A round-up of today's other world news in brei
Ban on church members joining BNP
LONDON – Members of the Church of England have voted to ban clergy from joining the anti-immigration British National Party (BNP) and other far-right parties.
Members of the general synod, the church’s national assembly meeting in London, voted in favour of the ban, which would apply to clergy, ordinands and employed lay persons who speak on behalf of the church. – (Reuters)
France hit by 145 km/h winds
PARIS – More than 600,000 French homes suffered power cuts yesterday after 145 km/h winds brought chaos to the north and west of the country.
The storm also disrupted travel for thousands of passengers scheduled to fly through Paris’s airports, which closed for 14 hours overnight. – (Reuters)
Decision in days on Afghan troops
WASHINGTON – US defence secretary Robert Gates has said he expects President Barack Obama to reach a decision on troop deployments for Afghanistan in the next few days.
The initial deployment could be as small as a single combat brigade as the US administration moves to complete a review on Afghan strategy by April, Mr Gates suggested.
Military planners have been considering sending two army combat brigades, each with about 3,500 soldiers, and a larger marine task force that could number close to 10,000 troops. – (Reuters)
Buena Vista bassist dies
HAVANA – Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, considered the heartbeat of Cuba’s legendary Buena Vista Social Club for his internationally acclaimed bass playing, died of complications from prostate surgery, fellow musicians said. He was 76.
Lopez, a founding member of the band brought together in the 1990s by American guitarist and producer Ry Cooder, died in a Havana hospital several days after surgery, said Manuel Galban, a Cuban musician who played with Lopez for decades.
“We have lost a great companion,” said Galban.
– (Reuters)
Aso approval rating at 14%
TOKYO – Support for Japanese prime minister Taro Aso has slid to 14 per cent, a survey has shown, a level which could lead his party to try to replace him ahead of an election that the opposition looks increasingly likely to win.
The nationwide survey by the Asahi newspaper also showed that 42 per cent of voters plan to vote for the opposition Democratic Party of Japan in an election that must be held by October.
That compares with 22 per cent who would opt for Mr Aso’s Liberal Democratic Party. – (Reuters)
Poor training blamed for crash
MOSCOW – The chief pilot of a Russian airliner which crashed last year killing 88 people had alcohol in his blood but the primary cause of the crash was poor training, investigators said yesterday.
A Boeing 737-500 operated by Aeroflot subsidiary Aeroflot-Nord crashed as it tried to land in the Ural mountains city of Perm, killing everyone on board in Russia’s worst air crash for two years. The inquiry also identified the crew’s preparation for the flight as a contributing factor. – (Reuters)