British soldier killed by blast in Afghanistan

British soldier killed by blast in Afghanistan (plus 47 more items)

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• British soldier killed by blast in Afghanistan
• Death toll in Karachi bombing rises to 32
• There are many more like me, terror suspect says
• Pirates release three vessels
• 38 extremists killed in clashes in northern Nigeria
• Livni accuses Netanyahu of using 'gutter politics'
• EU calls settlements in Jerusalem illegal
• Russia denies involvement in Iran's internal affairs
• Obama calls for release of detained protesters
• Chavez warns of US-Colombia plot
• Challenge of illegal migration: How to respond?
• Whistleblower exposing Israel nuke program faces court
• Drive-by footage catches cops beating up 2 women
• Kids exposed to smoke more prone to emphysema
• Music therapy alleviates ear-ringing
• H1N1 flu pandemic is not yet over: WHO
• Tensions rising in Korean peninsula
• Putin says new weapons to counter US shield
• Police say Mousavi nephew assassinated
• Israel arrests nuclear whistleblower
• Iran says body of Mousavi's nephew not missing
• Fire kills nine people in a US apartment
• Iran summons UK envoy over protest remarks
• Saudi army 'kills' 50 civilians in Yemen
• Reaching the Gates of Hell is Not So Easy
• Pentagon war cost exceeds US annual tax intake?
• Reports of Iranians on hunger strike in Iraq rejected
• Iran mulls over producing research reactor fuel
• No Friends in Egypt
• Gaza One Year Later
• Iran, Turkmenistan launch new gas pipeline
• Lebanon army opens fire on Israeli jets
• Larijani raps US, UK over Tehran protests
• 7 killed on Ashura day: Tehran prosecutor
• 4 hurt in blast near Baghdad ministry building
• Iran condemns foreign interference in protests
• WFP shocked by killing of Afghan employee
• Turkey renews call for ending Gaza blockade
• Larijani denounces Ashura protests in Tehran
• Afghan war relentless on civilian death: UN
• Iran and Turkmenistan launch new gas pipeline
• Canadians say Afghan war unwinnable
• UK unemployment peaks at 2.8mn in 2010
• Brown raps China for executing UK national
• Yemeni HR groups condemn Sa'ada bombings
• Houthis seize full control of Saudi border post
• US spies: Israel or UK forged nukes report on Iran
• Karzai condemns US for killing school children

British soldier killed by blast in Afghanistan Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST A British soldier has been killed in an explosion while patrolling in southern Afghanistan. The soldier, whose identity has not been revealed, was killed on Monday in the Kajaki area of Helmand province where his 3rd Battalion, known as The Rifles, has been stationed along with other British troops. The latest incident raises the death toll for British troops based in Afghanistan to 244, the British Defense Ministry announced. Read more...

Death toll in Karachi bombing rises to 32 Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST The death toll from a bomb blast in Karachi on Monday has risen to 32. In addition, 80 people were injured in the attack on a procession of Shia Muslims mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hossein (PBUH). A terrorist detonated an explosive device at the start of the procession in order to disrupt the mourning, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Monday. Read more...

There are many more like me, terror suspect says Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST The 23-year-old Nigerian man who attempted to detonate a bomb on Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day has told FBI agents that there are others like him trained by Al-Qaeda to launch attacks against the West. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, was charged with placing a destructive device on an aircraft and attempting to destroy a plane. His retention hearing is scheduled for January 8. On Monday, Abdulmutallab, who has been in police custody since Friday, told law enforcement officers that he is just one of the many terrorist bombers trained by Al-Qaeda in Yemen. Read more...

Pirates release three vessels Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST A Chinese coal ship, with 25 sailors onboard, hijacked two months ago off the coast of Somalia, has been freed. The De Xin Hai was carrying about 76,000 tons of coal from South Africa to Mundra in India when it was seized in a daring attack by Somali pirates on October 19 some 700 miles east of the Horn of Africa. Despite a previous report by the Reuters news agency that a ransom of $4 million was dropped by a helicopter on the deck of the ship on Sunday, Xinhua reported on Monday that it is not clear if the ransom was paid or the ship was retaken by force. Read more...

38 extremists killed in clashes in northern Nigeria Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST Thirty-eight members of the Boko Haram extremist group, including their leader, have been killed in clashes with a joint military-police force in the city of Bauchi in northern Nigeria. Bauchi Police Chief Atikur Kafur told reporters on Monday that one soldier and two innocent people were among the dead in the Zango district of the city. He added that 14 people were also injured. Twenty suspected militants were arrested, including nine adults and 11 juveniles. Read more...

Livni accuses Netanyahu of using 'gutter politics' Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:08 AM PST Israel's centrist Kadima party, led by former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, has accused the prime minister of using "gutter politics" in his proposal to give the party cabinet seats. Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for Kadima to join the broad-based coalition "cynically uses threats," she said, adding that the offer has not split her party. In rejecting the proposal, Livni accused Netanyahu of using "gutter politics," saying he had made his offer after "he failed to split Kadima despite his efforts to do so." Read more...

EU calls settlements in Jerusalem illegal Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:08 AM PST The European Union has said new settlements in East Jerusalem are illegal under international law and urged Israel to reconsider its plans. "The presidency of the European Union is dismayed at the announcement of the Israeli government to build nearly 700 apartments in the occupied East Jerusalem," said a statement issued on Monday from Sweden, which holds the EU presidency. The Israeli Housing Ministry has sought bids for the construction of 692 new homes within Jewish settlements in annexed Arab East Jerusalem. Israel's continued expansion of the settlements is one of the biggest obstacles to the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians. Read more...

Russia denies involvement in Iran's internal affairs Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:08 AM PST The Russian Foreign Ministry has voiced concern over the recent anti-government protests in Iran and said Russia is not meddling in Iran's internal affairs. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday, after protests in Iran on Sunday during the Shia Muslim ceremonies for Ashura, which is the anniversary of the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (PBUH). At least eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and demonstrators that broke out during the protests, according to the Tehran police headquarters. Read more...

Obama calls for release of detained protesters Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:08 AM PST US President Barack Obama has condemned what he called "Iran's crackdown on protesters" and called for the release of the people who were detained. "We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran," Obama said on Monday in Hawaii, where he is on vacation. Obama said that the US will support protesters during the "extraordinary events." Read more...

Chavez warns of US-Colombia plot Posted: 29 Dec 2009 09:08 AM PST Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the United States and Colombia of conspiring to build a fake guerrilla camp on Venezuelan territory in order to undermine his rule. In a televised address at Fort Mara military base in the western city of Maracaibo, Chavez referred to the 'possibility' of a US-sponsored initiative by Colombia to put bodies and weapons of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fighters in a neglected region of Venezuela in order to 'discredit' his government. Colombia may transport corpses of leftist FARC rebels "to a mountain in Venezuelan territory, build some huts, an improvised camp, put some rifles there… and say 'There it is, the guerrilla camp in Venezuela,'" the Associated Press quoted him as saying on Monday. Read more...

Challenge of illegal migration: How to respond? Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:09 AM PST Should illegal immigrants be allowed to stay in the US? If so, on what conditions? rts The Resident asked New Yorkers what they think the government's reaction should be to newcomers searching for a better life. Many of those surveyed agree that the issue should be decided on an individual basis ie depending on what the immigrants bring to the country. Others, however, were categorical in their criticism, saying foreigners take jobs away from native citizens and thus should be prevented from .. Read more...

Whistleblower exposing Israel nuke program faces court Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:09 AM PST Mordechai Vanunu the man responsible for letting the world know about the Israeli nuclear programme has appeared in court in Jerusalem. He is accused of meeting foreigners in violation of his early release conditions. Read more...

Drive-by footage catches cops beating up 2 women Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST >Two road police officers were caught on film beating up women in Saint-Petersburg. Police officials say that officers were simply trying to remove 'drunk' women from the road. This accident stands in a string of recent crimes in Russia involving police officers Read more...

Kids exposed to smoke more prone to emphysema Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST Regular exposure to tobacco smoke at home places young children at an increased risk of developing emphysema in adulthood, a new study finds. Previous studies had linked exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood to various health conditions. "Some known harmful effects of tobacco smoke are short term, and this new research suggests that effects of tobacco smoke on the lungs may also persist for decades," said lead researcher Gina Lovasi. Read more...

Music therapy alleviates ear-ringing Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST Music therapy has shown promising results in reducing noise levels in individuals suffering from tinnitus or ear ringing, a new study finds. Recent studies have raised concerns over the increasing use of personal music devices at high volumes for long periods, promoting the risk of hearing loss and tinnitus particularly among young adults. Tinnitus or ear-ringing is a common hearing problem affecting a considerable number of individuals. The precise cause of the condition remains unknown; many, however, believe the auditory cortex — the region of the brain that processes sound — is often distorted in affected individuals. Read more...

H1N1 flu pandemic is not yet over: WHO Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST World Health Organization (WHO) officials have warned that the H1N1 flu pandemic is not over yet, stressing that winter has just started in the northern hemisphere. In an interview with the Geneva daily Le Temps, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan claimed that many countries other than Canada and the US, which have already passed the peak of the flu outbreak, are still far from seeing the end of the virus. "I think we must remain prudent and observe the evolution of the pandemic in the course of the next six to 12 months before crying victory," she added. Read more...

Tensions rising in Korean peninsula Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST South Korea's plans to partly restructure the 1950s inter-Korean war have gone down badly with the North which still bears grudges against its southern neighbor. If South Korean authorities "keep escalating the tensions and the danger of war... they will have to pay dearly for them," wrote the Rodong Sinmun daily, the official organ of the central committee of the ruling North Korean party, according to a report by AFP. "This is an unpardonable provocation to [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea] DPRK and an intolerable criminal act of escalating the inter-Korean confrontation and tensions," the paper added. Read more...

Putin says new weapons to counter US shield Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned that Moscow would pursue plans for new weapons to counter the US missile defense system. The premier told reporters in the southeastern city of Vladivostok that Washington's bids for a missile defense system are the biggest obstacle in bilateral talks aimed at reaching a new deal to reduce nuclear arsenals produced during the Cold War rush. While both sides have been optimistic that a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) would soon be penned, but the new comments betray more serious problems facing the deal, already delayed when the two nuclear powers failed to agree on a new outline by the treaty's expiring date, December 5. Read more...

Police say Mousavi nephew assassinated Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST Tehran's police say the nephew of former Iranian prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi was not involved in the Ashura unrests in Tehran and was the target of a drive-by shooting. "Seyyed Ali Habibi Mousavi Khamene, without being present in the riots, was assassinated by assailants driving a vehicle in one of Tehran's side streets known as Shademan," a police statement read. "The killing took place somewhere between 12 to 1 pm (local time) and the victim was pronounced dead before reaching hospital due to severe blood loss," it continued. Read more...

Israel arrests nuclear whistleblower Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:08 AM PST Israeli police have arrested former nuclear assistant Mordechai Vanunu on charges of having contact with "a number of foreigners" at a hotel in Jeruselum Al-Quds. "Vanunu was detained in Jerusalem last night," said Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. "He is suspected of having had contacts with foreign agents." A court spokesman said he would be released from jail Tuesday evening but was ordered to stay under house arrest through Thursday. Read more...

Iran says body of Mousavi's nephew not missing Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:07 AM PST Iran on Tuesday rejected rumors circulating the media that the body of Mir-Hossein Mousavi's nephew has gone missing, saying the body of the deceased is being held for further investigations. Media reports claimed that the body of Seyyed Ali Habibi Mousavi Khamene, the defeated presidential candidate's nephew killed on Sunday in Tehran, had been transferred from hospital to an unknown location by unidentified individuals. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the body of the 42-year-old was transferred by government officials alongside the bodies of four others killed on Sunday to conduct further inquiries into their deaths. Read more...

Fire kills nine people in a US apartment Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:07 AM PST Nine people have died after fire broke out at an apartment building in Mississippi, officials said. At least six children were among the dead, state fire marshal Mike Chaney told the Associated Press. The blaze was reported to have broken out before dawn on Monday at the building in Starkville, Oktibbeha County. There were no immediate reports on the cause of the fire in a two-storey block containing eight apartments, not far from Mississippi State University. Read more...

Iran summons UK envoy over protest remarks Posted: 29 Dec 2009 06:24 AM PST Iran's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Britain's envoy to Tehran over "interfering" comments by the British foreign secretary on protests in the Iranian capital. Britain's Foreign Office confirmed that Ambassador Simon Lawrence Gass was summoned by the Foreign Ministry, saying he would respond "robustly" to any criticism and reiterate that Iran must respect human rights. Protestors on Sunday took to some central and downtown streets during ceremonies commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) grandson, Imam Hussein (PBUH). Read more...

Saudi army 'kills' 50 civilians in Yemen Posted: 29 Dec 2009 06:24 AM PST Houthi fighters in Yemen said Tuesday a dozen airstrikes carried out by Saudi warplanes have left more 50 civilians dead in the northern villages. Based on a report released by the fighters, Saudi forces hit the northern villages with "hundreds of rockets", killing at least 50 civilians overnight. The report said the Saudi army also used its ground forces to push into a district inside Yemen on Monday. Read more...

Reaching the Gates of Hell is Not So Easy Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:18 AM PST The Viva Palestina convoy is being given the run-around by Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and his 'Awkward Squad'. My heart goes out to the 500 or so dedicated people from 17 different countries who brought their convoy of 200 vehicles almost to the gates of Gaza, only to be stranded at Aqaba just 4 hours short of their destination. And not only the 500 driving with the Viva Palestina convoy but the thousands of supporters, fund-raisers and donors back home who have worked for months to provide the medical supplies, the food, the transport and the countless other humanitarian items. Read more...

Pentagon war cost exceeds US annual tax intake? Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:09 AM PST Today the US is spending more on war than the governments of 50 American states spend on education, healthcare and welfare of the American people, says journalist Sherwood Ross. "American people who voted for peace are finding that we have a greater war economy than ever before, said Ross. The idea of the Pentagon and the military-industrial complex is not necessarily to win the war, but to wage continuous wars to keep this inflated Pentagon budget sky high and that is what they are ... Read more...

Reports of Iranians on hunger strike in Iraq rejected Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:08 AM PST Iran's Foreign Ministry has rejected reports that 40 Iranian nationals held in an Iraqi prison have gone on a hunger strike to demand the reviewal of their cases. "We have not heard anything about 40 Iranian nationals being held in Iraq," the Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. "We think some of the fabricated news stories that are published, especially these days, are part of a campaign to spread concern and tension," he added. Read more...

Iran mulls over producing research reactor fuel Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:08 AM PST Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that the country would produce fuel for the Tehran research reactor should Western countries refuse to supply the country with the required material. "We set time (for the West) to make a decision about supplying the fuel needed for the Tehran research reactor," Mottaki said during a joint press conference with the visiting Somali Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Jama in Tehran. "If a logical decision is not made in a timely manner about its purchase or exchange, Iran will produce the fuel," he said. "We will not give more time." Read more...

No Friends in Egypt Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:16 AM PST This just in - read all about it in Al Ahram - Egypt's semi-official paper. A multi-millionaire, Yehia El Komy, denied marrying Kheloud al Onzy. I ran across this earth shattering news while scanning the front pages of the government operated rag looking for something - anything - relating to the "Viva Palestina" convoy that is now stranded in Jordan. I can't say I was terribly disappointed, but I did expect some mention of the hundreds of French citizens who were protesting in front of their embassy in Cairo. Apparently, these foreign agitators are also making outrageous demands to deliver aid to Gaza. You'd think some genius at Al-Ahram might have noticed that little development and scribbled a few lines about it. Read more...

Gaza One Year Later Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:10 AM PST A December 2009 report prepared by Oxfam International, Amnesty International UK, United Civilians for Peace, Christian Aid, and a dozen other international NGOs (called NGOs below) titled, "Failing Gaza: No rebuilding, no recovery, no more excuses" is hard-hitting and to the point. It says a year after Operation Cast Lead, extensive damage hasn't been repaired and thousands "are being prevented from rebuilding their shattered society." It's not from a lack of commitment or enough resources with over $4 billion in pledged aid. It's because Israel blocks goods and equipment from entering Gaza. The world community and Arab world do nothing to stop them, so much of the Strip still lies in ruins. Read more...

Iran, Turkmenistan launch new gas pipeline Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:08 AM PST Iran and Turkmenistan are to be connected by a second gas pipeline during a visit by the Iranian president to the central Asian state next week. "The new pipeline could raise the volume of Turkmenistan's exported gas to Iran up to 14 billion cubic meters annually," Iran's Ambassador to Ashgabat, Mohammad-Reza Forqani, told Iran's Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. He added that the 65 km gas pipeline has been completed in only four months, thus being considered as one of the world's fastest gas projects. Read more...

Lebanon army opens fire on Israeli jets Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:08 AM PST Lebanese anti-aircraft guns have opened fire on four Israeli fighter planes that were violating airspace over the southern part of the country. "The army's anti-aircraft guns fired in the direction of four Phantom-type enemy Israeli planes that had been overflying the southeastern Hasbaya region at low altitude since Tuesday morning," an army spokesman told AFP. He added that by mid-morning the planes were still conducting their exercises in the region. Read more...

Larijani raps US, UK over Tehran protests Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:08 AM PST Iran's parliament speaker condemns US and British officials for their reactions to disturbances in Tehran, saying that they orchestrated the "sacrilegious" events. Addressing the parliament on Tuesday, Ali Larijani said that Iran was not surprised about the stance that Washington and London had taken towards the anti-government protests, which were held during Sunday's Shia Muslim ceremonies of Ashura. According to Tehran chief prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, seven people were killed in the clashes that broke out between security forces and demonstrators in Tehran on Sunday. Read more...

7 killed on Ashura day: Tehran prosecutor Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:07 AM PST Tehran chief prosecutor general says that seven people have been killed during Sunday's anti-government protest on the day of Ashura. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said on Tuesday that seven people have been killed in the clashes during the Ashura ceremonies, the anniversary of the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (PBUH). He added that investigation into the killings is underway. Read more...

4 hurt in blast near Baghdad ministry building Posted: 29 Dec 2009 04:07 AM PST At least four people have been wounded in a bomb explosion at a parking lot near an Iraqi ministry building in the eastern part of the capital, Baghdad. "An explosive charge detonated around midday at the parking lot in front of the Transportation Ministry building, wounding four people and destroying more than 10 civilian cars," an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity on Tuesday. The source added the parking lot is for vehicles of the ministry employees and visitors. Read more...

Iran condemns foreign interference in protests Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:44 AM PST Iran strongly condemns the interference of foreign countries in its internal affairs after the US and Britain praised the group of people who held anti-government protests on the holy day of Ashura. "Moves made by certain individuals aimed at violating the law and sanctities and confronting the Iranian nation on an exceptional day were incorrect and inappropriate. This is rebellion," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told reporters at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday. "If countries support this violation of law and encourage the protestors, this is considered as interference in internal affairs of countries," he added. Read more...

WFP shocked by killing of Afghan employee Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:44 AM PST The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has condemned the death of one of its staff members in southern Afghanistan. The Afghan national employee was killed in a bombing in central Kandahar on December 24. Seven others were also killed in the attack. "I am shocked and saddened by this terrible loss," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said in a statement on Monday. Read more...

Turkey renews call for ending Gaza blockade Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:44 AM PST Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has reiterated Ankara's call for an urgent halt to the crippling Israeli blockade on the coastal sliver of Gaza. In a meeting with Palestinian ambassador to Turkey Nabil Maarouf in Ankara on Monday, Davutoglu made a reference to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and pledged Turkey will maintain its humanitarian support to the besieged enclave, Today's Zaman daily reported. Turkish Foreign Minister went on to note that the enduring tragedy in Gaza is the obstacle in the way of reconciliation among rival Palestinian groups as well as to the improvement of peace processes in the Middle East. Read more...

Larijani denounces Ashura protests in Tehran Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:44 AM PST Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has denounced Sunday's anti-government protests in Tehran, urging punishment for "desecrators" of the day of Ashura. Protestors took to some central and downtown streets in Tehran on Sunday, taking advantage of the Ashura ceremonies, the anniversary of the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (PBUH), to chant slogans against top Iranian government officials. Iranian police forces resorted to tear gas to disperse protestors. Seven people were confirmed dead during the unrest. Read more...

Afghan war relentless on civilian death: UN Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:44 AM PST UN figures indicate a 10 percent growth in the civilian death toll from the US-led war in Afghanistan with a good share of fatalities caused by foreign forces. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says civilian deaths in the first 10 months of 2009 stand at 2,038, up from 1,838 for the same period of 2008 — that is an increase of 10.8 percent. The figures show nearly 1,404 civilians were killed by Taliban-linked militants who are fighting to topple the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai and to drive out foreign troops. Read more...

Iran and Turkmenistan launch new gas pipeline Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:44 AM PST Iran and Turkmenistan are to be connected by a second gas pipeline during a visit by the Iranian president to the central Asian state next week. "The new pipeline could raise the volume of Turkmenistan's exported gas to Iran up to 14 billion cubic meters annually," Iran's Ambassador to Ashgabat, Mohammad-Reza Forqani, told Iran's Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. He added that the 65 km gas pipeline has been completed in only four months, thus being considered as one of the world's fastest gas projects. Read more...

Canadians say Afghan war unwinnable Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:25 AM PST As new troops pack their bags to go to the war in Afghanistan, a new poll shows that a majority of Canadians say the eight-year conflict is not winnable. The Ipsos Reid survey said on Tuesday that 66 percent of Canadians disagreed that "the build-up of troops will ultimately create a military victory over the Taliban." Only 34 percent of Canadians thought the Afghan war was winnable, the poll found. Read more...

UK unemployment peaks at 2.8mn in 2010 Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:25 AM PST Despite reports showing a recovery in the British economy, unemployment in the country is to carry on rising at least until the summer of 2010. The latest forecast from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) released Monday shows UK unemployment will peak at 2.8 million in 2010. The total number unemployed in the UK currently stands at 2.5 million, which is around 8 percent of the population. Read more...

Brown raps China for executing UK national Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:25 AM PST UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown hurls strong criticism against China for the execution of British national Akmal Shaikh on drug trafficking charges. "I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted," Brown said in a statement on Tuesday. Brown further expressed concern that the death sentence was handed and executed without a health assessment. Read more...

Yemeni HR groups condemn Sa'ada bombings Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:25 AM PST Yemeni human rights groups have condemned orchestrated air raids by Yemeni, Saudi and the US forces against civilians in the northern province of Sa'ada. The groups said the attacks, which have killed scores of civilians including women and children, amounted to "war crimes." The Yemeni National NGO Coalition for Child Rights Care and the Yemeni Center for Human Rights also called on the Yemeni and Saudi governments to stop the attacks. Read more...

Houthis seize full control of Saudi border post Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:24 AM PST Houthi fighters in northern Yemen say they have seized control of a Saudi military post along the border between the two countries where Saudi and Yemeni forces are waging a campaign to uproot them. According to a report released by Hezbollah's al-Manar television network, Houthis have seized "full control of the Al-Jamrah Saudi military post" as well as weapons, communication material, military vehicles and surveillance equipment. The report added that the northern Yemen's Shia fighters overran the Saudi post on Monday and forced soldiers to flee. The post is said to be located in close proximity to al-Khoba in Saudi Arabia's southern province of Jizan. Read more...

US spies: Israel or UK forged nukes report on Iran Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:24 AM PST US intelligence sources have confirmed Iran's assertions that a document published by a British daily about Tehran's nuclear program is a fabrication. According to a former CIA official, US intelligence agents have found that the document, which was published by the Times of London on December 14, was fabricated by Israel or Britain, the Inter Press Service (IPS) reported on Monday. The IPS report was penned by renowned investigative journalist Gareth Porter. Read more...

Karzai condemns US for killing school children Posted: 29 Dec 2009 01:24 AM PST Afghan President Hamid Karzai protests the US military's targeting of civilians after a US raid killed at least eight school children in the east of the war-torn country. Karzai's office on Monday issued a statement in which it condemned the killings that reportedly took place on Saturday in Kunar province near the border with Pakistan. "Initial reports indicate that in a series of operations by international forces in Kunar province... 10 civilians, eight of them school students, have been killed," the statement said. Read more...

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