 Thousands of children in the Indian state of West Bengal cannot receive polio vaccines because of unrest over industrialisation plans, officials say. The children live in villages which were at the centre of pitched battles over the state government's plans to acquire farmland for industry. Villagers are unhappy over the move, saying it will affect their livelihood. At least six people died last month in clashes between ruling party and opposition supporters over the issue. Despite massive immunisation efforts, almost a third of all polio cases in the world occur in India. Officials say that they have been unable to give the polio vaccine to thousands of children because of violence in the areas of Nandigram and Khejuri, where the state government plans to acquire thousands of acres of cropland to set up an industrial area....
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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Editor - 08:54:00 02-21-07
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 Army Hospital Probes Ex-Aid Director |
Walter Reed Army Medical Center is investigating the former head of a program that aids injured soldiers. The probe involves the activities of Michael J. Wagner, who until last month ran the Army's Medical Family Assistance Center, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said Tuesday. The center links businesses, charities and other donors with wounded troops who need financial help or with families strained by living costs, air fares and other expenses when they come to Washington to visit or help care for injured soldiers. The Washington Post — citing documents and interviews with current and former assistance center staff members — said Wagner was seeking funders and soliciting donations for a Dallas charity at the same time he administered the Army program. ...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/21/national/main2498412.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._2498412
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Editor - 08:51:00 02-21-07
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| Suicide blast kills 13 in Shiite holy city of Najaf, where Muqtada al-Sadr holds sway |
A suicide car bomber struck a police checkpoint Wednesday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, killing at 13 people in the spiritual heartland of the militia factions led by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. U.S. forces, meanwhile, investigated the "hard landing" of a Black Hawk helicopter north of Baghdad. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the airmen were picked up by rescuers, but gave no further details. At least seven U.S. helicopters have crashed or been forced down by hostile fire in the past month, killing 28 troops and civilians. Meanwhile, Britain outlined its plan to withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq in the coming months and Denmark said it will withdraw its 460-member contingent by August. Lithuania also said it may pull back its 53 troops from the country....
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/21/ap/world/mainD8NE5LFO1.shtml
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Editor - 08:44:00 02-21-07
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| Status of Coalition Forces in Iraq |
A look at the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq: ALBANIA: 120 non-combat troops, mainly patrolling airport in Mosul; no plans to withdraw. ARMENIA: 46 soldiers, serving as medics, engineers and transport drivers, serving under Polish command; mission extended to end of 2007. AUSTRALIA: 550 troops helping to train security forces in two southern Iraqi provinces. AZERBAIJAN: 150 troops, mostly serving as sentries, on patrols and protecting dam near city of Hadid; no plans to withdraw. BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Bosnia has 36 soldiers including three teams of 10 officers and a command team of six in Iraq. BRITAIN: 7,100 troops in southern Iraq; Prime Minister Tony Blair announced plans to reduce force by 1,600 in the coming months. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2892250
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Editor - 08:34:00 02-21-07
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| Philippines army is 'in denial' |
A UN envoy has accused the army in the Philippines of being "in a state of almost total denial" about a wave of political killings. Many of these killings have been "convincingly attributed to them", said special rapporteur Philip Alston. One human rights group says since President Gloria Arroyo took power in 2001, 830 activists have been killed. Mr Alston urged President Arroyo to confront what he called a culture of virtual impunity in the legal system. The Philippines army, which has been battling communist rebels for almost four decades, has blamed rogue elements for some of the killings. But Mr Alston said that such explanations were insufficient. The army "needs to give us precise details and to indicate what investigations and prosecutions have been undertaken in response". ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6381291.stm
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Editor - 08:32:00 02-21-07
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| US consumer prices top forecast |
US consumer prices increased more than expected in January, figures have shown, despite a fall in energy prices. US Department of Labor figures showed rising medical and food costs pushed consumer prices up 0.2% in January. The increase was below December's 0.4% rise but above the 0.1% forecast. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose by 0.3% for the month. While the Federal Reserve recently said inflation was in check, it also left open the chance of raising rates. In recent months, rising energy prices have been a key inflationary factor, but last month, energy prices fell by 1.5%. Petrol prices in January dropped 3% - leaving them 32% lower than at their high point in July 2006, when oil peaked at about $78 a barrel. However, this drop was not enough to counter higher food prices, as dairy products, fruit and vegetables all became more expensive. Overall, food costs rose by 0.7%, the biggest increase since 2005. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6382945.stm
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Editor - 08:23:00 02-21-07
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