Civilians are increasingly being deployed to serve alongside regular soldiers in Afghanistan. But why do ordinary Britons - firefighters, doormen, civil servants - choose to go to war? Here, reservists based in Helmand province talk openly about the gruelling emotional and physical challenges faced by 'civvies' in a combat zone

Insufficient evidence to link Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to Mumbai terror attacks, says lawyer

A Pakistani court ordered the release of the founder of banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba because there was insufficient evidence to link him to last year's deadly Mumbai attacks, his lawyer said today.

India immediately condemned the ruling as confirmation that Pakistan is not serious about bringing to justice militants whose repeated attacks across the border have inflamed tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals.

President Obama pledges a new beginning between the US and Muslims around the world

I am honoured to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.