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Almost three thousand British troops in southern Afghanistan have successfully transported a huge hydroelectric power turbine through Taleban territory. In one of their biggest operations in Helmand, a convoy of 100 vehicles took five days to move the massive sections of the turbine 180km (112 miles). The $6m (£3.4m) turbine will mean the Kajaki power station can bring power to an extra 1.9 million people. British forces were helped by 2,000 Nato and Afghan troops. The operation was part of a development project which has been planned for two years. Late at night The convoy travelled the length of the...

The Ministry of Defence is to meet an animal rights group to discuss alternatives to the bearskin hats worn by guards at Buckingham Palace. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has approached Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney to design a new shape for the 18in hat. The charity has previously called for fake fur to be used, but said the MoD was not happy with prototype designs. Baroness Taylor, minister for defence procurement, will meet Peta on Tuesday.

NORMALLY you’ll find HMS Liverpool and Clyde enjoying temperate climes. But who says such things are set in stone? Not the planners at Fleet HQ, who decided to dispatch the Clyde and Liverpool to a land of a snow and ice. The patrol vessel and destroyer, plus their trusty tanker RFA Black Rover, headed to South Georgia to take charge of a disaster relief/emergency exercise. Equally important, however, was a chance to test the speed with which units based in the Falklands, more than 850 miles away, could respond to the need to defend South Georgia against a hostile invader,...

As Britain's magnificent Olympians returned home on Monday, they left behind a fierce debate in China over London's eight-minute contribution to Beijing's glittering ceremony - and in particular, the performance of Mayor Boris Johnson. While some Chinese media and bloggers praised the creativity of London's segment, others were damning with Johnson described as 'arrogant, rude and disrespectful' when accepting the Olympic flag. There were mixed opinions too about the cameo performance featuring a London bus, David Beckham, singer Leona Lewis, rock guitarist Jimmy Page, dancers and singers which was very different from the rest of the spectacular show staged by...

LONDON, Aug. 25 -- The daughter of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher said Britain's "Iron Lady" is suffering from dementia, the family's first public confirmation of what has been widely rumored in Britain for several years. Thatcher's condition has deteriorated so much that she forgets that her husband, Denis Thatcher, died in 2003, her daughter said in a memoir that is to be published next month and was serialized over the weekend in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. "I had to keep giving her the bad news over and over again," Carol Thatcher wrote. "Every time it finally sank in...

MALIA, Greece — Even in a sea of tourists, it is easy to spot the Britons here on the northeast coast of Crete, and not just from the telltale pallor of their sun-deprived northern skin. They are the ones, the locals say, who are carousing, brawling and getting violently sick. They are the ones crowding into health clinics seeking morning-after pills and help for sexually transmitted diseases. They are the ones who seem to have one vacation plan: drinking themselves into oblivion. “They scream, they sing, they fall down, they take their clothes off, they cross-dress, they vomit,” Malia’s mayor,...

A British soldier has been killed and two injured in a bombing in Kabul. The British soldier was from 16 Signal Regiment. Next of kin have been informed. The attack on the eastern outskirts of the Afghan capital on Tuesday afternoon also killed three civilians and left 12 wounded. An MoD spokeswoman said: "The three British soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital where one of them sadly died from his wounds. "Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and comrades." The suicide attacker exploded his vehicle by ramming it into a convoy of armoured vehicles.

'Secret deal' with Iraqi militia kept British troops out of battle for Basra Aug. 5, 2008 British forces were accused of staying on the sidelines during a battle in Iraq because of a "secret deal" between the UK and an Iranian-backed militia, it was reported today. Four thousand British troops were unable to come to the aid of US and Iraqi soldiers for six days during the battle for Basra this year, reports said But the Ministry of Defence denied there was any "accommodation" which prevented troops from entering Basra. An MoD spokeswoman said British forces were not sent in...

A British soldier was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan yesterday, the Ministry of Defence has announced. Next of kin have been informed. British soldiers in Afghanistan The latest death brings to 114 the total number of UK forces to die in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in 2001. Of those, 87 have been killed in action. The Ministry of Defence said that the soldier was serving with the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. The explosion happened in Helmand province, where most of the UK's 7,800 troops in Afghanistan are based. The soldier was part of a routine patrol that...

<p>The serviceman from the 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland was killed by a single gun shot in Helmand province.</p> <p>He was evacuated by helicopter for medical treatment but died.</p> <p>Next of kin have been informed.</p> <p>The soldier had been on foot patrol as part of a joint Afghan National Army and UK Operational Mentoring Liaison Team in the Marjah area, west of Lashkar Gah.</p>

A British Army dog handler has been killed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The soldier, from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, died on Thursday after coming under fire while on routine patrol, the MoD said. Six other soldiers were injured in the incident in Helmand Province. The death brings the total number of British service personnel who have died in Afghanistan to 112. The soldier's next of kin have been informed. The soldier was attached to the 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, serving in the Sangin area of Helmand. His patrol came under small arms fire from...

A British soldier has died and two others have been wounded in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. The soldiers, serving with the Parachute Regiment's 2nd Battalion, came under fire while on patrol. The soldier who died was with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attached to the Parachute Regiment. The injuries of the other two soldiers are not thought to be life threatening. All next of kin have been informed. The soldier's death, on Tuesday night, takes the number of British military casualties in the country to 111. A statement issued by the MoD said that the...

British Forces in Afghanistan have killed their second senior Taliban leader in a little over two weeks, striking a critical blow to the insurgency's command and control capabilities in Helmand. Scimitar Combat Vehicles Bishmullah was a senior key facilitator and logistician responsible for the Northern Helmand region. He is believed to have commanded numerous fighters and was identified by Task Force Helmand as a key player in the insurgency, and criminality, before the strike. He was killed in a firefight in Now Zad in the early hours of Saturday, 12 July 2008, just 15 days after Sadiqullah, another senior Taliban...

A Welsh stripper who set a car ablaze in Moscow "to cheer himself up" is reportedly being investigated for suspected links to British intelligence. Alistair Penney, a 38-year-old dancer from Cardiff, was detained on Wednesday as he ran from a burning Mercedes Benz in a suburb that has seen a spate of arson attacks on parked vehicles. Police have been investigating at least 32 cases of arson against cars in the Yuzhnoye Butovo district of Moscow over the past month. A video released by Russian police showed Mr Penney apparently confessing to the act. Wearing a broad grin throughout his...

A British soldier was killed and two others injured when a vehicle they were travelling in rolled over while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. "The vehicle had been part of a patrol, conducting force protection when the incident occurred. The incident was not combat-related," said the MOD in statement. The three soldiers, who were from the 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, were evacuated to NATO's International Security Assistance Force's medical facilities at Camp Bastion... ...The death in Helmand province brings to 109 the number of British troops killed since U.S.-led...

Expensive gas isn't so bad to the "CBS Evening News," as long as it promotes an agenda that caters to left-of-center sensibilities and makes Americans behave more like Europeans. Economists from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) (NYSE:CM) forecasted $7-a-gallon gas prices by 2010, which according to some analysts would force 10 million vehicles off U.S. roads over four years. CIBC based its prediction on $200-per-barrel oil by 2010. "In fact, by 2012, higher prices could send an additional 10 million vehicles off the road," CBS correspondent Priya David said June 26. Although $7 gas would do the most harm...

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has been stripped of his honorary British knighthood as a "mark of revulsion" following recent pre-election violence, the Foreign Office in London said today. Queen Elizabeth II has approved the annulment of the honour - bestowed on Mugabe by the former colonial power 14 years ago - on the recommendation of Foreign Secretary David Miliband. "This action has been taken as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided," "We can no longer justify an individual who is responsible...

British 9/11 fears over private planes, Government terror adviser warns By Christopher Hope, Home Affairs Editor Last Updated: 9:41PM BST 23/06/2008 Private jets and light aircraft could be used by terrorists to launch attacks on crowds and buildings in Britain, the Government's anti-terror expert has warned. There are an estimated 8,500 private aircraft and up to 500 "landing sites" in Britain, ranging from farmers' fields to regional airports Senior police officers have "real anxiety" about the possibility of terror missions being launched from small airports amid fears over lax security. Jets could be hijacked and used as "vehicle bombs" to...

Sky news poll on Afghanistan http://news.sky.com/skynews/home The Brits’ support in Afghanistan is a good thing. Help support our troops by supporting the Brits’ presence there. Please copy this link to a doc, and vote from your own computer. Often the polls close as soon as they see a Free Republic response. . .

LONDON (AFP) - A British employment tribunal on Monday awarded a Muslim woman 4,000 pounds (8,900 dollars, 5,100 euros) after a hair salon owner refused to employ her because she wears a headscarf. The tribunal dismissed a claim of direct discrimination, but found that woman, Bushra Noah, had suffered indirect discrimination and awarded her the settlement for "injury to feelings". The tribunal owner said she needed stylists to reflect the "funky, urban" image of her central London salon, and that new hires who have conventional hairstyles are requested to re-style it in a more "alternative" way. In its judgement the...

LONDON (AFP) - A 19-year-old man was arrested under British anti-terror laws on Monday in connection with an investigation into a suspect already charged with terror offences, police said. Police detained the man in Bristol and searched his home. His arrest was linked to the probe into 19-year-old Andrew Ibrahim, who was detained in Bristol in April. Following Ibrahim's arrest, police carried out a series of controlled explosions after searching his suburban home. Ibrahim has since appeared in court accused of plotting to commit acts of terror. Details of his alleged offences cannot be reported until a trial takes place....

by Steven Ertelt Bristol, England (LifeNews.com) -- A new report indicates a teenager died just one week after having a legal abortion -- providing more evidence that legal abortions are not safe for women. Manon Jones, an 18-year-old student from Caernarfon, Gwynedd experienced heavy bleeding after the abortion and eventually died. After the abortion, Jones felt light-headed over subsequent days and began experiencing abnormal bleeding. She then became what is believed to be the fourteenth woman to have died after using the dangerous abortion drug

Three British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the number of dead to 100. The three soldiers from 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment were on a routine foot patrol in the Upper Sangin Valley in Helmand Province on Sunday when a suicide bomber struck. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Four soldiers were injured in the attack and were evacuated to the medical facility at Camp Bastion. "Sadly, one soldier was pronounced dead on arrival and despite the best efforts of the medical team, two of the soldiers died as a result of their wounds. "A fourth soldier is...

"Battle of Qarat-e-Hazrat" ended in a rout. As last light crept in, red tracers, zipped 10ft above A Company, 3rd Bn The Parachute Regiment. "None of the British will leave that compound alive," local intelligence reported earlier. Major Jamie Loden told village elders the Taliban "fight like women" and if they were men "they would dare to fight us". Two hours later mortar rounds and bullets rained down on the Paras'.Capt Andy Mallet said mortars landed 20 yards from his position and tracers "were winging past my eyes". In the desperate opening moments they struggled to hold them back. "The...

US to demand 72hrs notice for British tourists By Andy Bloxham Last Updated: 12:50AM BST 03/06/2008 British visitors to the United States will have to register their trip with the American government 72 hours before they leave under new plans. All travellers from countries which do not currently require a visa will be forced to tell the Americans that they are coming. The rule is intended to bolster US security and was expected to be announced today by Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff. The move is likely to renew the worries of big business in Europe that deal-clinching, last-minute flights...

The British and Irish culture of street violence Who's really more violent?By Christopher CookIf I had a dollar for every time a Brit has told me that our "gun culture" makes us "uncivilized"...... This tragic story caught my eye this morning...Teen Actor in Upcoming 'Potter' Film Stabbed to Death in Bar Brawl: LONDON — A teenage actor who is to appear in the new 'Harry Potter' film was stabbed to death Saturday during an early morning barfight. Robert Knox, 18, was murdered outside the Metro bar in southeast London as he tried to protect his brother Jamie, 17, from a...

It was more an embarrassment than a ship. Nearly 20 years old, its single tall funnel poked out above dilapidated decks and scarred paintwork. It was heading for the breaker’s yard until the Haganah, the Jewish underground, bought it. Now, loaded with more than 4,500 Jewish refugees, many of them Holocaust survivors, it was approaching the Palestinian port of Haifa and its moment of destiny. Its commander that July day in 1947 was Yossi Harel, who has died at 90. The ship was the USS President Warfield but Harel had renamed it Exodus 1947. Nearing Haifa it was pursued by...

British soldier has been killed and three others injured in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. Their vehicle hit a mine while on a routine patrol in Helmand province in the south of the country. The four soldiers were from the Household Cavalry Regiment. The next of kin have been informed. The death brings the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 95.

aring, the first of the Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyers, has successfully tracked a Typhoon aircraft from Manchester to the west coast of Scotland as part of the second stage of her sea trials. During the five week trial the 7,350 tonne vessel has completed all power and propulsion testing, as well as a series of tests in open water off the west coast of Scotland which included extensive Long Range Radar and navigation systems trials, medium calibre gun blast trials and weapon alignment tests. Combat System trials have seen good performance across a wide range of equipment and numerous...

A battalion of 600 British troops will be sent to Kosovo, Defence Secretary Des Browne has announced. It follows a Nato request for extra soldiers to maintain public order in the newly independent country. Britain is responsible for providing the body's standby reserve force for the first six months of this year. The soldiers, from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, will be deployed to Kosovo from the end of May for one month to help Nato with peacekeeping activities. There are currently 150 British troops working in Kosovo. This latest deployment comes in response to a Nato request to deal with...

New anti-terrorism rules 'allow US to spy on British motorists' By Toby Helm and Christopher Hope Last Updated: 3:06am BST 21/04/2008 Routine journeys carried out by millions of British motorists can be monitored by authorities in the United States and other enforcement agencies across the world under anti-terrorism rules introduced discreetly by Jacqui Smith. The discovery that images of cars captured on road-side cameras, and "personal data" derived from them, including number plates, can be sent overseas, has angered MPs and civil liberties groups concerned by the increasing use of "Big Brother" surveillance tactics. Images of private cars, as well...

A British soldier has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The soldier, from the Queens Royal Lancers Regiment, died after a suspected minestrike on his vehicle on Monday morning. It takes the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 94. A second soldier hurt in the blast is being treated in field hospital. The MoD said the dead soldier's next of kin had been informed. The soldier was providing security to a supply convoy travelling from the town of Gareshk in Helmand province. The vehicles were returning to the...

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has denounced the opposition and former colonial power Britain in his first speech since the disputed elections. "Down with thieves who want to steal our country," he told crowds marking 28 years of independence. The outcome of the presidential poll is unclear but the high court has rejected an opposition bid to stop a recount. Meanwhile, South African dock workers are refusing to unload a shipment of arms from China destined for Zimbabwe. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union said it did "not agree with the position of the government not to intervene". Reports...

Pytheas visited the Isle of Man in 300BC - claim ANCIENT GREEK: The explorer Pytheas By ADRIAN DARBYSHIRE AN Ancient Greek explorer's extraordinary voyage took him to the Isle of Man 300 years before the birth of Christ, new research claims. Scientist and geographer Pytheas (pronounced Puth-e-as) is now believed to have visited the Island in about 325BC to take sun measurements during a three-year voyage – the first recorded circumnavigation of the British Isles. Pytheas was born in the Greek settlement of Massalia, now Marseille, about 360BC and was a contemporary of Alexander the Great (356-323BC). Marseille at that...

Two servicemen from the RAF Regiment were killed in a roadside blast in southern Afghanistan, according to the Ministry of Defence. The pair died during the explosion in Kandahar Province on Sunday 13 April at 1848 local time, the MoD said. Two other service personnel were injured in the incident, which took place during a routine patrol 1.2 miles (2km) west of Kandahar Airfield. Next of kin of all those involved have been notified. The deaths bring the number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan to 93.

In Basra the signs of the feared militia are slowly receding. For the first time in years alcohol vendors are selling beer close to army checkpoints, and ringtones praising the rebel cleric Hojatoleslam Moqtada al-Sadr are vanishing from mobile phones. Music shops are once again selling pop tunes instead of the recorded lectures of Shia ayatollahs. But, as the city cautiously comes back to life after an offensive by Iraqi troops backed by hundreds of US soldiers, there is a lingering resentment towards the British Army. Many here blame the British for allowing the al-Mahdi Army and other militias to...

The summer of 2006 was a violent time in Helmand province. Now, just 18 months after they went through some of the most intense fighting in decades, the Parachute Regiment is back in southern Afghanistan. The 16 Air Assault Brigade has taken over Nato command in Helmand from 52 Brigade and they arrived to a different war - still dangerous but in a different way. Then they fought for their lives, surrounded in small town centres and attacked day and night by a determined Taleban force more numerous and well armed than commanders expected. The British forces were never supposed...

The first of the UK military's tough new 'Jackal' 4x4 patrol vehicles have been put through their paces in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. The introduction into service of up to 100 of the new vehicles will mark a significant improvement on the capabilities of the current weapons platform, the Land Rover-based Weapons Mounted Installation Kit (WMIK), for UK forces on the front line.

British fear US commander is beating the drum for Iran strikes By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 1:53am BST 05/04/2008 British officials gave warning yesterday that America's commander in Iraq will declare that Iran is waging war against the US-backed Baghdad government. A strong statement from General David Petraeus about Iran's intervention in Iraq could set the stage for a US attack on Iranian military facilities, according to a Whitehall assessment. In closely watched testimony in Washington next week, Gen Petraeus will state that the Iranian threat has risen as Tehran has supplied and directed attacks by militia...

Two British soldiers have been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The two members of 40 Commando, Royal Marines, were on a routine patrol on Sunday when they were hit by what is thought to be a roadside bomb. Their deaths in Helmand province bring the number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan to 91, all but five of them in the last two years. Next of kin have been informed of the latest two deaths. The spokesman for Helmand task force said they were investigating the cause of the blast, which could...

A Royal Marine who threw himself onto an exploding grenade to save the lives of his patrol has been put forward for the UK's highest military honour. Lance Corporal Matt Croucher, 24, a reservist from Birmingham, survived because his rucksack and body armour took the force of the blast. He was part of a reconnaissance troop in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in February, when the incident happened. The Ministry of Defence said he could be considered for the Victoria Cross.

British TV crew 'spread deadly flu to remote Peruvian tribe' By Nick Allen Last Updated: 6:56pm GMT 26/03/2008 A British production company making a reality television show in the Peruvian Amazon has been accused of starting a flu epidemic which allegedly killed four members of a remote native tribe and left many others seriously ill. Indigenous communities blamed researchers from London-based Cicada Films for the outbreak in the isolated Matsigenka tribe where people had previously had little contact with Western diseases. The company has flatly denied its two-strong team was responsible, insisting they did not visit the area hit by...

A British soldier has been killed during a firefight in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said. The soldier died from gunshot wounds after clashes in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The soldier's family have been informed. They have asked that no further information about the soldier be released, the MoD said. It is understood the soldier's death is not linked to operations in Basra. There is no indication of where the incident took place. An MoD spokesman said: "It is with deep regret that the MoD must announce the death of a British soldier in Iraq. "The soldier died...

A British soldier killed in Iraq was an SAS trooper fighting in Baghdad, Sky sources understand. The Ministry of Defence have confirmed a soldier died as a result of wounds sustained during an Iraq firefight, but have not confirmed the exact location.

Commando who fought off 70 Taliban in Afghanistan is honoured in secret By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent Last Updated: 1:56am GMT 22/03/2008 A British commando has secretly received one of the highest decorations for bravery for tackling 70 Taliban fighters after two colleagues were killed during an ambush. The sergeant, who cannot be named to protect his identity, was part of a 16-man team of Special Forces conducting a "snatch operation" to capture four Taliban leaders near Sangin in the north of the British zone in Afghanistan. The firefight took place on June 27 2006, but the award of a...

"This is not merely a tale of the elderly and a time long past, but rather it is a memorial and indicator along the path to the independence of Cypriots and Jews." Monuments help us to remember or prevent us from forgetting. We choose who and what to commemorate and the cumulative result constitutes our shared public memory. At a time when the Holocaust moves from lived experience to historical phenomenon in the memories of succeeding generations, the function and significance of memorials becomes increasingly important in the drive to “never forget.” Monuments and memorials serve to mourn, to honor...

The Army has launched a publicity campaign costing an estimated £2m to encourage public support for UK soldiers. (note to thread: the next point are ones that I have picked out from larger article. You can view the entire article @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7300626.stm)Rikstir ...The campaign, which is being launched just days before the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion and is entitled "To the Best", aims to share stories of the work troops do. It includes a website where messages of support can be left... ...Last year, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the Army, expressed concerns about "the growing...

UK Defence Secretary Des Browne is visiting the Iraqi city of Basra. The Ministry of Defence confirmed Mr Browne was on a "general visit" to the country, but declined to say how long he would be there. Prime Minister Gordon Brown went to the UK base in Basra, in the south of the country, last November. There are currently about 4,000 UK troops in the area. The Iraqi government took responsibility for Basra province's security in December. Mr Browne's visit was revealed after the Al Iraqiya station broadcast live footage of him attending a business conference. 'Highly unlikely' Last October...

The costs of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq this year are likely to almost double to £3.297bn, a committee of MPs has warned. The Commons defence committee said operational costs for this financial year were now forecast to reach £3.297bn - a 94% increase on last year. This included a 72% rise in spending on Iraq to £1.648bn, despite ongoing falls in troop numbers. Last year's total spending on the two conflicts was £1.698bn. The cost of the Afghan conflict would rise 122% to £1.649bn this year, the MPs said. 'Better information' While the committee recommended that the House...

They all made a pact before they went to war. Whatever happened to them in Afghanistan no one - dead or alive - would be left behind. One night in Helmand Province, that pledge was put to the test. In a terrifying split second, the close-knit group from one of the Army's most battle-scarred units came under fire from a hail of Taliban bullets and rocket-powered grenades. Four men were hit and several others temporarily blinded by phosphorus. Their screams of pain cut through the darkness as the ambushed platoon was pinned down by gunfire from two sides. But the...