Armed ethnic groups in rural Burma face a choice on Wednesday - join a government militia, or be outlawed and face possible attack. The standoff between the two sides has renewed fears of violence along the China-Burma border.

Burma’s military government keeps tight control over most of the country. But along the border with Thailand and China, armed ethnic groups are effectively in charge. The most powerful rebels are refusing to bow to the government’s pressure to join a state-run border defense force ahead of national elections later this year.

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More than eighty children have been poisoned by a gas emitted in their school in Kunduz, on north Afghanistan.

It is referred by a provincial police chief showing such as responsibles of the attack the talibans, islamic extremists that are against female instruction.

Some children are unconscious, others have pain, dizziness and vomiting.

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Fights in Afghanistan between talibans and security forces in province north-eastern of Kunduz. At least 29 talibans have been killed, three victims also between provincial military services. (RCD)

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Four Sahara desert countries are set to open a joint command headquarters in the south of Algeria to counter a growing al-Qaeda threat, the Algerian defence ministry says.

The command headquarters for Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger will be based in Tamanrasset, about 2,000km south of Algiers, the Algerian capital, it said.

The announcement on Wednesday followed a meeting last month of senior officials from regional governments that the US hailed as a step towards confronting al-Qaeda.

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Seven rockets have been fired against a military base that hosts also italian soldiers in Bala Murghab, in west of Afghanistan: nobody was wounded.

Alpini have answered at fire with six mortars rounds and have «neutralized the threat».

The news has been confimed by general Claudio Berto, commander of Brigata Taurinense of italian contingent in Afghanistan.

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