Dozens dead after Lahore suicide attack

A suspected suicide car-bomber blew himself up as he tried to force his vehicle into police headquarters in the city of Lahore.
At least 16 people have been killed with some reports putting that figure much higher and injured more than 200.

Troy Davis faces fourth execution date in two years

US death row inmate Troy Davis once again faces the prospect of an execution date. This is despite not having had a court hearing into compelling evidence, collected since his trial nearly 18 years ago, that he may be innocent. He has come close to execution three times in the past two years.

His final hope of being granted a court hearing rests with the US Supreme Court. A petition was filed in the Court on Tuesday 19 May. Three days earlier, a stay of execution granted by a federal court in October last year expired. The state could move to set an execution date at any time.

Boy buried in playground sand

Police are searching for answers to how an unknown young boy ended up buried in the sand of an Albuquerque playground

Police beat teen on tape?

The family of a 14-year-old boy say police used excessive brutality in an incident caught on tape

'Abuses' in Mexico's war on drugs

Troops sent on to the streets to fight Mexico's infamous drug cartels are being accused of abusing some of the citizens they are supposed to protect.
Human Rights Watch has issued a report alleging that the Mexican army is failing to hold its soldiers accountable.

Somali president approves sharia law

Sharif Ahmed, Somalia's president, has approved a bill legislating the implementation of Islamic law in the country, a key demand from armed fighters for their co-operation with his government.Despite the move, Somalias opposition Islamic Party insists that Sharia can only be implemented if and when all foreign forces leave the country.

Many flee Pakistan army offensive

Residents flee the town of Mingora in Pakistan's Swat region as fighting continues.

Sri Lanka hospital hit [disturbing images]

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells hit the makeshift hospital in Mulli-vaaykkaal East, killing at least 38 patients who were waiting for treatment. The hospital has been hit for the third time in one week

Other video of the attack

A glimpse of human tragedy

Sensationalist.... a bit. But true. This girl lost her family. And nothing will change that.

The Tank Man Was Arrested, Beaten & Then Executed by Chinese Authorities

This preview is taken from a draft of a 79 minute film, that details the rise and fall of the 1989 Student Democracy Movement, and how the Chinese government used tanks and machine guns to murder and maim thousands of innocent women and men whose only crime was a hunger for freedom and democracy.

Afghan schoolgirls poisoned

Dozens of schoolgirls in Afghanistan have been taken to hospital after a gas attack on their school. It is the second such incident in recent weeks. Police in the northwestern Parwan province say the schoolgirls were exposed to toxic vapours. Taliban sympathisers who do not think girls should be educated, are the prime suspects. Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher reports.

Red Cross on Congo's orphans

The ICRC exposes the plight of children lost and orphaned during fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bomber strikes in Pakistan conflict

A suicide bomber kills many in Pakistan as the army battles Taliban militants in the Swat valley.

At least 50 dead in Somali unrest

Fresh fighting has erupted in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, between fighters loyal to the government and their opponents from al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam. At least 50 people have been killed and over 200 people have been hurt in fighting over the weekend.The battles are another blow to the government of President Sharif Ahmed, which has little control over Mogadishu and large areas of the countrys south.

Problems deepen in South Sudan

Thousands of people have been displaced by violence in southern Sudan. UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, says people there cannot afford further conflict as the semi-autonomous region is still recovering from 20 years of civil war that ended only in 2005.

Pedophile gang convicted

Eight members of a pedophile gang are convicted of numerous abuse and child pornography offenses.

Thousands more flee Swat Valley

Authorities in Pakistan say they are preparing to receive as many as half a million people displaced by fighting in the Swat Valley.

'Prayer camps' chain mentally ill

People with mental health problems in Ghana are turning to privately-run 'prayer camps', hoping religion will be a cure for their problems.
With only four practising psychiatrists in the country and a stigma attached to mental illness, doctors say the only way to cope with the workload is to work with the Church-run camps.

US ex-soldier guilty of Iraq rape

A jury in the US state of Kentucky has found a former private soldier guilty of the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the killing of her and her family.
Four other soldiers are serving sentences of between five and 110 years for their roles in the 2006 attack and Steven Green, 24, faces a possible death sentence for his crimes.

Civilians flee Pakistan fighting

Thousands of civilians have continued to flee Pakistan's Swat Valley as clashes intensified between the army and militants.

Israel's indiscriminate use of tear gas

Tear gas canisters are supposed to be non-lethal weapons. But human rights groups are becoming increasingly concerned that Israel is using tear gas canisters, intended to be used to disperse demonstrators, illegally, causing injuries and sometimes even death. Nour Odeh has the story of one family in the West Bank town of Nilin.

Scores dead after US strike in Afghanistan

The Afghan president is in Washington DC for high level talks, but back in Afghanistan a deadly airstrike has once again killed scores of civilians. The local governor of a small community in Western Afghanistan claims that more than 100 civilians have been killed in a US led airstrike. The Red Cross confirmed the attack, saying its representatives have seen dozens of bodies.

UN - Israel 'targeted UN buildings' during Gaza war

The UN has accused Israel of failing to respect its property and assets during the Gaza war early this year. A UN inquiry has blamed Israel for six out of nine serious attacks on its buildings during the three-week Gaza offensive, which began on 27 December 2008. It blames Palestinians for one attack. Israel's foreign ministry has rejected the criticism, saying it is biased, and ignores the facts presented to the inquiry.

Pakistan suicide attack

A suicide bomber rammed his car into a police checkpoint near the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday.

Chicago Student Killed - Beaten, Shot & Set On Fire

Student "Alex Arellano" Killed - Beaten With Bats, Shot & Set On Fire.
Alex, 15, was found in the 3000 block of West 54th Place on Saturday, a day after family reported him missing. He had no record or gang affiliations & was with a female friend when gang members asked him with whom he was affiliated Alex said he wasn't in a gang, they raised his shirt to look for gang tattoos, warned him about being there and left. Later, the gang returned and attacked Alex with bats, struck him with a vehicle, chased him down a gangway, shot him in the head and burned his body

Death Squad Killings in Mindanao

The police and local government officials are involved in targeted killings of alleged drug dealers and petty criminals, street children, and others. There is a lack of any effort by the authorities to investigate the killings and bring those responsible to justice.

Many die in Turkey wedding attack

At least 45 people have been killed in an attack on a wedding party in south-eastern Turkey. Attackers armed with bombs and automatic weapons stormed the wedding in a village near the city of Mardin.

Some satisfied, others outraged with verdict for immigrant's death

Two teens accused of beating an illegal immigrant to death have been acquitted of some charges.

Hospital 'hit by Sri Lankan army'

A makeshift hospital was shelled by Sri Lankan government forces on Saturday killing 91 people, says a doctor working in the country's war zone. A second government doctor has sent graphic photos to the BBC showing what he says is the aftermath of recent shelling in the zone. The Sri Lankan military has responded by saying it has not been using heavy weapons in the area.

Inside Iraq - Silent torture (1/2)

Play all (2 Videos)

The scandal at Abu Ghraib prison shocked the world, but there is growing evidence of broad and systematic torture and abuse in Iraqi prisons today. Inside Iraq asks why there is a global outcry when the US is involved in torture in Iraq but widespread apathy when Iraqis torture fellow Iraqis.

Former Nazi guard, 89, faces trial for 29,000 counts of murder

Alleged Nazi war criminal Ivan Demjanjuk is to be deported to Germany from the US to face 29,000 counts of accessory to murder. The 89-year-old retired autoworker says it’s a case of mistaken identity.

Briton 'faces execution' in Laos

A pregnant British woman could face death by firing squad after being accused of drug smuggling in Laos, campaigners say. Samantha Orobator, 20, from London, was arrested last August after being found in possession of heroin.

Suspect named in serial rapes

A man who police believe raped and killed people for decades is arrested. Gary Tuchman reports.

Stretch torture method alive in China

there are reports that this very torture method is being used on political prisoners in China, and has claimed several lives.They say two metal beds are placed side by side, and the victim's arms and legs are fastened to the four outer bedpoles using ropes or handcuffs. Bricks are then wedged between the two beds, forcing them apart. The more bricks are placed, the more the victim's limbs are stretched, disclocating his joints and tearing his tendons.

Jianli County Falun Gong Practitioner Killed

Another Falun Gong practitioner that has been persecuted to death in mainland China. During a trip to Mount Wuyi in Fujian Province, Jianli County Hubei Province post office worker Fu Ziming was captured. Fus family has also been taken away and lost contact with the outside world.

Baby P man guilty of raping girl

Baby P's 'stepfather' has been found guilty of raping a toddler on Haringey Council's at-risk register. The mother of Baby P, who is 27, was cleared of cruelty to the girl.

Toxic Leather Protein Found in Chinese Dairy Products

After the melamine-tainted milk scandal, China's dairy industry is hit by yet another incident.Hydrolyzed leather protein has been found in batches of dairy products made by Morning Garden dairy company. The company is based in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province.This protein is made from leather scraps. When added to dairy products, it increases the protein content—but it's illegal. It's dangerous for humans because it contains potassium dichromate and sodium dichromate. These chemicals are toxic and can even cause cancer in high doses.

Sri Lanka admits military bombed 'no-fire' zone

Sri Lanka's government has admitted that its military bombed an area held by separatist fighters and now crowded with trapped civilians. The admission follows the leak of satellite images taken by the UN which show signs of aerial bombing inside the 'no fire zone'. The government insists that no civilians were in danger, that the bombing was targeted at Tamil fighters in the area and not civilians.