Briefly World

Flying west across the Pacific starting Sunday from Alaska,the Gulfstream was shadowed first by US F-22s and later by Russian Su-27 and MiG-31 fighters.

The exercise,Vigilant Eagle,was designed to see how well the two sides could coordinate during a hijacking.

Radical Indonesian cleric held in terror plot

JAKARTA: Indonesias anti-terrorism unit arrested a radical Islamist cleric Monday for alleged ties to an al-Qaeda-affiliated cell accused of plotting Mumbai-style attacks in the capital. Abu Bakar Bashir finished giving a sermon when the police arrested him. Bashir,71,is the co-founder of Jemaah Islamiyah,the al-Qaeda-linked network behind the Bali attacks.

Taliban execute pregnant Afghan

HERAT: The Taliban publicly flogged and executed a pregnant Afghan widow by emptying three shots into her head for alleged adultery,the police said on Monday. Bibi Sanubar,35,was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot in a public trial on Sunday by a local Taliban commander in Qadis district of Badghis province.

N Korea fires artillery near sea border