No image available
/ 26 December 2006
An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that Saddam Hussein should hang for crimes against humanity, Iraq’s national security adviser told the media. Under the statute governing the Iraqi High Tribunal, the death sentence must be carried out within the next 30 days. The former Iraqi leader was sentenced to death in November.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
A major earthquake struck southern Taiwan on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami of up to 1m that could hit the Philippines, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage from southern Taiwan. The United States Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7,1 and occurred at a depth of 10m.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
Mozambican civil aviation authorities seized a South African helicopter that allegedly landed illegally on a beach in Inhassoro in the southern province of Inhambane, the Mozambican news agency Aim reported on Monday. Aim said the helicopter was seized on Friday.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
Outgoing United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was deeply critical on Tuesday of Sri Lanka’s warring parties, blaming both sides for the violence that has slowed rebuilding after the 2004 Asian tsunami. In a statement he said the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels was making the reconstruction effort ”even more difficult”.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in the second Castle Lager Test against India at Kingsmead on Tuesday. The Proteas premier batsman, Jacques Kallis, has been ruled out with a back injury and fast bowler Dale Steyn has not yet recovered from the left thigh injury that forced him off the field during the first Test at the Wanderers.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
Shane Warne — roared on by an Ashes record crowd — created Test history by becoming the first bowler to claim 700 wickets as dispirited England collapsed on the opening day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The master leg-spinner captured 5-39 off 17.2 overs.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
Incoming United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged patience over talks to end North Korea’s nuclear-weapons programme. The latest round of six-country negotiations ended last week in Beijing but failed to make progress, with Pyongyang and Washington blaming each other for the impasse.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno and rebel leader Mahamat Nour Abdulkerim, once seen as a major threat to the government in N’Djamena, have signed a peace deal in Libya, a government source said on Monday. But the deal was not seen as the end of the threat to the rule of Déby from an array of rebel groups, as two of them forged an alliance.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
Shane Warne captured his 700th Test wicket to roaring home-town acclaim as Australia took a grip on the fourth Ashes Test against England on the opening day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The master leg-spinner bowled opener Andrew Strauss for 50 to become the first bowler in Test history to take 700 wickets.
No image available
/ 26 December 2006
New Zealand waltzed to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their second and final Twenty20 cricket international on Tuesday to level the series 1-1. Veteran Nathan Astle was in blistering form with an unbeaten 40 off 37 balls, hitting the winning run with nine balls remaining.