 people are currently registered at the camp, where they are being provided with basic humanitarian supplies.

In 2009, more than two million people were displaced by violent clashes between Government troops and militants in northwestern Pakistan. The clashes led to one of the largest displacement crises in the world.

The hernia was discovered by Professor Rafael Walden, the personal physician to Peres, during his week-long state visit to Canada. Peres continued with his planned schedule for the visit but immediately underwent surgery at the Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv when he returned on Friday.

Professor Walden, who oversaw the operation, reported that it was a ‘complete success’ and that Peres is expected to return home on Sunday. The Israeli leader reported feeling well when he awoke from the procedure and has since spoken to family members. He thanked those who wished him well, his spokesman Ayelet Frish said.

Peres, 88, who won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize and is known for his long work days, was elected by the Knesset for a seven year term in 2007. The role of president is largely ceremonial in Israel, but Peres is held in high regard both at home and abroad among Israel’s allies.

The group of militants were wearing Afghan army uniforms when they stormed a government building in the Yahyakhel district of Paktika province. Provincial police chief Brigadier General Dawlat Khan Zadran told the Pajhwok Afghan News agency that the attack lasted about 90 minutes as security forces fought back.

As a result, all six attackers – who were also wearing suicide vests – were eventually killed. Three police officers also lost their lives during the gun battle, while three police officers and two civilians were reported injured. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack but said only four militants were involved. “The attack was launched at 09:00 a.m. local time as local police (militia) commander, the commander of nearby check posts, district governor, police chief and several other officials were holding a meeting inside the building,” he claimed, although those details could not be independently be confirmed.

The incident happened on early Thursday morning at an abandoned antimony ore mine in Dushan county in the Bouyei-Miao autonomous prefecture of Qiannan, which is located in Guizhou province, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Prefecture deputy chief Yang Yongying Xinhua that three local villagers had entered the mine to carry out illegal mining activity, but they are believed to have inhaled toxic gas before passing out. A fourth villager who was on the lookout then went to the village to seek help.

The fourth villager was able to find two people to join him in an effort to rescue the trapped villagers. However, all three are believed to have also been poisoned by inhaling the toxic gas. As a result, six people are now confirmed trapped inside the mine.

Rescue and investigative operations were ordered by local authorities, but no further information was immediately available.

The blasts took place during morning rush hour at around 7:55 a.m. local time when two attackers detonated their explosives-laden vehicles near the crowded al-Qazaz intersection at the southern ring-road and near a military intelligence building. Officials said more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of explosives were used.

The explosions, which caused two huge craters at the scene, devastated nearby buildings, blowing off the facade of the military intelligence building, and destroyed some 100 cars and pickup trucks. One of the attacks may have been preceded by a small blast to attract more people to the scene.

The Interior Ministry said at least 55 people were killed and 372 others were injured, many of whom were in a critical condition. Relief workers have also collected 15 bags containing numerous body parts, making it likely that the death toll will continue to rise further. Both civilians and security forces were believed to be among those killed and injured.

“The explosions caused huge material damage to public and private properties, in addition to inflicting damage to around 400 houses,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Footage aired by state-run television showed graphic images of heavily burnt bodies at the scene.

Meanwhile, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations (UN) and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, condemned the attacks, which were described as ‘abhorrent acts’ and ‘unacceptable.’ Annan also underlined that the violence in Syria “must stop,” as he extended his condolences to the families of the victims.

It was not known who was behind Thursday’s attacks.

The crisis in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 9,000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands.

ISAF said three of its service members were killed as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in eastern Afghanistan on Monday. But because the multinational force defers the release of specific details to national authorities, no other details about the incident were released, including the exact location.

The nationalities of the service members involved were also not immediately disclosed by ISAF, again per its policy. “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities,” ISAF said in a brief statement, giving no specific details. The alliance does also not report injuries.

Also on Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense reported an American casualty in eastern Afghanistan which had not been previously reported by ISAF. It said 38-year-old Master Sgt. Gregory L. Childs, of Warren, Arkansas, was killed on Friday in Kabul province.

The U.S. Department of Defense gave no specific details about the cause of Childs’ death, and it was unclear if he died in action or whether he died as a result of an accident or of natural causes. Childs was assigned to the Defense Logistics Agency at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, officials said.

The identity of a U.S. Marine who was shot and killed by a rogue Afghan soldier on Sunday was also released on Monday. The U.S. Department of Defense identified the victim as 25-year-old Sgt. John P. Huling of West Chester, Ohio. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton in California.

“This incident is under investigation,” the department said in a statement, giving no other details. U.S. officials previously said a second American service member was also injured in the shooting attack, although his condition was not released. The rogue Afghan soldier was killed when coalition forces returned fire.

The deaths on Friday and Monday raise the number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year to 151, according to official figures. A total of 566 ISAF troops were killed in Afghanistan in 2011, down from 711 in 2010. A majority of the fallen troops were American and were killed in the country’s south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.

There are currently more than 130,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, including some 90,000 U.S. troops and more than 9,500 British soldiers. U.S. President Barack Obama previously ordered a drawdown of 23,000 U.S. troops by the end of this summer, and foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

The 2-minute video, entitled ‘A Message from the Prisoner Warren Weinstein to His President’, was distributed by al-Qaeda’s media arm As-Sahab on Islamist Internet forums on Monday. Weinstein, 70, was kidnapped at gunpoint from his house in the Pakistani city of Lahore in August 2011.

“My name is Warren Weinstein. My wife is Elaine and I’d like her to know that I’m fine and well and given all my medications and being taken care of,” said Weinstein, who was seated behind a table with a small stack of books and several plates of food. The room was concealed with white sheets.

Weinstein, who has worked as the director of Pakistan Initiative for Strategic Development and Competitiveness (PISDAC) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), directly appealed to Obama to accept al-Qaeda’s demand to end airstrikes by the U.S. and its allies in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza. They also demand the release of al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners in U.S. detention.

“I’d like to talk to President Obama and ask him and beg him that he please accept and respond to the demands of the Mujahideen (Muslim fighters),” Weinstein said in the video. “My life is in your hands, Mr. President. If you accept the demands, I live. If you don’t accept the demands, then I die. It’s important that you accept the demands and act quickly and don’t delay.”

While it is impossible to know whether Weinstein was being forced to read out a prepared statement by his captors, his message then continued to become more critical towards Obama. “I know that you have two daughters that you enjoy. You enjoy, you love them, you spend time with them, but I get the feeling that you are not paying any attention or care about my problem or my needs,” he said. “And you are not paying attention and you don’t give much importance to my situation.”

Weinstein pointed out that he is an American citizen who has worked in public service for the U.S. government for many years, and said he hopes his country will now look after him by meeting the demands of al-Qaeda. “I think that it is important that you act quickly. The demands of the Mujahideen are not difficult. They are according to Islamic law. They’re easy. If you respond to them then I will live and hopefully rejoin my family and also rejoin my children, my two daughters, like you enjoy your two daughters,” he said. “But it is very important that you act quickly and I’m now waiting for your response.”

Responding to the video’s release, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Obama was aware of it but has not seen the video. Carney and other U.S. officials ruled out they would consider agreeing to the demands. “The U.S. government will continue making every effort to see Mr. Weinstein released safety to his family, but we cannot and will not negotiate with al-Qaeda,” he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. government has continued to work on the case despite the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Pakistan. “We have called, and continue to call for his immediate release, and we continue to cooperate closely with Pakistani authorities on the ongoing investigation,” he said. “And we’re obviously also in close contact with Mr. Weinstein’s family, offering appropriate consular assistance as they requested.”

Weinstein is the first private American citizen to have been taken hostage by terrorists in Pakistan since journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi in 2002. He was tortured and subsequently beheaded on video before being left in a shallow grave. His death caused a worldwide movement in favor of journalists’ protection and freedom of the press.

The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon when the helicopter crashed into a hill near Piranhas, a small town in the central state of Goiás. The civil police helicopter had participated in the reconstruction of an April 28 massacre at a farm in the town of Doverlândia.

The aircraft was carrying the pilot, his co-pilot, the suspect, four investigators, and an expert. “The helicopter crashed after flying for about 15 minutes and all eight people on board were killed, including the investigators and the suspect. We don’t know yet what caused it,” a police source said.

The suspect, 22-year-old Ali Souza Alves, was accused of beheading seven people at the farm in Doverlândia. He confessed to the brutal murders but gave conflicting statements about what took place. As a result, authorities decided to set up a reconstruction of the events on April 28.

Brazil’s Security Ministry in Goiás said the helicopter was in a good mechanical condition and had undergone an inspection the previous day.