World at a Glance

Oct 06, 07:19 AM

Current Headlines: KABUL, Afghanistan | U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops clashed with insurgents during a raid in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, and civilians as well as militants were killed.

The joint force came under attack during a raid on compounds suspected of housing militants in Waza Khwa district, in Paktika province. In the ensuing battle, several Taliban fighters, but also civilians - including a woman and a child - were killed, a coalition statement said.

It was not immediately clear exactly how many people were killed.

Violence in Afghanistan has reached new highs this year, with nearly 5,100 people killed in suicide bombings, gun battles, airstrikes, and roadside bombs around the country through the first nine months of the year, according to The Associated Press .

Congo

at least 50 dead after plane crash

KINSHASA | Congo fired its transport minister Friday as emergency workers extinguished the last flames from a plane crash in the capital . The death toll climbed to at least 50 .

The cargo plane slammed into three houses Thursday just after taking off from Kinshasa's international airport on a flight to central Congo.

A government spokesman announced the firing of Transport Minister Remy Kuseyo on state television.

It was not immediately known what caused the Antonov 26, piloted by a Russian crew, to go down Thursday. An Associated Press survey of air accidents in Congo from 1996 until Thursday found 20 fatal crashes.

Nigeria

vaccine causes polio outbreak

LONDON | A polio outbreak in Nigeria was caused by the vaccine designed to stop it, international health officials say, leaving at least 69 children paralyzed.

The outbreak was caused by the live polio virus that is used in vaccines given orally - the preferred method in developing countries because it is cheaper and doesn't require medical training to dispense.

Outbreaks caused by the oral vaccine's live virus have happened before. But the continuing Nigerian outbreak is the biggest . In the West, the polio vaccine is given as a shot and uses an inactivated virus, but that method is more expensive and requires training .

Spain

outlawed party's leaders arrested

MADRID | Spanish authorities arrested 23 members of the outlawed Batasuna party's executive committee as they held a secretive meeting.

The government has arrested dozens of ETA suspects since a December bombing and is now going after ETA's political allies.

Spain's Supreme Court outlawed Batasuna in March 2003 on grounds that it was part of ETA, which has killed more than 800 people since the late 1960s . ETA seeks an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwest France.

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