Girl bomber: The 10-year-old sister of a Taliban commander said this week she was given a suicide vest and sent to blow up a police checkpoint. But the girl, identified as Spozhmai, had to cross an icy river to reach her target, and was detained when her screams drew the attention of police. President Hamid Karzai condemned the Taliban, saying that “using a child as a suicide bomber is un-Islamic and goes against Afghan culture and beliefs.” Unfortunately, it’s not that rare: Last year, Afghan police intercepted 41 children being trained or outfitted as suicide bombers, all between 6 and 11 years old.
