Category: news

British author Aminatta Forna’s novel The Memory of Love is named best book at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize ceremony in Sydney.

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The UK’s military operation in Iraq is to end within hours when the Royal Navy stops training Iraqi sailors.

Operation Telic, the name for the UK mission in Iraq since 2003, will finish but a handful of staff will remain at the British embassy in Baghdad.

At its peak the operation involved some 46,000 personnel.

Most UK forces withdrew in July 2009 from Basra, their main base, but 81 Navy trainers remained at the port of Umm Qasr.

The completion of the mission on Sunday comes eight years after Britain became involved in invading Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox paid tribute to the 179 British personnel who died since 2003 “fighting for security and stability in Iraq.”

The naval training mission involved three UK personnel based in Baghdad and 81 Royal Navy trainers based at Umm Qasr.

A total of 1,800 Iraqi personnel were trained on 50 different courses, including maritime, small arms, oil platform defence, and maintenance training, the Ministry of Defence said.

Britain is still involved in Nato’s training mission in Iraq, with 44 UK military personnel still in the country.

Members of Iraqi Security Forces will continue to be trained at UK-based courses, such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: “Royal Navy personnel have used their formidable skills and expertise to bring about a transformation in Iraq’s naval force.

“The Iraqi Navy has a key role to play in protecting Iraq’s territorial waters and the oil infrastructure that is so vital to Iraq’s economy, and I am proud of the role British forces have played in making it capable of doing that job.”

Brigadier Tim Chicken, director of the Iraq training mission, said the naval training had been conducted “out of the limelight” but had achieved “significant results.”

“We have led the development of the Iraqi Navy, seeing its growth from the most rudimentary of capability into one that stands at the cusp of taking complete responsibility for its territorial waters and critical offshore oil infrastructure,” he said.

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Parliamentary elections are taking place in Cyprus with opinion polls indicating a tight race between the two main rivals.

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The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea are holding a trilateral summit in Tokyo expected to focus on Japan’s continuing nuclear crisis.

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Newly-appointed Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has announced the portfolios for his new team in the Scottish Parliament.

After a disastrous election on 5 May, the party was reduced to just five MSPs, compared to 16 in the last government.

Tavish Scott stood down as leader following the result.

Mr Rennie said the Liberal Democrats would have a strong voice in the Scottish Parliament.

“We may be a small team, but we’re a strong team and we will be a strong Liberal voice in the Scottish Parliament,” he said.

“I want each Liberal Democrat to scrutinise government plans to make sure civil liberties, local services and decision making are protected and long-term sustainable plans to get the economy moving are prioritised.

“When the nationalist administration sets aside independence and focuses on these issues, we will work with them.

“But we will not be afraid to stand up to the SNP when they get their priorities wrong.”

He added: “In this new parliament, despite our small number, we are no different to the other opposition parties.

“An SNP majority means they control parliament – neither our votes nor those of the other parties can stop an SNP bulldozer.

“But Liberal Democrats can and will use persuasion, argument and mobilised public concern to make the case for a better Scotland.”

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur will take on the education and energy brief, with Alison McInnes responsible for health and justice.

Mr Scott will deal with business and the economy, while Jim Hume will take on rural, environment, housing and transport.

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A landslide in Malaysia has killed two children and may have buried at least 21 others after hitting an orphanage near the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Six children have been pulled out with injuries after the landslide, which took place at about 1430 local time (0630 GMT) on Saturday.

A local lawmaker said the area had suffered heavy rain for two days.

About 100 people, including emergency officials, are involved in the rescue effort, he said.

The incident occurred at the Children’s Hidayah Madrasah al-Taqwa orphanage in the district of Hulu Langat, south of Kuala Lumpur.

“Twenty-three children under the age of 18 were buried in the landslide. Six have been pulled out with injuries while have two died. It is raining heavily now,” Che Rosli Che Mat, an opposition lawmaker, told AFP news agency.

He said the disaster had occurred while the children had been practising the traditional Malay drums under a tent near a steep slope.

“The landslide happened very fast. Only a few children managed to escape,” he said.

A district police officer told AP news agency that continuing rains were hampering rescue operations.

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First Minister Alex Salmond will argue for an alternative to the recent North Sea oil tax hike when he meets senior members of the UK government this week.

He will outline the impact of £2bn in taxes with Chancellor George Osborne.

In other meetings, Mr Salmond will discuss the electricity market, the fossil fuel levy and the Scotland Bill.

A spokesman for the first minister said the meetings, scheduled so soon after the election, proved the UK government was taking SNP government seriously.

In his first meeting on Monday, Mr Salmond will emphasise the importance of North Sea oil for jobs and investment in Scotland.

Oil & Gas UK, the trade association representing the offshore sector, has said the tax rise, announced in the budget in March, will cost the industry as much as £50bn over the next 10 years.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said: “This year the Treasury is set to rake in an all-time record £13.4bn in North Sea revenues – £2,700 for every man, woman and child in Scotland.

“Instead of simply regarding Scottish oil as a cash cow, the Tory-Lib Dem government must realise how important our offshore industry is for jobs across Scotland and for the economy of the north east in particular.”

The first minister will also meet Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg during his visit.

The Scotland Office said it expected “a very positive series of meetings”.

A spokesman said: “The Secretary of State made clear in his last meeting with Alex Salmond that it is now up to the Scottish government to produce a detailed objective case for the powers it is asking for in the Scotland Bill.

“That is true for each of the issues and we look forward to receiving that in due course.

“The Treasury made a decision to help motorists with the price of petrol at the last budget. To do so it taxed a portion of the unexpected profits created by rising oil prices and has since held a number of meetings with the industry to explain that decision.”

He added: “The Treasury also made a workable offer on the fossil fuel levy in the comprehensive spending review which the Scottish government has been able to access at any point since.

“This was the first administration to find a way to release the levy, giving the Scottish government a historic opportunity to invest in our renewables future.”

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A boy was winched to safety after getting stuck as he climbed down cliffs for a birthday dare.

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Police in Malaysia say two landslides have partially buried an orphanage near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, killing 16 people, 15 of them children.

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Bold plan to end China-Taiwan linguistic confusion

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The UK’s military operation in Iraq is to end within hours when the Royal Navy stops training Iraqi sailors.

Operation Telic, the name for the UK mission in Iraq since 2003, will finish but a handful of staff will remain at the British embassy in Baghdad.

At its peak the operation involved some 46,000 personnel.

Most UK forces withdrew in July 2009 from Basra, their main base, but 81 Navy trainers remained at the port of Umm Qasr.

The completion of the mission on Sunday comes eight years after Britain became involved in invading Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox paid tribute to the 179 British personnel who died since 2003 “fighting for security and stability in Iraq.”

The naval training mission involved three UK personnel based in Baghdad and 81 Royal Navy trainers based at Umm Qasr.

A total of 1,800 Iraqi personnel were trained on 50 different courses, including maritime, small arms, oil platform defence, and maintenance training, the Ministry of Defence said.

Britain is still involved in Nato’s training mission in Iraq, with 44 UK military personnel still in the country.

Members of Iraqi Security Forces will continue to be trained at UK-based courses, such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: “Royal Navy personnel have used their formidable skills and expertise to bring about a transformation in Iraq’s naval force.

“The Iraqi Navy has a key role to play in protecting Iraq’s territorial waters and the oil infrastructure that is so vital to Iraq’s economy, and I am proud of the role British forces have played in making it capable of doing that job.”

Brigadier Tim Chicken, director of the Iraq training mission, said the naval training had been conducted “out of the limelight” but had achieved “significant results.”

“We have led the development of the Iraqi Navy, seeing its growth from the most rudimentary of capability into one that stands at the cusp of taking complete responsibility for its territorial waters and critical offshore oil infrastructure,” he said.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Peru’s famous Machu Picchu site built on droppings

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The ever-growing piles of paperwork after NZ’s earthquake

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A pod of pilot whales are reported to have returned to a Hebridean sea loch where they risk becoming beached.

Conservationists had thought the 60 whales had moved from the shallow waters of Loch Carnan, South Uist, and were swimming south.

But British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) later said the animals had headed back into the loch.

Rescuers also said one of the whales may now have died after an apparent sighting of a body in the water.

The animals were first spotted around Loch Carnan on Thursday, sparking fears that they would die in a mass stranding.

Some of them have injuries to their heads, thought to have been sustained while they were stranded.

BDMLR’s Dave Jarvis described the latest development as disappointing.

He said: “Unfortunately the pod of pilot whales that it was hoped were moving away from the sea loch earlier have now returned to their original location.

“Personnel were deployed earlier to search for the group that it was hoped were leaving the area, but they were located not far away, from a land vantage point, by BDMLR operations manager Stephen Marsh and SSPCA senior inspector Calum Watt.

“The animals were observed and disappointingly they retraced their route back into the loch. The whales do not currently appear to be agitated.

“Sadly, it is thought that one of the animals may now have died as a body has apparently been seen in the water.”

Mr Jarvis has said the whales could only get stranded at one place – a sandy section of beach at the loch. However, other dangers are posed by the rocky coastline, with its many inlets and bays.

Volunteers from the charity will continue to monitor the whales.

The Scottish Government has also lent rescuers a fisheries protection boat to follow the animals’ movements.

At the end of October last year, some pilot whales almost got stranded in the same sea loch. Less than a week later, 33 whales, believed to be the same group, were found dead on a beach in Co Donegal in the Irish Republic.

Pilot whales prefer deep water but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.

Last week a pilot whale died on Sunday morning after getting stuck in the Sullom Voe inlet in Shetland. An autopsy was carried out on the animal to try to establish why it died but the results are not yet known.

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Syrian security forces are reported to have killed at least five mourners in the city of Homs.

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