A round-up of today's world news stories in brief
Documents critical of Putin seized by police
ST PETERSBURG – Police in Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin’s home town seized pamphlets critical of him on the eve of a high-profile business forum showcasing Russia, opposition leaders said yesterday.
Police confiscated 100,000 copies of a report on Mr Putin’s decade in power co-authored by Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy PM, said Olga Kurnosova, head of the local branch of the opposition United Civil Front. Police held the driver of the vehicle delivering the pamphlets for hours, Ms Kurnosova said. – (Reuters)
Burma landslides and floods kill 46
RANGOON – Landslides and floods caused by torrential rain have killed 46 people in western Burma this week, state television reported yesterday.
Burma is no stranger to harsh weather and at least 140,000 people were killed in 2008 when a cyclone hit the south.
Earlier, local officials and an aid worker for an international NGO, had said that heavy rain had washed away bridges and blocked roads in the area, killing at least 25 people. – (Reuters)
30 Pakistani troops missing, says army
ISLAMABAD – More than 30 Pakistani troops were missing after an attack earlier in the week by Afghan Taliban on a border post, with the militants claiming to hold dozens of soldiers captive, the Pakistan army said.
Maj Gen Athar Abbas, spokesman for the Pakistan army, confirmed the Monday attack and said 40 Frontier Corps troops were missing after the post on the border between the Mohmand and Bajaur agencies was overrun by Taliban from Afghanistan. – (Reuters)
Tunisia tough on talking state down
TUNIS – Tunisia has made it a crime for anyone to incite foreigners not to invest in the country, give it loans or sign trade deals with it, in new legislation that government opponents say could be used to stifle criticism.
The legislation comes at a time when Tunisia’s application to the European Union for “advanced status”, which would give it preferential trade terms, could be complicated by opposition allegations concerning the government’s human rights record. – (Reuters)