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Global terror warning as Somali militants flex muscles

An Al Qaeda-linked militant group waging war against Somalia’s fragile government is becoming an increasing threat to Western ally Kenya and could potentially destabilize the region with dire consequences for global security, officials and analysts warn. Al-Shabaab, one of the strongest Islamic militias battling for control of Mogadishu, has gained ground in recent weeks, according to officials, and has started to flex its muscles beyond Somalia’s border with terror strikes, kidnappings and recruitment drives.

European gang trained for terror

An American who says he went to fight U.S. forces in Afghanistan told interrogators that about the time he became an al Qaeda member he came across several Belgian and French militants.

Recruits reveal al Qaeda’s sprawling web

When Bryant Neal Vinas spoke at length with Belgian prosecutors last March, he provided a fascinating and sometimes frightening insight into al Qaeda’s training — and its agenda. Vinas is a young American who was arrested in Pakistan late in 2008 after allegedly training with al Qaeda in the Afghan/Pakistan border area. He was repatriated to the United States and in January pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to murder U.S.

Deputy leader killed as Nigerian military raids Islamic sect

Nigeria’s military has claimed it raided the compound of a fundamentalist Islamic sect and killed one of its top leaders, as the battle intensified between government troops and Islamist forces in the country’s north Thursday. At least 400 rebels, civilians and troops have died since the fighting began Sunday, triggered by the arrest of some members of the sect, known as Boko Haram.

U.S. students face second quarantine in China

A group of U.S. students touring China are gaining an experience they had not expected — a second round in quarantine following a positive test of the H1N1 flu virus, a chaperone for the group said.

Nigeria: At least 40 die as police battle militants

At least 40 people were killed as Islamic militants battled Nigerian government police and troops Sunday and Monday in the north-central part of the nation, officials said. Police and troops were dispatched to the militants’ hideouts after militants began attacks on government establishments early Sunday, said Mohamed Maigari, spokesman for Nigeria’s Bauchi state

‘Fit’ Prince William leads homeless teens up peak

Britain’s Prince William went hiking Friday with a group of homeless teenagers on a picturesque peak in northern England to raise awareness for two charities he patrons, spokespeople for the prince and one of the charities said. William, 27, was joined by six teenagers from Centrepoint, a charity for homeless young people, as they walked up Helvellyn, a mountain in the Cumbria region of northeastern England

Nigerian rebels declare cease-fire

A Nigerian militant group engaged in an "all out war" for control of the country’s oil industry Wednesday declared a 60-day truce as part of a government amnesty deal. “Effective, 0000 Hrs, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will be observing a temporary ceasefire for a 60 day period,” Jomo Gbomo, the group’s spokesman said in a statement. The response from Nigeria’s military was positive, but muted.

Hu leaves G8 to deal with Xinjiang unrest

Chinese President Hu Jintao changed plans to attend a summit of major economic powers in Italy, instead returning home to address ethnic violence raking northwestern China, state-run media reported Wednesday. Tensions have been simmering in Urumqi, the capital of China’s far-west Xinjiang region, where violent demonstrations over the weekend have left at least 156 people dead and more than 1,000 injured. The unrest in Urumqi was brought under control with a massive presence of soldiers and anti-riot squads, the government said Tuesday

Michael Jackson, pop music legend, dies at 50

Michael Jackson, the show-stopping singer whose best-selling albums — including "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" — and electrifying stage presence made him one of the most popular artists of all time, died Wednesday, according to multiple sources, including the Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press. CNN has not confirmed this information. He was 50.