EXTENSION: The Canadian prime minister has proposed extending the nation's Afghan mission beyond February next year, with a pledge to withdraw its forces by 2011
Clashes in southern Afghanistan in recent days have killed 32 militants, including two Taliban commanders, officials said.

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BODY MECHANICS: Sensors on the skin of the stomach detect the electric elements in muscle movements to determine if the subject is really laughing or pretending
Japanese professor Yoji Kimura believes laughter is a weapon that in healthy doses can end the world's wars. The only problem is finding a way to measure it.

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DETERRENT: The foreign ministry said it would install security cameras and conduct joint patrols with the US near and around military bases
The Japanese defense minister warned yesterday that further crimes by US troops could shake the two countries' alliance, while the Japanese foreign minister said Tokyo would install security cameras around US bases and take other steps to deter crime.

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More than 120 nations trying to negotiate a treaty banning most cluster bombs failed to reach agreement in talks that ended yesterday in New Zealand but achieved good progress, officials said.

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Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda promised yesterday to shake up the defense ministry after the country's newest and largest destroyer rammed a fishing boat, leaving a father and son missing at sea.

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LAND AND AIR: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani accepted an invitation to discuss the situation with leaders in Turkey, stressing the need to find a non-military solution
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has called on his Turkish counterpart to respect Iraq's borders after renewed shelling on Thursday, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani accepted an invitation to visit Turkey.

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A critical day for Kenya's peace talks hit a snag yesterday when the opposition leader unexpectedly left the country and his party said the government failed to show up on time for the latest negotiations.

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A parliamentary report into the 'ndrangheta says Italy's notorious crime syndicate spreads its tentacles like al-Qaeda and resembles a fast-food chain because of its ability to market its brand as it expands abroad.

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INCREASED PRESSURE: The new draft includes a travel ban on officials involved with Iran's nuclear and missile programs and inspections on shipments to and from Iran
Key European powers on Thursday formally introduced an amended package of new sanctions in the UN Security Council to pressure Iran into halting sensitive nuclear fuel work and hoped for a vote next week.

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MESSAGE OF PEACE: The US said that it would treat those who honor the pledge `with respect and restraint' but vowed to continue its crackdown on violent factions
Anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced yesterday that he has extended a ceasefire order to his Shiite Mahdi Army by another six months, giving Iraq a chance to continue its fragile recovery from brutal sectarian violence.

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A New York Times story examining Republican presidential candidate John McCain's relationship with a female lobbyist eight years ago has thrust the paper into the spotlight, with McCain slamming the story as a "hit-and-run smear campaign" and conservative pundits rallying to the senator's defense. The Times has stood its ground.

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In a stunning turnaround, the former chief military prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay said on Thursday he would be a defense witness for the driver of Osama bin Laden.

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CONTROLLING CARTELS: The head of the White House office on drug control said Mexican gangs made about 61 percent of their estimated annual income from marijuana
Marijuana is now the biggest source of income for Mexico's drug cartels and the US is committed to cracking down harder on traffickers, US drug czar John Walters said on Thursday.

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With haz-mat suits at the ready, a quick response team stood on alert to head anyplace on Earth that the pieces of a lame satellite shot down by the military might fall.

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■ HONG KONG

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