British forces suffered their 14th combat death in Afghanistan yesterday as commanders admitted that intense fighting against the Taliban meant they were using up missiles, rockets and spares at an alarming rate.The vital Apache attack helicopters have been particularly hard hit with a senior Army source claiming that stocks of weapons and components meant to last until April next year could be used up "well before Christmas". British combat troops are so few on the ground in Helmand province - effectively one battalion, 500-600 fighting troops, to cover an area the size of Scotland - that they are having to call in air strikes by American B1 bombers and other aircraft on a daily basis.The eight Apaches in Helmand are operating at full stretch, answering calls for help from British patrols and small outlying garrisons. ... http://www.telegraph.co.uk censor News |
Editor - 09:26:00 08-28-06 |
Three dead, dozens hurt in Turkish tourist zone blast |
Three people died and dozens more were injured in a blast in Turkey's Mediterranean city Antalya on Monday, the fifth bomb to hit the country in less than 24 hours. Two witnesses told Reuters by telephone from Antalya they heard a loud explosion, which broke windows, shattered glass, and sparked a fire at a shopping area in the center of the city, one of Turkey's most popular tourist destinations."A parked motorbike next to a tramway had exploded and pieces of the motorbike were shattered all around. A man who was a street vendor was then dead," said a shaken local businessman, who declined to be named.Local police said two people were killed in the attack and many more were injured, with one policeman saying up to 50 may have been hurt. Shortly afterwards private broadcaster NTV reported a third person had died at hospital from injuries.... http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060828/ts_nm/security_turkey_explosions_dc
full News |
Editor - 09:18:00 08-28-06 |
War crime charge for Congo rebel |
The leader of a Democratic Republic of Congo militia has become the first war crimes suspect to be charged at the International Criminal Court. Thomas Lubanga, who led the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia group based in eastern DR Congo, is accused of recruiting child soldiers. International human rights groups argue that charges of murder, torture and rape should be brought against him. Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other international watchdog bodies welcomed the charges, but said they did not go far enough. "Enlisting, conscripting and using children as soldiers in armed conflict are serious crimes that should be condemned and appropriately punished. However, much more is needed," HRW said in a statement addressed to the International Criminal Court last month. The ICC was set up in 2002 to deal with war crimes and genocide worldwide. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5293094.stm
full News |
Editor - 09:16:00 08-28-06 |
China enacts new bankruptcy law |
China has passed a new bankruptcy law that will address not only state but also private firms for the first time. The Corporate Bankruptcy Law, aimed at increasing investor confidence, was passed on Sunday in China's parliament. The legislation, which gives greater protection to creditors, will apply to foreign and domestic firms alike, officials say. The former law provided no obvious way to liquidate a firm or share the assets between creditors and workers. This new legislation will give creditors greater protection if a firm is bankrupt, whereas in the past redundant workers were paid off first. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5291910.stm
full News |
Editor - 09:02:00 08-28-06 |
4 Injured, 1 Killed in NYC Rampage |
A driver with a gun went on a shooting spree in several New York City neighborhoods and apparently targeted victims at random, killing a man and injuring four other people, police said Saturday. Police said they were interviewing a man they described as a "person of interest" who had been spotted in a vehicle matching the description of one being sought. The man who died was shot in the neck, said Detective Dennis Laffin, a spokesman. The other victims were expected to survive, police said after the Friday evening shootings in New York City's Queens borough. Police have said they believe the shooter was driving a damaged green vehicle, possibly a Cadillac. ... http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/26/national/main1936814.shtml?source=RSS&attr=U.S._1936814
full News |
Editor - 09:00:00 08-28-06 |
Chad oil company deadline expires |
A 24-hour deadline by Chad's government for two major foreign oil companies to leave the country has expired. President Idriss Deby ordered US firm ChevronTexaco and Malaysia's Petronas, together responsible for 60% of Chad's production, to quit the country. Three government ministers have been sacked and may be prosecuted over the alleged non-payment of taxes by the oil companies, a charge the firms deny. It is not clear how the authorities might enforce the expulsion order. "The problem was that Petronas and Chevron had to pay tax, then they arranged with a certain individual, a minister, in order to get a tax exemption," Mahamat Bechir Okormi, the country's minister for state control and ethics, told Reuters news agency in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. "In Chad, only the national assembly can exempt companies, not a minister." On Sunday, the government announced the dismissal of Oil Minister Mahamat Nasser Hassane, as well as the ministers for livestock and planning.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5292036.stm
full News |
Editor - 08:58:00 08-28-06 |
|
post The Good, The Bad and The Ugly |
|