Kabul  - US forces killed 12 militants after suspected Taliban insurgents shot down an American helicopter in central Afghanistan, the US military said Tuesday.

The incident happened Monday in the Sayed Abad district of Wardak province, 50 kilometres west of Kabul, when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the tail of the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, forcing it to the ground, the US military said in a statement.

The crew members on board returned fire and killed five militants, it said.

Seven other militants were killed and another one was detained when the US soldiers continued searching the area and were engaged by more militants, the statement said.

Paris  - French shares were little changed in early trading on Tuesday following a roller-coaster ride as the mood among investors remained nervous.

The Paris Bourse's CAC 40 index was up 0.07 per cent, at 3,069.36, at mid-morning, with advancing issues outpacing losers by nearly 2 to 1.

Bouyed by strong showings on Asian markets, the index rose more than 3 per cent shortly after the session opened, but then fell into the red after a report showing that the financial crisis was now affecting the French housing market.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, building permits for the third quarter fell by more than 23 per cent over the same period in 2007, while housing-construction starts had fallen by more than 8 per cent.

Beirut  - The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement has condemned the US raid in Syria as a "terrorist crime" that violated Syrian sovereignty, Lebanese media reported said Tuesday.

Hezbollah, in a statement, also urged the Arab League and Arab states to "shoulder their responsibilities because they are threatened by similar attacks," according to Voice of Lebanon radio.

"US occupation and Israeli occupation pose a threat to the region's peace and stability," the statement said.

The Syrian government and Arab leaders in the region have expressed outrage over the purported US helicopter raid Sunday targeting militants in the town of Abu Kamal.

Baghdad  - Four people were killed on Tuesday and another four were wounded in an armed attack on eight policemen in the northern city of Mosul, the Voices of Iraq (VOI) reported.

Unknown gunmen attacked eight new volunteer members on their way to work in the al-Amel district of Mosul. The gunmen fled to an unknown destination, police told VOI.

In Baghdad, meanwhile, seven people were injured in two separate blasts.

In the first blast in the al-Nahda district of central Baghdad, four people were wounded, police told VOI.

The second blast hit al-Nidal street in central Baghdad, wounding three people, police added.

Washington, Oct 28 : In a new project, scientists have used laptops to detect several earthquakes, taking the help of small accelerometer chips inside the machines.

The project is known as the project Quake Catcher Network (QCN).

Scientists have found out that the tiny accelerometer chip is a pretty good earthquake sensor as well, especially if the signals from lots of them are compared, in order to filter out more mundane sources of laptop vibrations, such as typing. 

The project has about 1500 laptops connected in a network that has detected several tremors, including a magnitude 5.4 quake in Los Angeles in July this year. 

New Delhi, Oct 28 : Diwali, the festival of lights, is being celebrated across the country with traditional fervour and zeal today.

It was celebrated in the southern part of the country on Monday.

Diwali is being celebrated with full fervour and gaiety in Delhi. The Delhi police has made elaborate security arrangements for the occasion. 

In Madhya Pradesh, people are opting for eco-friendly crackers and the Chinese make are no longer in demand. The State Pollution Control Board is continuously monitoring the air and noise pollution levels.

Diwali is also being celebrated in Jammu region with religious fervour and enthusiasm.