Kampala - International economists and policy experts on Thursday warned that Africa could be devastated by the current global credit crisis if governments fail to take serious precautions.

Dangers include: a dwindling of aid from the United States, Europe and other developed countries; a downturn in tourism; and losses of revenue from the export of oil and other commodities. These dangers could disrupt national economic plans, warned experts meeting at a one-day summit hosted by the Copenhagen-based Africa Commission.

"We might see a downward trend for commodity prices. ... The crisis is already affecting oil revenues," said Greg Mills, director of the Brent Hurst Foundation and chairman of the conference.

Islamabad - At least 10 Taliban militants and one civilian were killed Thursday as Pakistani army helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militant positions in the country's north-western Swat valley, officials said.

"Our forces targeted insurgent locations in Sarsinai and Kotlai villages of Kabal sub-district," said an senior army official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Ten miscreants were killed and one was injured. We destroyed their one weapons depot but there was no loss on our side," he added.

Baghdad - Iraq will sign a long-term security agreement with the US only if the latter agrees to compromise on Iraqi-proposed amendments, the al-Sabah newspaper said Thursday.

The Iraqi government had handed the US embassy in Baghdad an amended draft on Tuesday, although both parties had agreed in mid- October that the last draft was final.

The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) would extend the mandate of US forces in Iraq beyond the end of this year, when the UN authorization runs out.

Istanbul - Isolating Iran and Syria is a misguided strategy, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday during an opening speech at the World Economic Forum in Istanbul.

"Dialogue between countries in the region is better than pressure from outside," he said.

Though his speech did not name the United States specifically, his comments were considered to be aimed directly as US policy.

New York - Eastman Kodak Company, fighting for years to keep head above water in the digital age, Thursday warned that revenues and earnings would fall for the year, necessitating more job cuts.

Revenues fell 5 per cent to 2.41 billion dollars. Earnings climbed in the third quarter to 96 million dollars from 37 million dollars in the same period last year, less than analysts had expected.

San Salvador, El Salvador - Spain's King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero condemned Thursday a car bomb attack allegedly perpetrated by the Basque separatist group ETA that injured 17 people in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.

In their opening speeches at the Iberian American Summit being held in San Salvador, the monarch stressed his best wishes for the recovery of the injured, while Zapatero rejected the "blind, criminal, fanatical violence which ETA has once again tried to carry out."