Briefly World

The number of US troops killed in Afghanistan has roughly doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year as Washington....

Number of US troop deaths doubles in Afghanistan

KABUL: The number of US troops killed in Afghanistan has roughly doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year as Washington has added tens of thousands of soldiers to reverse the Talibans momentum. US officials have warned that casualties are likely to rise further as the Pentagon completes its deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and sets its sights on Kandahar,where a major offensive is expected in the coming months.

Head of Abu Dhabi wealth fund missing

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates state news agency says the head of Abu Dhabis sovereign wealth fund the worlds largest is missing after his glider crashed in Morocco. The agency said that Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyans glider went down in a lake in Morocco on Friday. The pilot of the aircraft was rescued,but authorities continued the search for Al Nahyan. Al Nahyan is the managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the younger brother of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,the leader of the UAE.

Palin now gives McCain a boost

TUCSON: Sarah Palin urged a cheering crowd on Friday to vote for her former running mate John McCain,lending much-needed support as he faces the toughest re-election battle of his career in the US Senate. If you want conservative solutions and common sense leadership8230; to fight for what this state and country needs,Im asking you to vote for John McCain, Palin told several thousand people packed into a fairground in Tucson,Arizona. Lets send the Maverick back to the Senate, she added.

Cops find bullet in letter to Berlusconi

Rome: Italian police say they have intercepted an envelope containing a bullet addressed to Premier Silvio Berlusconi on the eve of regional elections in Italy. Berlusconi was in Libya on Saturday to attend an Arab League summit. Police in Milan also said that a letter bomb addressed to the Northern League,a government ally,exploded in a post office and slightly injured a postman. An anarchic group claimed responsibility.

Worlds famous landmarks dim lights for Earth Hour

SYDNEY: Above Boys light candles to support Earth Hour in Jakarta on Saturday. Millions of people worldwide turned off lights for an hour from 8.30 pm in a gesture to highlight environmental concerns and to call for a binding pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions. This years was the fourth annual Earth Hour,organised by the World Wildlife Fund. As each time zone reaches the appointed hour,skylines went dark and landmarks dim,from a Manila shopping mall to the Eiffel Tower in Paris,the Opera House in Sydney and the Empire State Building in New York.

Rocker Bono named worst investor in US

London: Irish rocker Bono has been named the worst investor in America for his decision to back troubled smart telephone maker Palm Inc. The U2 frontman and his private-equity business Elevation Partners invested nearly 500 million into the debt-riddled firm,in December 2008. Bonos poor business decision has cost him dear with the Palm Incs shares plummetting to 35 per cent from January to February,Contactmusic reported.

Its curtains for Anil Kapoor starrer TV series 24

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Los Angeles: Hit television series 24 is seeing its last days on the small screen as the show has got an official cancellation. The show became a hit in India on the web after Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor made an appearance on the show as the leader of a West-Asian country in a guest appearance. The bosses have called it a day and the cast and crew of the Emmy award winning TV series were told that this season will be the shows last,Variety reported online.