Some 280 Malian migrants have been expelled from Libya, with two planeloads arriving in the space of a few hours, airport sources said Thursday.

The first planeload arrived late on Wednesday and a second with another 140 aboard landed on Thursday.

One person died and five were injured Monday when security forces opened fire on a protest over plans to privatise drinking water distribution in northwestern Mali, hospital and official sources said.

Security forces on Monday shot at demonstrators protesting the planned privatisation of drinking water distribution in northwestern Mali, wounding six people, hospital and official sources said.

Security forces on Monday shot at demonstrators protesting the planned privatisation of drinking water distribution in northwestern Mali, wounding six people, hospital and official sources said.

Austria said Monday it had not paid any ransom to secure the release of two hostages held in Mali for eight months as the media and far-right politicians questioned the official version of events.

`Firmness, persistence and diplomacy` made possible the freeing of Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber last Friday, Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik told reporters.

The two Austrians freed by the north African branch of Al-Qaeda are `in good health` despite being fed only bread and water during their many months in captivity, the government and a family member said Sunday.

`Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber are in surprisingly good health,` said the defence ministry in a statement.

Two Austrians freed by the north African branch of Al-Qaeda after more than eight months in captivity arrived in Vienna on Saturday evening and were immediately flown to hospital for a check-up.

Wolfgang Ebner, 51, and Andrea Kloiber, 44, travelled home on a plane chartered by the the Austrian army, accompanied by a delegation led by Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

Two Austrians freed by the north African branch of Al-Qaeda after more than eight months in captivity told journalists Saturday that while conditions were hard they were treated `normally`.

Two Austrians freed by the north African branch of Al-Qaeda after nine months in captivity attended a ceremony in Bamako Saturday where they were officially handed over to Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik by the Malian authorities.

The Austrian ambassador sent to Mali to oversee negotiations that led to two Austrian hostages being freed by Al-Qaeda`s north African branch stressed Saturday that no ransom was paid, despite a source telling AFP money had changed hands.

`There was no ransom paid,` Ambassador Anton Prohaska told AFP.

Two Austrians kidnapped in the Tunisian desert eight months ago by the north African offshoot of Al-Qaeda prepared to go home Saturday after being freed and handed over to authorities in Mali.

Wolfgang Ebner, 51, and his partner Andrea Kloiber, 44, were freed Thursday night after 252 days in captivity. Circumstances surrounding their release remain unclear.

Two Austrian hostages kidnapped eight months ago in the Tunisian desert by Al-Qaeda`s north African offshoot have been freed and safely handed over to the Malian authorities, officials said Friday.

Confirmation of their release came from the Austrian foreign ministry in Vienna shortly after a source from the Malian presidency in Bamako said the pair had been freed.

BAMAKO, Oct 12, 2008 (AFP) - Mali's main rebel leader has moved to Libya with his family, marking what may be a positive development in the West African nation's peace process, an informed source said Sunday.

The European Union's first African immigration information centre, set
up to warn of the risks of illegal immigration, was officially opened
in the Malian capital Bamako on Monday.

DAKAR, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - Mali's president stood side-by-side with top officials from France and the European Union at the opening Monday of the EU's first African immigration information centre.

BAMAKO, Sept 30, 2008 (AFP) - Mali's energy minister has resigned amid an ongoing corruption inquiry linked to his past job at a European aid agency, officials said Tuesday.

No official explanation was given for Ahmed Sow's resignation Monday, but a source close to the presidency said his departure was linked to an ongoing corruption investigation by Europe's anti-fraud agency.

BAMAKO, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Mali banned Chinese milk, butter and cheese on Monday, joining other countries that have stopped imports of milk-related products from China in the wake of the Asian country's contamination scandal.

BAMAKO, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - Three or four Malian soldiers were still in the hands of Tuareg rebels in northern Mali, a government official said Thursday, two days after 44 troops were freed.

'It is a question of practical organisation that they have not been freed with the others. They will be released soon,' a Malian defence ministry official told AFP.

BAMAKO, September 10, 2008 (AFP) - Tuareg rebel chief Ibrahim Ag Bahanga has released the last 44 hostages held by his renegade group in the north of Mali, the government has said, in an important step forward towards peace.

BAMAKO, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - The fabled desert city of Timbuktu had lights again on Sunday after several days without electricity following a breakdown of generators, a regional government official and local residents said.

'There is now electricity,' the government official said. 'We did everything so that the generators would function again.'

BAMAKO, September 5, 2008 (AFP) - The lights are out in Timbuktu after three of the fabled desert city's four electrical generators broke down, a city official told AFP on Friday.

'We've been in the dark for several days,' he said, adding that essential services -- such as hospitals -- are nevertheless still able to function thanks to auxilary power sources.

BAMAKO, September 2, 2008 (AFP) - The Malian army began searching for suspects Tuesday after four nomadic Tuareg civilians were found shot dead in the northern Gao region, military and other sources said.

BAMAKO, August 31, 2008 (AFP) - An elite unit made up of Malian government soldiers and former Tuareg rebel adversaries will take up duties in September, representatives of both camps said Sunday.

ALGIERS, August 29, 2008 (AFP) - Malian officials and Tuareg rebels agreed Friday in Algiers to begin implementing a recently-signed peace accord and to resume peace talks in early September, APS said.

GAO, August 24, 2008 (AFP) - Tuareg rebels on Sunday freed three Malian police officers kidnapped after a raid in northern Mali in July, rebel leader Baye Ag Hamdy said.

'I released the three hostages to show that I am ready to start talks with the Malian government to make peace. I wanted to show my good intentions,' Baye Ag Hamby told AFP by phone.

GAO, August 24, 2008 (AFP) - Tuareg rebels on Sunday freed three Malian police officers kidnapped after a raid in northern Mali in July, an army source told AFP.

GAO, August 24, 2008 (AFP) - Malian human rights group Temedt on Sunday announced a campaign to persuade the government to help what it described as 7,000 people being held as slaves in the north of the country.

Mali`s government has set up a special commission with former Tuareg rebels to prepare a new round ...

The government of Mali and separatist Tuareg rebels have agreed to hold a new round of talks later ...

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi has asked Tuareg separatist rebels operating in Mali and Niger to lay ...

BAMAKO, July 23, 2008 (AFP) - After recent flare ups and clashes between the Malian army and Tuareg rebels in Northern Mali the peace process was revived this week in what is seen as a spectacular return of mediator Algeria.

BAMAKO, July 21, 2008 (AFP) - Mali's government and Tuareg nomads fighting for greater autonomy agreed Monday on a deal to end their conflict after talks brokered by Algeria.

ALGIERS, July 21, 2008 (AFP) - Mali's government and Tuareg rebels agreed Monday on an end to their conflict after talks in Algiers, mediator Algeria's ambassador to Mali said.

'The two delegations representing the Malian government and the May 23 Democratic Alliance for Change have reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities,' Abdelkrim Ghrieb said.

BAMAKO, July 20, 2008 (AFP) - Officials attending talks between Mali's government and Tuareg rebels said Sunday Algeria's mediator might soon be able to announce progress, despite the recent abduction of three Malian gendarmes.

BAMAKO, July 19, 2008 (AFP) - A Tuareg group attacked a police base in northern Mali and kidnapped three gendarmes, rebels and the government said Saturday, amid talks between the two sides on reviving a peace process.

BAMAKO, July 19, 2008 (AFP) - Armed men attacked a police headquarters in northern Mali, kidnapping three gendarmes, a military source said Saturday.

The overnight raid on the gendarmerie at Tessalit came as representatives from the Malian government and Tuareg rebels were in Algiers for new talks to revive the peace process in northern Mali.

BAMAKO, July 17, 2008 (AFP) - Representatives from the Malian government and Tuareg rebels were in Algiers Thursday for new talks to revive the peace process in northern Mali, sources close to Algerian mediators said.

The meeting comes after a recent flare-up in violence between the army and the rebels that threatens the 2006 peace accord brokered by Algeria.

KOULIKORO, July 9, 2008 (AFP) - Mali's 'Poor People's Conference' organised as a counterbalance to the G8 wrapped up Wednesday with a statement calling for rich nations to waive debt owed by the have-nots.