Black Death 'Kills al-Qaeda Operatives in Algeria'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Black Death has reportedly killed at least 40 al-Qaeda operatives in North Africa.

The disease, which struck Europe in the Middle Ages killing more than 25 million people, has swept through a training camp for insurgents in Algeria.

The arrival of the plague was discovered when security forces found the body of a dead terrorist by a roadside, the Sun reports.

The victim belonged to the large al-Qaeda network AQLIM (al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb).

A security source told the paper: "This is the deadliest weapon yet in the war against terror. Most of the terrorists do not have the basic medical supplies needed to treat the disease. >>> Monday, January 19, 2009

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Sarkozy to Close ‘Big Deals’ in Algeria
BBC: French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to finalise a series of big business deals on a visit to Algeria.

The contracts include billion-dollar investments in the Algerian oil and gas business by the French energy companies Total and Gaz de France.

France is already the biggest investor in Algeria outside the energy sector.

But it is a controversial visit, given Mr Sarkozy's refusal to apologise for the deaths of thousands of Algerians during French colonial rule.

Deep anger

Mr Sarkozy will be travelling with a large delegation of businessmen to Algiers, where they are expected to seal $4bn-worth of deals vital to both economies. Tensions dog Sarkozy in Algeria >>>

Mark Alexander