Maoists will join interin Nepal government

Maoist leader Prachanda said that rebel leaders will form part of an interim government which will replace both the Nepal parliament and the Maoist "People's Government."

Prachanda met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and leaders of the other seven political parties in the ruling alliance on Friday.


Leader of Nepal's Maoist rebels Prachanda, second left, sits inside a car with his wife after their arrival at the Katmandu airport, Nepal, Friday, June 16, 2006 for a meeting with leaders of the ruling coalition. AP photo from Yahoo News.

The new government will create a new constitution and set the stage for a permanent government down the road.

Before that time, an interim constitution will be created and the United Nations will provide oversight of both Nepalese troops and Maoist fighters.

Sri Lanka attacks Tigers after bus blast

Claymore mines killed 64 people on a bus near the government-controlled town of Anuradhapura Thursday prompting raids on Tamil Tiger positions.

The Tigers, for their part, denied any involvement in the bus attack, but the government and media nonetheless believe the rebel group is involved.


Tamil rebels patrol in an armed truck on May 16, 2006 near Kilinochchi. Reuters photo from Yahoo News.

Sri Lankan jets and artillery pounded targets near Kilinochchi, the headquarters for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

"If they are attacking Kilinochchi, they are showing they are ready for war," Tiger peace secretariat S. Puleedevan told Reuters.

The situation in Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate despite efforts by foreign peace negotiators.

Coalition forces fight Taliban

Afghan and coalition troops battled the Taliban as the largest offensive since the Taliban's fall prepares to launch on Thursday.

Operation Mountain Thrust will attempt to curb a resurgence in Taliban resistance, the first major escalation since the group was toppled in 2001.


A British soldier in southern Afghanistan on June 12, 2006. Reuters photo from Yahoo News.

Taliban attacks have been concentrated in the southern part of the country and consist of hit and run strikes in widely-alternating locations.

Many of the techniques used by the insurgents are similar to those employed by rebels fighting against the government in Iraq.