Kabul / AFP Afghanistan on Thursday signed a peace agreement with notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, paving the way for him to make a political comeback despite a history of war crimes and after years in hiding. Hekmatyar, who heads the now largely dormant Hezb-i-Islami militant group, is the latest in a series of controversial figures that Kabul has sought to …

  Rosetta / AFP Dozens of migrants were feared dead on Thursday after their overloaded fishing boat capsized off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, as authorities arrested four suspected traffickers following the tragedy that killed at least 42 people. The latest in a string of disasters to hit those undertaking the perilous sea crossing to Europe saw hundreds of mainly African migrants thrown …

  Singapore / AFP Global airlines are expected to post record profits of almost $40 billion this year, the head of industry body IATA said on Thursday, but he warned the sector faced threats from terrorism, a sharp rise in oil prices and protectionism. Alexandre de Juniac, who took the reins at the International Air Transport Association on September 1, …