PESHAWAR - Ten people were killed Thursday in a huge explosion at an army centre in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.

WASHINGTON - The threat of a terrorist attack in the US is as high as since the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in part because of the recruitment of US citizens to carry out plots, US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.

KOLKATA - Strongly condemning the police firing in north Bengals Dooars area which killed two Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) activists, the Maoists Wednesday called for a 24-hour shutdown in three western districts of West Bengal. The rebels also said they would observe Thursday as a black day.

KIRKUK - At least 11 people were killed and 104 injured Wednesday in three car bombings in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, security and medical sources said.

NEW DELHI - Formation of empowered autonomous district councils with necessary funds is "the way forward" in the troubled northeast of India, Home Minister P.Chidambaram said Wednesday.