Pilot beheaded by Boko Haram

Nigeria: Boko Haram extremists issued a new video yesterday showing the killing of an air force pilot and disproving reports of leader Abubakar Shekau’s death.

The man, who was beheaded with an axe, identified himself as a Nigerian air force wing commander whose jet was shot down on September 11.

Nigeria’s military claimed to have killed Mr Shekau in 2013, but he mocks their efforts in the video.

South Stream pipe at stake in election

Bulgaria: Tomorrow’s parliamentary election is expected to determine whether Sofia continues to build a controversial Russian gas pipeline.

Former prime minister Boyko Borisov’s right-wing Gerb party has made completion of the South Stream development dependent on very unlikely EU approval.

The Socialist Party however is unequivocally supportive.

Bulgaria is a member of the EU and Nato but has strong links to Russia.

Dozens killed by rocks in eruption

Japan: Doctors announced yesterday that almost everyone killed on the Mount Ontake volcano last Saturday were killed by rocks expelled during its eruption.

Rescuers have retrieved 47 bodies from the ash-covered summit area of Mount Ontake, while 16 people are still missing.

All but one of the victims showed signs of having been hit by volcanic boulders and rocks. The other victim died of burns from inhaling hot air.

Right cites Ukraine in bid to scare voters

Latvia: Right-wing nationalist forces are exploiting the current crisis in Ukraine to frighten voters in tomorrow’s general election.

The current coalition government has welcomed the build-up of Nato forces in the region as protection against Russia.

But the opposition Harmony Party, a left-leaning group supported mainly by the country’s large Russian-speaking minority, wants to balance Latvia’s Western orientation with links to Moscow.

Peacekeepers killed in ambush

Mali: Nine peacekeepers from Niger were killed and several others wounded yesterday in an ambush in the northern Gao region.

A UN spokesman said that a convoy heading from Menaka to Asongo had been attacked in the latest of a string of deadly attacks on the force.

Peace talks have begun between the Malian government and Tuareg rebels.

Albanian premier set to visit Belgrade

Albania: Prime Minister Edi Rama will travel to Belgrade on October 22 in the first visit by an Albanian premier in 68 years.

Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati announced yesterday that the situation of the Albanian minority in the Serbian province of Presevo and recognition of Kosovo’s independence would be on the agenda.

Belgrade has not recognised the 2008 independence of Kosovo, a former Serbian province with an ethnic Albanian majority.

Catalonia defiant on referendum

Spain: Catalonia’s regional government plans to hold a pro-independence referendum on November 9 despite opposition from Madrid, spokesman Francesc Homs said yesterday.

It is studying ways to convince Spain’s Constitutional Court to lift a provisional suspension of the vote.

The court decided on Monday to suspend referendum preparations while it considers government arguments that the vote is illegal.

Tory PM backs Iraq bomb campaign

Canada: Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper leapt on board Washington’s bombing bandwagon against Isis in Iraq yesterday.

Mr Harper said that a motion before parliament authorises air strikes for up to six months and explicitly states that no ground troops be used in combat operations.

His Australian counterpart Tony Abbott made the same call hours earlier, justifying deployment “as an essentially humanitarian mission to protect the people of Iraq and Australia.”