ANKARA – Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul has postponed a planned trip to Africa this week due to a major Turkish ground offensive against Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq, the state Anatolian news agency said on Monday.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A blast that shook Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar on Monday, was a controlled explosion carried out by the Afghan army, officials said.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Taliban insurgents on Monday gave Afghan mobile phone operators three days to shut down their networks at night or face attack, as the rebels said international forces used the cellphones to track them down.