Pakistan: Ten soldiers killed in battle with Al-Qaida

Acting on U.S. intelligence, Pakistani soldiers raided an al-Qaida hide-out near the Afghan border, setting off a gunbattle that killed 10 Pakistani soldiers and two suspected members of the terror network, officials said Wednesday.

A 15-year-old foreign boy was captured following the four-hour battle, which began late Tuesday near the border town of Wana, Pakistani officials said. However, most of the fighters, believed to be Chechens, escaped in the darkness early Wednesday.

Pakistan sent hundreds more troops to hunt down the fugitives responsible for the Pakistani army’s first known combat deaths in the war against terrorism.

Belgium: Court tosses war crimes case against Israeli prime minister

A Belgian appeals court on Wednesday threw out a war crimes case against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel for his role in the massacre of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon in 1982. The decision puts world leaders beyond the reach of Belgium’s controversial law of “universal jurisdiction” for human rights cases.

While upholding the law, which gives Belgium jurisdiction over war criminals regardless of where their alleged crimes occurred, the appeals court also said in a 22-page ruling that suspects had to be on Belgian soil to be investigated and tried.

The 1993 Belgian law was hailed by human rights organizations as a novel weapon that would put dictators and despots everywhere on notice.

Philippines: Search for rebel called off

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday called off the search for the body of a Muslim extremist leader who was believed killed in a shootout at sea.

The order came a day after Arroyo gave a $100,000 reward to a man who worked as a courier and bodyguard for Abu Sabaya for informing the military of the dawn escape attempt last Friday. The military ambushed the rebels’ boat and allegedly killed Sabaya.

Arroyo told marines and soldiers, under pressure to produce Sabaya’s body to scotch rumors that he survived, to focus instead on finishing off rebels still hiding out on their island strongholds in the southern Mindanao area.

Australia: Supersonic jet program gains new contributor

Australia will contribute $150 million to the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program, becoming the latest U.S. ally to participate in the $200 billion project, the government said today.

Australia joins six NATO countries that have agreed to chip in $3.1 billion to develop the supersonic fighter jet. Britain is the largest NATO participant, contributing about $2 billion while planning to buy about 150 of the planes.

Defense Minister Robert Hill said Australia would contribute $150 million over 10 years.

Australia has not yet committed to buying the new fighter, but Hill said the Australian air force needs to replace its aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornet and F-111 fighter jets starting in 2012.