Afghanistan’s president has said any decision on a permanent US military presence in the country must be made by Afghans and take into account the concerns of neighbouring countries.

President Hamid Karzai said a number of American officials have raised the issue of establishing permanent US bases in the country.

Mr Karzai did not rule out the possibility of the US establishing permanent bases but said any decision should be made in the context of Afghans assuming greater authority over the country and take into consideration the views of neighbours such as Iran, Pakistan and China. (PA)

Widows rally

Hundreds of orphans and widows marched in central Baghdad, calling on the Iraqi government to take care of them.

About 1,500 people took part in the protest yesterday in western Baghdad, which was organised by non-governmental organisations looking to highlight the plight of some of Iraq’s most vulnerable citizens, who lost husbands and fathers during the war.

Iraq has seen a number of protests across the country in the wake of the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, mostly focusing on the frustration of citizens at what they say is the inability of their government to take care of its people. (PA)

Web crackdown

Chinese authorities are detaining activists as a call circulates for people to gather in 13 cities for a ‘Jasmine Revolution’.

The organisers are not known, but searches for the word ‘jasmine’ were being blocked on China’s largest Twitter-like microblog.

Families and friends reported the detention or harassment of several activists after the online call to gather in 13 cities and shout, “We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness”. (PA)

New launch date

US space agency Nasa will try this week to launch space shuttle Discovery on its final voyage following a four-month delay for fuel tank repairs.

Lift-off is set for late on Thursday afternoon. Senior managers have voted unanimously on the new launch date after discussing the repairs made since the shuttle’s grounding in early November.

Cracks in the external fuel tank were discovered after a launch attempt was foiled by leaking hydrogen gas. The shuttle will carry six astronauts and a humanoid robot, along with a full load of supplies, to the International Space Station. (PA)

Ousted Madagascar president barred

Madagascar’s ousted president has been barred by officials in his homeland from returning from exile in South Africa, the politician told reporters at Johannesburg’s airport.

Marc Ravalomanana said aviation authorities in Madagascar had written to South African Airways to say he was not welcome. Ravalomanana had been booked on the carrier’s regular Saturday flight to Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital. (PA)

Spain frees ‘Saddam’s lawyer’

Spanish police yesterday released an Italian lawyer known as the ‘devil’s advocate’ who was on the team that defended hanged Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, following his arrest earlier last week.

Giovanni di Stefano, 55, was held last Monday at a luxury villa in Palma, capital of the Spanish island of Majorca, on a European arrest warrant issued by Britain accusing him of embezzlement, fraud, money-laundering and theft.

Di Stefano, who helped defend Hussein and some of his cohorts, as well as serial killer Charles Manson and British train robber Ronnie Biggs, earned the nickname ‘the devil’s advocate’ in the press. (AFP)

Clashes at far-right rally in Dresden

German police fired tear gas and water cannons to keep apart groups of far-right supporters and thousands of counter-demonstrators trying to hinder their rally in the eastern city of Dresden, police said.

Hundreds of leftist protesters tried to break through police barriers, hurling rocks and fireworks at officers who responded with baton charges, tear gas and pepper spray.

About 1,000 far-right supporters were at three court-approved rallies or on their way there by early yesterday afternoon.

A far larger number of counterdemonstrators – supported by unions, democratic parties and civil society groups – were in the city trying to prevent the rallies from going ahead, police added. Three protesters were arrested. (PA)