Dozens injured in Qantas mid-air jet drama

PERTH – Thirty-six passengers and crew were injured, some seriously, in a mid-air drama that forced a Qantas jetliner to make an emergency landing, the Australian carrier and police said yesterday.

Hamas in Egypt to talk to Palestinians * RAFAH – A high-level Hamas delegation has crossed into Egypt for talks with the country’s intelligence chief as part of Egyptian efforts to mend the rift between Palestinian factions. Turkish jets bomb Kurdish targets * ANKARA – Turkish warplanes bombed suspected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq and southeast Turkey early yesterday in new airstrikes responding to an attack that killed 17 soldiers at a military outpost four days ago.Report: Iran forces down Western plane * TEHRAN – Iranian news reports claimed Tuesday that Iran forced a Western aircraft that accidentally entered its airspace to land, then allowed the plane to continue after questioning its passengers.Somali ransom reduced to U$8m * MOGADISHU – A man on a hijacked ship carrying tanks and heavy weapons said yesterday that the ransom had been reduced to US$8 million (euro5.87 million).It was unclear if he was officially speaking for the pirates holding the vessel.Bandits keep attacking Chad aid workers * GENEVA – The UN humanitarian office says aid workers in eastern Chad have been attacked by bandits over 120 times this year, hampering efforts to bring food and other relief to tens of thousands of displaced people.Turkish jets bomb Kurdish targets * ANKARA – Turkish warplanes bombed suspected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq and southeast Turkey early yesterday in new airstrikes responding to an attack that killed 17 soldiers at a military outpost four days ago.Report: Iran forces down Western plane * TEHRAN – Iranian news reports claimed Tuesday that Iran forced a Western aircraft that accidentally entered its airspace to land, then allowed the plane to continue after questioning its passengers.Somali ransom reduced to U$8m * MOGADISHU – A man on a hijacked ship carrying tanks and heavy weapons said yesterday that the ransom had been reduced to US$8 million (euro5.87 million).It was unclear if he was officially speaking for the pirates holding the vessel.Bandits keep attacking Chad aid workers * GENEVA – The UN humanitarian office says aid workers in eastern Chad have been attacked by bandits over 120 times this year, hampering efforts to bring food and other relief to tens of thousands of displaced people.