SouthAfricanpolicehaveopenedfireonacrowdofseveralthousandstrikingworkersataplatinummine,leavinganunconfirmednumberofpeopledeadorinjured.AneyewitnesstoldtheBBChecounted18bodieslyingonthegroundoutsidethemine.GordonCorerareports.
Afterfirstusingwatercannon,thenstungrenadesandteargas,TVfootageshowsSouthAfricanpolicefiringvolleysofliveroundsintothestrikingminers,someofwhomthepolicesaywerearmedwithmachetesandclubs.Bodiescanthenbeseenlyingonthegroundinpoolsofblood.Theunrestbegannearlyaweekagowhen3,000workerswalkedoutinwhatmanagementdescribedasanillegalstrike.Themenweredemandingawageincreasefromthecompanythatoperatesthemine.Itisthethirdlargestproducerofplatinumintheworld–almostallofwhichcomesfromthisonemine.
BritainandSwedenhavecriticizedEcuador'sdecisiontograntpoliticalasylumtotheWikileaksfounderJulianAssange.MrAssangesoughtrefugeintheEcuadorianembassyinLondontwomonthsagotoavoidextraditiontoSwedenwherehe'swantedforquestioningoversexassaultallegations.TheBritishForeignSecretaryWilliamHaguesaidMrAssangewouldnotbeallowedsafepassagetoEcuador.
"Underourlaw,withMrAssangehavingexhaustedalloptionsofappeal,theBritishauthoritiesareunderabindingobligationtoextraditehimtoSweden.Wemustcarryoutthatobligation,andofcoursewefullyintendtodoso.TheEcuadoriangovernment'sdecisiondoesnotchangethat,andnordoesitchangethecurrentcircumstancesinanyway."
PoliceinChilehavedetained139people–mostofthemteenagestudents–whoareoccupyingthreeschoolsinthecapitalSantiagoincontinuingprotestagainstthegovernment'seducationpolicies.Therewereviolentclashesaspolicemovedintothebuildings.Studentleader,CamilaVallejo,criticizedtheaction.
"It'sadirectassaultonpubliceducation,andonthechancetoadvancetowardsendinginequalityinChile."
Chileanstudentshaveheldmonthsofmassprotestsinthepastyeartodemandfree,highqualitypubliceducationforall.
ElevenpeoplehavediedafteramilitaryhelicoptercrashedinsouthernAfghanistan.Nato-ledforcesinthecountrysaidsevenofthedeadwereAmericanmilitarypersonnel,threeweremembersoftheAfghansecurityforces,andonewasanAfghancivilianinterpreter.TheBlackHawkhelicoptercrashedinKandaharprovince.
ThenumberofpeoplekilledinbombandshootingattacksinIraqonThursdayhasclimbedtoatleastforty-five.MostofthevictimsdiedinandaroundBaghdadandinthenortherncityofKirkuk.Securityforcesandpoliceappearedtobethetargetsofseveralofthebombings.
ABritishmanparalyzedfromtheneckdownhaslostaHighCourtcaseinwhichhearguedthatdoctorsshouldbeallowedtoendhislifewithoutfearofprosecution.JudgesruledagainstTonyNicklinson,sayingthelawwasclear,andthatvoluntaryeuthanasiawasmurder.Fifty-eight-year-oldMrNicklinsonhaddescribedhislifeasa'livingnightmare'sinceastrokein2005whichlefthimwithlocked-insyndrome.Hehassaidhewillappealagainstthedecision.
ABritishjudgehasruledthatanarrangedmarriageinvolvingaBritishwomanofBangladeshioriginwhohasseverelearningdifficultiesshouldbeannulled.Herparents,whoorganizedthemarriageinBangladeshnineyearsago,hadarguedthatitwasinherbestinterests,andanannulmentwouldshametheirfamily.
SharesinthesocialnetworkingsiteFacebookfelltoanewlowtodayassomeoftherestrictionsonsellingstockwereliftedaftertheinitialpublicofferinMay.Whenthecompanyfloated,shareswentonsalefor$38each.Today,thepricedippedbelow$20,wiping$4bnofthecompany'smarketvalue.Here'sourbusinessreporterKarenHoggan.
Untilnow,theinvestorswho'vebeenwithFacebooksincethecompany'searlydayshavebeenpreventedfromsellingtheirshares.Thisrestrictionisimposedtoprotectnewlyfloatedsharesfromextremevolatilityiftoomanypeoplesellatonce.Often,whenthebanislifted,acompany'ssharepricedropssharply.However,somethinkmanyinvestors,whohaveseenthesharepricedropsomuchsinceMay,mayhavehungontotheirsharestoavoidsellingthemataloss.
ThedeathhasbeenannouncedoftheheadoftheEthiopianOrthodoxChurch,AbunePaulos,attheageof76.TheEthiopianforeignministrysaidthepatriarchhadbeenreceivingtreatmentforanundisclosedillnessinrecentweeks.AbunePaulosledEthiopia's40millionOrthodoxChristians–halfofthepopulationfor20years.
