World in brief: American, Afghan soldiers killed

A U.S.-led coalition soldier and an Afghan soldier were killed Friday in clashes with insurgents in southern Afghanistan, a coalition statement said.

Both soldiers died during combat operations in Uruzgan province, the statement said, without giving other details.

Afghan security forces, meanwhile, killed a senior insurgent commander as he attempted to cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan earlier in the week, the coalition said.

Malawi Abdul Manan and several other insurgents were killed in an ambush Sunday as they attempted to cross from Pakistan into eastern Afghanistan, the statement said.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden

Portly passengers a threat to flights

Specialists at SAS Scandinavian Airlines say the excessive weight of passengers threatens flight safety, Denmark’s Jyllands Posten daily reported on Friday.

The leading air carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden carried out selective weighing of passengers and found that the average passenger exceeded estimates used by the airline by three kilograms (6.6 pounds), bringing the total plane weight to 1 metric ton (2,200 pounds) over the limit. Overloaded planes require extra fuel and a longer runway for to ensure safety, the experts said.

SAS says European safety requirements set 10 years ago, putting the average weight of a male passenger at 88 kg (194 pounds) and 70 kg (154.3 pounds) for females, are outdated.

TBILISI, Georgia

100,000 rally for polls

About 100,000 opposition supporters, more than during the 2003 “rose revolution,” are rallying in front of Tbilisi’s parliament to demand early parliamentary polls, but are ruling out a new “revolution.”

President Mikheil Saakashvili wants to extend lawmakers’ terms from four to five years and hold parliamentary and presidential elections simultaneously in early 2009. The president’s proposals have angered opposition supporters, who took to the streets in protest early Friday demanding that elections be held in spring 2008.

JAKARTA, Indonesia

Evacuation effort includes concerts

Authorities are organizing concerts to get villagers to leave their homes for the safety of camps amid fears that the deadly Mount Kelut volcano is about to erupt, local media said on Friday.

Seismologists issued a red alert on Oct. 16 of an imminent eruption on East Java.