Saturday, August 08, 2009 LONDON: Britain's involvement in Afghanistan could last for up to 40 years, the next head of the British Army said on Saturday. General David Richards, who will become Chief of the General Staff later this month, told local newspaper: "The Army's role will evolve, but the whole process might take as long as 30 to 40 years."While British troops would only be required in the country in the medium term, there was "absolutely no chance" of NATO pulling out completely and Britain would have to play its role in nation-building, Richards said. "I believe that the UK will be committed to Afghanistan in some manner development, governance, security sector reform for the next 30 to 40 years," he said. The general said the focus of the NATO-led force should now be on the expansion of the Afghan army and police force.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in
Comments