Fugitive Taleban leader Mullah Omar says he is confident his followers will drive foreign troops out of Afghanistan.

Hundreds of people went to scoop fuel from the pipeline in Lagos (Nigeria's largest city) after thieves punctured it overnight at Abule Egba. Most bodies were burned and beyond recognition. More than 500 bodies, most burned beyond recognition, were lying at the scene of a fuel pipeline explosion in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, a witness said on Tuesday.

There was much anticipation in the run-up to the National Reconciliation Conference held on December 16-17, with Iraqi officials billing the conference as the country's best attempt to find a political solution to end the rampant lawlessness and spiraling violence. However, as has been the case with Iraqi politics since the fall of the former regime, infighting, dueling political agendas, and notable absences have thwarted the latest attempt at national reconciliation.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is in the Iranian capital for a two-day visit that is expected to focus on security as violence continues to plague his own country.