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The United States military in Iraq has said that two US helicopter pilots were killed in a crash in the Salah ad Din province in north-central Iraq today. The military described the crash as a "hard landing" in a statement; however, few other details were provided. According to the statement, the cause of the incident is under investigation, although there was no immediate indication that the crash could have been caused by an enemy attack. The identities of the pilots are being withheld until their families are notified. With these deaths,

Somali pirates have carried out their longest-range attack to date today, firing on an oil tanker 1,850 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. NATO and European Union anti-piracy forces say pirates attacked the ship in the Indian Ocean, 740 kilometers northeast of the Seychelles islands. The reports say pirates in at least two skiffs approached the tanker and attacked it with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. The vessel took evasive maneuvers and escaped. No casualties were reported. The EU says a spotter plane has been sent to monitor the p

According to local police, seven armed men were shot to death by South African police early on Sunday at the Protea Coin security group's cash depot in Polokwane. The men reportedly arrived at the cash depot shortly after midnight, and shot out the lights of the building's main entrance and security cameras. They were reportedly dressed in balaclavas and gloves, and the burglar alarms had apparently been tampered with. Petrus van Niekerk, from the Protea Coin group, said that security guards in another part of the building heard shots being f

Fourteen million phone chargers have been recalled by Nokia amid fears that they could cause electric shocks. Despite the recall there have been no reported injuries. Chargers from the AC – 3E, AC – 3U and AC – 4U are the models in question. The models affected were made between June and October 2009. The chargers, made by the Chinese firm BYD, are mainly sold in Europe and North America. BYD has stated that it will pick up the costs of the replacements. An investigation by Nokia revealed that the charger covers became prone to coming off a

Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher together with F1 racer Sebastian Vettel won the Nations Cup for Germany at the Race of Champions on Tuesday. The event was held at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, China. The winning duo beat the Brittish team of the new Formula One world champion Jenson Button and three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx. The individual contest was won by Mattias Ekstrom, former DTM champion, who defeated Schumacher on Wednesday. Red Bull driver Vettel also won the FIA Formula One 2009 Et

The United Nations has warned that up to 750,000 people could be hit by heavy flooding and mudslides in Kenya due to heavy rains. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) appealed for US$2.8 million to help more than 300,000 refugees in two camps in Kenya threatened by flooding. The agency explained that the mainly Somali refugees in Kenya's overcrowded Dadaab camps urgently need to be protected from the worst effects of the torrential rains. Most of Kenya is suffering from the effects of the prolonged drought; however, along

British actor Ryan Thomas has become involved in a vehicle collision in Manchester, England. The actor, who is aged 25 and plays the character of Jason Grimshaw in ITV soap-opera Coronation Street, was believed to be involved in a collision involving his Chrysler striking a lamppost. This occurred at around 0400 GMT on October 31 in the city centre of Manchester. It has been reported that Ryan has been taken away for questioning by the police. Another man was also arrested in connection with this incident, and was later charged with the offe

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports more than 16,000 civilians have fled ethnic violence in the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UNHCR says the refugees crossed the Oubangui River into neighboring Republic of Congo to find safety after their villages were burned. The UN refugee agency reported that the mass exodus from the DRC's remote Equateur Province took place last week. It says ethnic clashes broke out between the Enyele and Munzaya tribes over farming and fishing rights in the village of

The United States House of Representatives has passed The Affordable Health Care for America Act or HR 3962, a bill which would ensure that 95–96% of US citizens receive affordable health care. HR 3962 was passed with 220 yeas and 215 nays. Democrats in the house needed at least 218 votes to pass the bill. 39 Democrats voted against the bill, which contained the Stupak amendment. This amendment curtailed women's abortion rights. One Republican, Representative Joseph Cao of Louisiana, voted for the bill. The US Senate has drafted their own

Families of Spanish sailors being held for over a month appealed to Spain's government on Friday to negotiate with the Somali pirates for their release. The kidnappers have threatened to kill three of the tuna trawler's crew after a stand-off with Spanish forces. They called upon the government to free two captured Somalis held in Spain, who are suspected of being involved in the seizure of the Alakrana and its crew of 36. As in the case with the Lynn Rival, a British yacht, the kidnappers have demanded their release. Ricardo Blach, the capta

The Ministry of Defence has announced that a British soldier has been killed in an explosion in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. With this announcement, the total number of military personnel that has been killed in Afghanistan has now increased to 231. The man was killed on Saturday afternoon after an explosion near the town of Sangin. He came from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, and was serving with 4th Battalion, The Rifles. The soldier's family have now been informed of the death, the Ministry said. Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield is th

The Dalai Lama visited a Tibetan monastery on Sunday in Tawang in the northeast Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh in India, which is disputed by China and India. This is his second controversial visit this year, following a previous visit to Taiwan in August, also claimed by China. The Chinese government has protested at the visit, accusing the Dalai Lama of trying to undermine their rule in Tibet and accusing the visit of anti-China sentiments. The Dalai Lama refutes these claims, calling the visit "non-political". Thousands of Buddhist