WELLINGTON : Nine people, including four foreigners, were killed when a skydiving plane crashed and burst into flames at a popular New Zealand tourist spot Saturday, officials said.

KABUL : A Taliban commander was captured and six insurgents killed in a raid on a militant hideout in northern Afghanistan, Nato said Saturday.

WASHINGTON : The security company Blackwater Worldwide formed a network of 30 shell companies and subsidiaries to try to get millions of dollars in government business after the company faced strong criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq, The New York Times reported Friday.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand : A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake damaged buildings, cut power and knocked fleeing residents off their feet on New Zealand`s South Island early Saturday, but there were so far no deaths and only two injuries reported.

DUBAI : A UPS cargo plane crashed Friday outside Dubai, officials said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

CAIRO : Activists on Thursday hung posters across Cairo supporting Egypt’s intelligence chief as a candidate in next year’s presidential elections, the latest campaign to try to undermine a possible father-son succession in the Arab world’s most populous nation.

KABUL : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Kabul Thursday on a surprise visit following a trip to Iraq, where he attended ceremonies to mark the formal end of the American combat mission there.

BEIJING : China on Thursday dismissed reports saying troops of the People`s Liberation Army are in a disputed area of Pakistan.

KABUL : Two US soldiers in Afghanistan died Thursday after separate insurgent attacks, Nato said, compounding the bloodiest year yet for American forces in the Afghan war.

TEHRAN : Hardline “thugs” surrounded the home of opposition Iranian leader Mehdi Karroubi, pelting the building with rocks to prevent the cleric from attending a rally on Friday, his website said.