A round-up of today's workd news stories in brief
Bin Laden calls for Afghan withdrawal
DUBAI – Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has demanded that European nations withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in a new audio tape aired yesterday, saying they were sacrificing men and money in an unjust US-led war.
“We are not demanding anything unjust. It is just for you to end injustice and withdraw your soldiers [from Afghanistan],” he said in the tape, released on the internet with a background picture of bin Laden and with German and English subtitles.
“One of the greatest injustices is to kill people unjustly, and this is exactly what your governments and soldiers are committing under the cover of the Nato alliance in Afghanistan,” bin Laden said. – (Reuters)
UK age retirement challenge lost
LONDON – The High Court has rejected a legal challenge by two charities against the right of companies to force their employees to retire without compensation at the age of 65.
Senior judge Nicholas Blake yesterday upheld the law that allows companies to dismiss staff without redundancy payments on their 65th birthday.
However, he said a government review next year could raise the retirement age.
Age Concern and Help the Aged, which brought the case, said that while the ruling was a “huge blow”, they too hoped the government review of the rules would change the rules. – (Reuters)
Briton jailed for US bomb hoax
LONDON – A Briton who falsely claimed a chemical bomb had been planted in New York’s Times Square, sparking street closures and evacuations, has been jailed for four years.
Jamal Ahmed (20) contacted US officials from his home in High Wycombe in July last year, saying a bomb had been planted at Frankie’s in Manhattan.
US authorities evacuated buildings around Frankie and Johnnie’s steakhouse, the presumed target, and security officials were sent to the scene.The next day Ahmed made a hoax call to Britain’s home office saying he had information about a chemical explosive device in London. – (Reuters)
Call for Serbia ban on far right groups
BELGRADE – Serbia’s public prosecutor has asked for two far-right groups to be banned after their threats led to the cancellation of a gay pride parade in Belgrade last weekend.
Serbian authorities withdrew approval for gay activists to hold a rally in Belgrade last Saturday after soccer hooligans and the extremist groups Obraz and Association 1398 threatened to attack the parade.
“The two groups were identified as those which must be outlawed immediately,” prosecutor Slobodan Radovanovic told B92 television yesterday.
Five foreigners were beaten, one critically, in central Belgrade last week. – (Reuters)