Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in 2006, has returned to his country. Thousands gathered at the international airport in Bangkok to greet him, but he has to deal with criminal charges dating from his time in office, and analysts say his return ushers in a new period of political instability in the kingdom. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Bangkok.

Until very recently, the activities of Islamic militants in Daghestan have been confined primarily to the northern Khasavyurt Raion that borders on Chechnya; the Russian military base at Buynaksk; and the mountainous central Untsukul Raion, in particular the village of Gimri, the last bastion of resistance in the 19th century to advancing Tsarist Russian forces and still largely a "no-go area" beyond the control of the republican authorities.

TBILISI -- Mikheil Saakashvili may have successfully retained his presidency, but he still has a mountain to climb in getting the country behind him again.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says Iraqi forces will mount a major offensive against al-Qaida elements in the northern city of Mosul.

As the violence and political turmoil continue in Kenya, efforts continue to try to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. Many say the violence has highlighted ethnic and economic differences within the country.

Vigilant observers have discovered that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered underage children as eligible voters in Bauchi State of Northern Nigeria. The children have been registered to rig the elections commencing on Saturday April 14, 2007.