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WASHINGTON: The United States' top military officer says it cannot be successful in Afghanistan if large numbers of civilians keep getting killed amid the conflict. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pointed to this month's disputed U.S. airstrikes in Farah province which led to notes of regret from President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials.Dozens of civilians reportedly died in the incident in the air strikesMullen also refused to rule out strikes from unmanned drones, often used to launch missiles at militant hideouts.

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of ethnic Tamil immigrants converged on the White House Monday, imploring US President Barack Obama to pressure Sri Lanka into ending a "genocide" on the island. "President Obama, you are our only hope!" chanted the demonstrators, many of whom held placards bearing the image of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Earlier Monday, the government of majority-Sinhalese Sri Lanka declared an end to its decades-old war with the Tamil Tigers -- one of Asia's oldest and most brutal ethnic conflicts -- after routing the remnants of the rebel army and killing Prabhakaran and his deputies.Waving red and gold LTTE flags and holding posters with graphic photographs of women and children apparently wounded in the Sri Lankan army's offensive, the protesters crowded in front of the White House denouncing a civilian slaughter and Colombo's refusal to allow relief agencies or journalists into the war zone. Senthan Na...

RIYADH: Saudi authorities evacuated five western villages on Monday after tremors hit a volcanic region in the past weeks raising concerns of possible eruptions. "There was a large quake, the largest so far," Ahmedal-Attas, vice president of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), told media after civil defence officials evacuated the villages near the town of al-Ais. Attas was referring to a 4.68 earthquake, which hit the region on Sunday. Al-Ais, 150 km (100 miles) northeast of theYanbu on the Red Sea, is not close to the world's top oilexporter's oil and petrochemicals facilities. The region lies on a fault line, according to SGS, which declined to comment on current magma levels, but newspapers reported that in the past few days magma levels had risen to 4km (2.5 miles) below the surface from 8 km.

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel reserves its right of self-defense against Iran, which the West suspects of harboring a nuclear military program. "Israel reserves its right to defend itself," said Netanyahu, speaking to reporters after a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama. While he said he welcomed US diplomatic efforts to rein in Tehran, Netanyahu said "what is important is the commitment to the result that Iran does not develop military nuclear capability."

LONDON: Prince Charles, an avid gardener and environmentalist, has received Britain's top gardening award from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.The Victoria Medal of Honor is the highest accolade the Royal Horticultural Society bestows. Only 63 horticulturists can hold it at any time — a tribute to the 63 years of Queen Victoria's reign.The society said the heir to throne was given the medal Monday in recognition of his "passion for plants, sustainable gardening and the environment."Charles is particularly well known for his commitment to green issues and his enthusiasm for organic foods. His Duchy Originals line is one of Britain's leading brands of organic food and drink.Charles was given the award at the opening of the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

LOS ANGELES: CIA director Leon Panetta said Monday US intelligence officials did not know the exact whereabouts of all Pakistan's nuclear weapons, but believed they were safe from the Taliban.Speaking in Los Angeles, the Central Intelligence Agency chief said Pakistan's nuclear arsenal was "pretty secure" amid concerns that the weapons could possibly fall into the hands of Taliban insurgents. "We don't have frankly the intelligence to know where they are all located, but we do track the Pakistanis," Panetta said when asked if the US knew where Pakistan's nuclear weapons were located."Right now we are confident that the Pakistanis do have a pretty secure approach to trying to protect these weapons. But it is something that we continue to watch because obviously the last thing we want is for the Taliban to have access to nuclear weapons in Pakistan." Pakistan forces have been locked in an offensive with Taliban fighters in the country for sev...

MANILA: A southern Philippine governor says a mudslide triggered by heavy rains has buried 30 houses, killing at least 16 people and leaving 20 others missing.Governor Arthur Uy of Compostela Valley province says most of the victims of Monday's landslide were small-scale miners living on the foothills of a mountain where mudslides are common. Uy said Tuesday that the area around Pantukan town-ship had been saturated by rain and that the residents ignored warnings to leave. He says at least 20 people are missing and an additional 14 have been injured, and that the bad weather is hampering the rescue operation.