Australia
SYDNEY, New South Wales- A raid killing six Afghans, including five children, leaves three former Australian soldiers pressed with manslaughter, dangerous conduct, failing to comply with a lawful general order and prejudicial conduct. The raid took place in February 2009 on a compound in southern Uruzgan province. The soldiers blamed the suspected insurgent inside the compound for the deaths, which also left another two children and two adults wounded. It has not been clarified when or why the soldiers left the military. They are still in the army but no longer members of the Special Operations Task Group, according to a defense department spokesperson.
Europe
LONDON, England- After a bomb threat called in from a phone booth Tuesday, the Eiffel Tower was evacuated. This was the second occurrence of such an alert within the past two weeks. French and British officials have been on alert for possible terror attacks. Nothing unusual was found in the tower, and tourists were allowed back inside two hours following the evacuation. The terror warning has not changed from “severe”. “Still, it hasn’t been to the degree that we have raised the threat level,” said one British government official. Authorities suspect al-Qaida’s North African branch of plotting a bomb attack on a popular location in France, according to National Police Chief Frederic Pechenard.
Asia
PYONGYANG, North Korea- The son of North Korean Leader Kim Jong II, was named vice chairman of the Workers Party, as of Tuesday according to the North Korean state news agency. Kim Jong Un was named to the Central Committee of the party, and earlier in the year was promoted to a four-star general according to the Korean Central News Agency. The promotions come at a time when North Korea is believed to be transitioning Kim Jong Un into the countries next leader. Little is known about Kim Jong Un, due to details the North Korean government withholds from the public. In addition to the promotion, North Korea has disclosed it has produced roughly 40 kilograms of enriched plutonium – enough for seven nuclear bombs.
