World datelines

Guinea: New premier

CONAKRY — Guinea's military junta appointed a veteran opposition leader Tuesday as the country's new prime minister, a crucial step that sets the stage for the military to cede power to civilians in elections within the next six months.

Jean-Marie Dore, who was appointed, is an outspoken critic of junta leader Capt. Moussa "Dadis" Camara and was brutally beaten by his soldiers when he helped lead a demonstration calling for an end to military rule.

The appointment came as Gen. Sekouba Konate, who persuaded Camara to step aside and accept a transition to civilian rule, returned to Conakry amid extremely tight security.

Afghanistan: 2 killed

KABUL — Two U.S. service members were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, a day after a brazen Taliban attack on the capital showed militants are stepping up their fight against the U.S. and its allies.

The southern Taliban heartland has seen intense fighting and is expected to be the destination for most of the 30,000 U.S. reinforcements being sent by President Barack Obama. A NATO statement gave no other details about the latest U.S. deaths.

Pakistan: U.S. attack

PESHAWAR — A suspected U.S. drone attack in Pakistan's volatile tribal area killed five people Tuesday, as part of an unprecedented wave of strikes since a deadly attack against the CIA across the border in Afghanistan, said intelligence officials.

The two missiles slammed into a compound and a nearby vehicle in the Deegan area of North Waziristan, a zone dominated by the Haqqani network, an al-Qaida-linked Afghan Taliban faction that many suspect helped orchestrate the Dec. 30 suicide bombing that killed seven CIA employees at a remote base in Khost province.

Israel: Arrests

JERUSALEM — Israel is arresting a growing number of prominent opponents to its policies toward the Palestinians, say critics who are accusing the government of trying to crush legitimate dissent.

In the most high-profile case yet, Jerusalem police detained the leader of a leading Israeli human rights group during a vigil against the eviction of Palestinian families whose homes were taken by Jewish settlers.