AFGHANISTAN’S ruling Taliban has fired mortars and cannon at the world-famous, rock-hewn Buddhas at Bamiyan in defiance of international protests, sources said. A day after the radical Islamic movement announced it had begun destroying all statues in the 90% of Afghanistan it controls, an Afghan news agency also said the Taliban were also assembling explosives to blow up the two ancient monuments. Officials had already made clear they would not be swayed from what they consider a duty to carry out the destruction of ”idols” ordered by their leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. – Reuters