Free Republic

he Taliban have called for the resumption of international flights to the Afghan capital Kabul, saying all technical issues at the Hamid Karzai International airport have been resolved, amid some signs of normalcy following the group’s takeover of the country last month. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks in a statement on Sunday, expressing hope that proper commercial services would resume shortly. "The airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights," he said, adding that the Taliban interim government “assures all airlines of its full cooperation and expects all airlines and...

French police are bracing themselves for fresh outbreaks of violence after hundreds of youths rioted over the arrest of an illegal immigrant at a main railway station in Paris. The rioters fought running battles with police in and around Gare Du Nord for five hours, set light to rubbish bins and smashed nearby shop windows. Witnesses described groups of holiday-makers cowering in fear on the platforms after stepping off trains from London, Brussels and Amsterdam.

HOUSTON -- All their assigned duties were completed and final precautionary tests had turned up no problems Sunday, leaving weather the only question facing the astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery as they looked forward to a return to Earth. Mission Control on Sunday gave the shuttle crew permission to try for a landing Monday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, clearing all lingering technical questions on the shuttle heat shield and the system that provides hydraulic power for landing. "We feel very confident that Discovery is safe to come home," landing director Steve Stich said in a news...