Top Nato officials visiting Afghanistan have warned the international community not to neglect the country. Nato is increasing its presence in Afghanistan - it hopes to deploy about 21,000 soldiers by the end of the year. It has recently moved into southern provinces, including troubled Helmand, where there have been regular clashes with suspected Taleban insurgents. Violence in Afghanistan has risen sharply this year, the bloodiest since the Taleban were overthrown in 2001. Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the alliance's military commander, Gen James Jones, arrived late on Wednesday on a two-day visit which includes a meeting with President Hamid Karzai. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk censor News |
Editor - 11:14:00 07-20-06 |
Indonesia bird flu deaths hit 42 |
Indonesia has recorded its 42nd human bird flu death, bringing the country level with Vietnam as the worst affected by the disease. Tests by the World Health Organization showed that a 44-year-old man who died last week had the H5N1 virus, health ministry officials said. Indonesia has registered more bird flu deaths this year than any other nation. In contrast the outbreak in Vietnam now seems to be under control, due to a large culling and vaccination drive. No Vietnamese deaths have been recorded in 2006. Indonesia has been criticised for its reluctance to cull fowl in infected areas - a measure that experts say is the best way to stem the spread of the disease. But the government says it does not have enough money to compensate farmers, and has asked for $900m (£495m) over the next three years to tackle the virus. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5197110.stm
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Editor - 09:52:00 07-20-06 |
Turkish anti-West mood 'rising' |
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has warned that moderate Turks are becoming anti-American and anti-EU. Mr Gul said many Turks were embittered by the US' support for Israel's actions in Lebanon and by Turkey's problems in joining the EU. He also said Ankara could be forced to act to stop cross-border raids by Kurdish rebels operating from Iraq. Mr Gul's comments came in a wide-ranging interview with the UK's Financial Times newspaper. "Moderate liberal people [in Turkey] are becoming anti-American and anti-EU," he said."If our young, educated, dynamic and economically active people become bitter, if their attitudes and feelings are changed, it is not good. "Their feeling has changed towards these global policies and strategic issues. This is dangerous." ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5198290.stm
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Editor - 09:50:00 07-20-06 |
Congressman presses on 'super-state' plan Asks Bush administration to fully disclose its activities |
A congressman is pressing the Department of Commerce to fully disclose a congressionally unauthorized plan to implement a trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that critics say could lead to a North American union. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight of the House Committee on Homeland Security, wrote July 11 to Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez requesting detailed disclosure of working groups in the Security and Prosperity Partnership office within his department. Referring to an attached letter from a constituent, Rogers wrote to Gutierrez: Judging by information contained in this letter, a number of legitimate concerns are raised regarding the implementation and operation of the SPP, including the membership and charge of its working groups; potential memoranda of understanding with foreign countries; and whether there has been any Congressional oversight of these working group, to name a few.... http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51143
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Editor - 09:48:00 07-20-06 |
Aids could 'hit' India's growth |
India's economy could suffer if the country fails to check the spread of HIV and Aids, a new report says. Economic growth currently at 8% could fall by nearly 1% if the disease is not contained, it says. But the head of India's main anti-Aids agency said the government's prevention drive could help reverse this. More than five million Indians are infected with HIV and the UN says India now has more people with the virus than any other country in the world. "Economic growth could decline by 0.86 percentage points... and per capita gross domestic product by 0.55 percentage points," over a 14-year period beginning in 2002, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), a government-funded body, said. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5198402.stm
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Editor - 09:46:00 07-20-06 |
Palestinians die in Israeli raids |
Two Palestinians have been killed in a fresh Israeli operation in a refugee camp in central Gaza. Palestinian officials said one person was shot dead in the Mughazi camp. An earlier Israeli air attack on the camp left one dead and 20 injured. Israel has also dropped leaflets in Gaza warning anyone hiding weapons in their homes that they are in danger. The offensive in Gaza was launched after an Israeli soldier was captured by Palestinian militants last month. The fate of Corporal Gilad Shalit remains unknown but Israeli officials believe he is still alive. The Gaza offensive also aims to stop rocket launches by Palestinian militants, who say such attacks are in retaliation for Israeli action against them. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5198054.stm
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Editor - 09:21:00 07-20-06 |
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