Vietnam massacre soldier 'sorry'

The US army officer convicted for his part in the notorious My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War has offered his first public apology, a US report says.

"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened," Lt William Calley was quoted as saying by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.

He was addressing a small group at a community club in Columbus, Georgia.

Calley, 66, was convicted on 22 counts of murder for the 1968 massacre of 500 men, women and children in Vietnam.

Cold blood

"I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry," the former US platoon commander said on Wednesday.

He was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killings in 1971. Then-US President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence to three years' house arrest.

But Calley insisted that he was only following orders, the paper reported.

Calley maintains that he was following orders from his superior

He broke his silence after accepting a friend's invitation to speak at the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club, a US-based global voluntary organisation.

At the time of the killings, the US soldiers had been on a "search and destroy" mission to root out communist fighters in what was fertile Viet Cong territory.

Although the enemy was nowhere to be seen, the US soldiers of Charlie Company rounded up unarmed civilians and gunned them down.

The My Lai massacre was a turning point in the Vietnam War

When the story of My Lai was exposed, more than a year later, it tarnished the name of the US army and proved to be a turning point for public opinion about the Vietnam War.

news.bbc.co.uk

Death takes UK Afghan toll to 200

A British soldier has died from wounds suffered in Afghanistan, taking the number of UK troops killed since operations began in 2001 to 200.

The soldier, from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh, died in hospital in Birmingham. Family have been informed.

He was injured in an explosion while on patrol in Helmand on Thursday.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown described the death as "deeply tragic news", but renewed his commitment to the "vital" mission to make Afghanistan stable.

"Today is a day of mourning, and also a day of reflection. I want to thank the entire armed forces and the families and communities which sustain them," he said.

"We owe it to you all never to forget those who have died. But my commitment is clear: we must and will make Britain safer by making Afghanistan more stable.

"We will honour and support those who have been killed or wounded in the field of battle. And we will give those who fight on all the support that they need to succeed in this vital mission."

'Deeply saddened'

The latest soldier to die in the conflict was wounded while on vehicle patrol near Musa Qala in Helmand province on Thursday morning. He died of his wounds on Saturday at the Royal College of Defence Medicine in Selly Oak.

Lt Col Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "We are deeply saddened by his loss and join with his family and friends to mourn his passing."
A total of nine UK personnel have died this month as troops attempt to shore up security ahead of August elections.

The latest death follows those of three soldiers killed by roadside bombs while on foot patrol in Helmand on Thursday.

Two of the soldiers had been attempting to help a comrade who had been wounded by an earlier blast.

Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, from County Durham, and Captain Mark Hale, both serving with the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, were carrying Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, of 40 Regiment Royal Artillery, from North Yorkshire, when they were hit by a second explosion.

'Progress made'

Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said news of the 200th death made it a "grim day" and said Britain mourned every loss of life in the conflict.

But he insisted UK troops had been making "good progress" in their mission.

He accepted the recent offensive against the Taliban - Operation Panther's Claw - was a "tough fight", but said it had brought nearly 80,000 Afghans out from under the "tyranny of the Taliban".

Mr Ainsworth also said he believed the second Afghan presidential elections, to be held later this week, would offer more Afghans "a stake in their own emerging democracy" and provide greater security for the UK.

"It is only by supporting the Afghan government and its security forces to bring stability can we ensure that we prevent Afghanistan becoming the haven for terrorists it once was, protecting Britain from attack and promoting peace across the region.

"We must not fail in this task, and we will not."

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said passing the 200th death mark served as a "stark reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of British troops in Helmand".
news.bbc.co.uk

Harlem business owner Charles (Gus) Augusto opens shop day after fatally shooting two robbers

Keivom/News

Police investigate the scene Thursday outside the Blue Flame, a restaurant-supply business on W. 125th St., where owner Charles (Gus) Augusto (below) shot and killed two would-be robbers.

There was spattered blood and holes from shotgun pellets in the door, but Charles (Gus) Augusto was back in business Friday, a day after blasting two would-be robbers to death and wounding two more.

Sitting in his Harlem store, the 72-year-old businessman said he wished he hadn't been forced to pull the trigger, but added, "I had no choice."

"I would have been happy if they'd all run out the door," he told the Daily News. "I'm sick to my stomach over it."

Augusto said he told the gunman who'd just pistol-whipped his clerk to clear out, but the bandit just wouldn't listen.

"I'm sad I couldn't talk him out of it," he said. "I'm sad there's mothers and fathers with no sons today."
Augusto said he has some idea what they must be feeling because his son, Charles, killed himself with a gun a dozen years ago and "the pain never goes away."

"I don't feel like a hero," he added. "I would have felt like a hero if I could have talked that kid into going home."

The tragedy began at 3 p.m. Thursday when four thieves burst into Blue Flame, a restaurant-supply business on W. 125th St. near Amsterdam Ave.

They apparently hadn't noticed the words "Abandon all hope ye who enter here" that some joker had written in black marker over the front door.

In his first interview since the shooting, Augusto told the News what happened before he reached for his 12-gauge shotgun and began firing.

"I'm sitting here minding my own business and they come in," he said. "Next thing I look and there's a kid standing there with a gun pointed at \[secretary Dorothy Hunt\] wanting to know where the cash was."

As one of the suspects beat Augusto's store clerk, Toxie "J.B." Hall, another asked Augusto, "Where's the cash?"

"I told this kid, 'We don't have any money,'" Augusto said.

"I asked him, 'Why don't you just put your gun down and go home and we'll forget about this thing? Someone's gonna get hurt. There's no money - you're gonna get in trouble. You're wasting your time.'"

Augusto said for a second he thought he'd gotten through to him. But then another robber, who was wearing a red shirt, told his buddy to ignore Augusto and resumed pounding Hall.

It was then that Augusto reached for the shotgun he bought two decades ago - and hoped he'd never have to use.

"I got up and pointed it down there and I fired about three rounds," he said. "I wasn't aiming at no one directly."

Augusto's three blasts felled all four bandits, ages 21 to 29. Two were killed. Two others staggered outside the store and were nabbed by cops. They were taken to St. Luke's Hospital in stable condition.

"They were beating up on J.B., so I shot them," Augusto said. "They were probably going to work us all over. You know me - I'm not going to take anything lying down."

Hall, 35, said he owed his life to Augusto.

"I worked for that guy since I was 19," he said. "He looked after me tremendously. Gus is a good dude."

Born in Yonkers and still living in Westchester County, Augusto said he is a father of two other children and has been married 48 years. He said he learned how to handle a gun while serving in the Coast Guard.

Police are investigating whether Augusto's gun was properly licensed. He said the license may have expired.

"It was sitting there for 20 years - I didn't know if it was gonna' work," he said.

With Mike Jaccarino and Rich Schapiro(The nydailynews)

Obama denounces emphasis on health care protests

BELGRADE, Mont. – Trying to lower the temperature of the health care fight, President Barack Obama on Friday denounced news media emphasis on angry protesters at town hall meetings.

Obama ventured west for the latest of his own town hall-style events, fielding polite but occasionally tough questions — one man declaring the president couldn't pay for his plan without raising taxes. Tieless and rolling up his sleeves in campaign mode, Obama pitched his overhaul plan to a crowd in an airport hangar near Bozeman.

The president didn't deny that there have been angry outbursts by foes of his plan at town halls featuring Democratic lawmakers this month. But he said that was hardly the whole story.

"TV loves a ruckus," Obama said. "What you haven't seen on TV and what makes me proud are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country."

While hundreds demonstrated outside, there was no sign of protesters on the airstrip where Air Force One landed or inside the hangar. Obama has another town hall Saturday in Grand Junction, Colo.

Friday's crowd, estimated by the White House at about 1,300 people, was mostly supportive, cheering Obama frequently, though he did get a few pointed questions. One came from Randy Rathie, who called himself "a proud NRA member," referring to the National Rifle Association, and said he got most of his news from cable TV.

"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this," Rathie said of Obama's health care overhaul. "The only way you're going to get that money is raise our taxes."

"You are absolutely right," Obama said. "I can't cover another 46 million people for free. I can't do that. We're going to have to find money from somewhere."

He noted a congressional estimate that legislation being considered in the Senate could cost $800 billion to $900 billion over 10 years.

Obama has proposed higher taxes for families earning more than $250,000 a year. He said there were also other ways to find money, including streamlining the system and eliminating what he said were subsidies to insurance companies.

"But your point is well-taken," Obama said. "I appreciate your question and the respectful way you asked it."

Later, Rathie told CNN he was "well-impressed" with how Obama handled his question. "Now he's given me his word, personally, that he's not going to raise my taxes," Rathie said, but at the same time, "they're trying to put in a program that they don't even understand."

Another participant, who said his job was selling health-insurance policies, asked Obama why he had changed his strategy from one of reaching out to insurance companies to "vilifying" them.

"My intent is not to vilify insurance companies," Obama said. "I say, 'Let's work with the existing system.'" But he said some bad practices of insurance companies "are tough on people" and "have to change," including such things as denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

It's difficult, he said, to achieve true reform "unless we've got everybody covered."

The president kicked off a four-state Western push for his plan with a pointed joke: He said Montana has bears, moose and elk, and "in Washington, you just have mostly bull."

Minutes after Obama landed, a downpour began, making it difficult to hear inside the metal-roofed hangar. But the rain quickly let up. Tickets were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to residents of Bozeman and Belgrade, with a limit of two to a family.

The president appeared ready to campaign. He showed up in a suit, but no tie. As he began to take questions, he took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves.

"I know there's been a lot of attention paid to some of the town hall meetings that are going on around the country, especially when tempers flare," Obama said.

He said that what wasn't being shown were the gatherings in which people "are coming together and having a civil, honest, often difficult conversation about how we can improve the system."

Obama aimed part of his pitch at Americans who already have health insurance.

"Most of us have insurance, and most of us think, knock on wood, and think: 'I'm going to stay healthy,'" Obama said.

He cited examples in which people have lost their insurance, including when going from job to job and because of pre-existing conditions.

Obama made his latest appearance as a prominent ally, John Podesta, said the high-decibel attacks are designed to destroy his presidency rather than merely defeat health care legislation.

At a breakfast with reporters in Washington, Podesta predicted such tactics would backfire on Republicans and give the president a chance to "capture the center of the debate."

Podesta, who heads the Center for American Progress and played a key role in last winter's presidential transition, said the time for bipartisan negotiations in the Senate is drawing to a close. When lawmakers return in September, he said, "either they have to have a deal or he (Obama) has to say, 'This is what it is.'"

A close legislative ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., told WJPA-AM Radio in western Pennsylvania that Congress is going to "do it right" when it comes to passing health care legislation. But he said it's not clear how soon that will be.

There have been numerous missed deadlines. But the goal of Democratic leaders is to pass a health care bill in time for Obama to sign it this year.

Murtha said lawmakers are telling Pelosi not to rush passage.

Underscoring the fire around the issue, Obama was met in Montana by TV and print advertisements from a group called Conservatives for Patients' Rights urging opposition to a new public insurance plan supported by Obama that would compete with private insurers.

The American College of Surgeons also weighed in by criticizing comments Obama made in New Hampshire and at a news conference last month suggesting that doctors might be motivated by profit to amputate a diabetic's foot or remove a child's tonsils.

And Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele issued a statement, saying: "Americans simply aren't buying his efforts to repackage his government-run experiment."

___

Associated Press writers Matt Gouras in Belgrade, Mont., and David Espo and Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report.

news.yahoo.com

US senator in landmark Burma trip

US Senator Jim Webb has arrived in Burma on a visit during which he is to meet military ruler Than Shwe.

He would be the most senior US official to meet Than Shwe, the Democratic senator's office said in a statement.

His visit comes days after pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was given 18 more months of house arrest.

Adding to international condemnation, the UN Security Council has expressed its "serious concern" and the EU extended its sanctions against Burma.

Mr Webb, who is close to US President Barack Obama, is due to meet Than Shwe on Saturday, a Burmese official said.

He is not expected to meet Ms Suu Kyi or American John Yettaw, whose uninvited visit to her home led to the trial which ended on Tuesday.

Mr Webb chairs the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific affairs.

'Watered-down' statement

Ms Suu Kyi was put on trial in May after Mr Yettaw swam to her lakeside home, evading guards. She was charged with breaking the terms of her house arrest by sheltering Mr Yettaw and after many delays, was sentenced on Tuesday to three years in prison.

Although the sentence was commuted to 18 months house arrest by Than Shwe, it ensures the opposition leader cannot take in planned elections next year.

Ms Suu Kyi, 64, has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest.

A UN Security Council statement on Thursday expressed "serious concern" at the sentence and urged the release of all political prisoners.

Correspondents said the statement was watered down from an original US draft, which "condemned" the verdict and demanded that Burma's military junta free Ms Suu Kyi.

The main reason for the weaker language was China - a powerful permanent member of the council, with close ties to Burma's rulers, says the BBC's Tom Lane at the UN.

Together with Russia it has blocked strongly-worded condemnations in the past, our correspondent adds.

The US, Britain and France were among countries to condemn the verdict, but Burma's neighbour China said the world should respect Burma's laws.

The EU said judges involved in Ms Suu Kyi's sentencing would now join military and government figures in having their overseas assets frozen and travel to the EU banned.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is the current chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) told the BBC that imposing sanctions could lead to problems and that it was important to take a balanced approach to dealing with Burma.

The BBC.

Extra troops for Taiwan rescue

The Taiwanese government is sending more than 4,000 extra soldiers to speed up rescue efforts after last weekend's deadly Typhoon Morakot.

Hundreds of people feared buried by mudslides in the south of the country have been found alive.

But Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou - who visited the rescue operation centre in Qishan - said hundreds more were likely to have died.

So far at least 70 people are known to have been killed.

See graphic showing level of rainfall Morakot brought to Taiwan

Military helicopters have been airlifting some of the survivors to safety, and dropping provisions for others. Continuing rain has hampered their efforts.

It is now confirmed that all three crew aboard a rescue helicopter which crashed in the bad weather on Tuesday were killed.

President Ma met survivors and anxious relatives waiting for news of loved ones.

He said no effort would be spared to rescue them.

Nearly 1,000 people were found alive in a cluster of villages flattened by muddy landslides, and survivors have recounted the horror of watching their homes vanish.

One eyewitness described the devastation wrought on the village of Hsiaolin.

"I saw the mountain crumbling in seconds almost like an explosion and bury half of our neighbourhood," Huang Chin-bao, 56, told AFP news agency.

He said he and 40 neighbours were guided by his two dogs to higher ground.

"The dogs are our saviours," he said.

The typhoon struck Taiwan at the weekend, causing the worst flooding in 50 years.

'Save my village'

The BBC's Cindy Sui at the rescue centre in Qishan says the authorities fear that hundreds more people could still be trapped.

She says family members from surrounding areas have been converging on Hsiaolin, demanding that helicopters be sent to their villages too.

Some are carrying signs that read, "Save my village".

The search for survivors has been a slow process as the only way in and out of the villages is by helicopter, our correspondent adds.

The BBC's Alastair Leithead, also at the Qishan rescue base, says a high school playing field has become a landing pad for helicopters, and ambulances are lining the running track to ferry the injured to hospital.

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Alastair Leithead: "It's been another tough day for the rescuers"

Morakot lashed Taiwan with at least two metres (80in) of rain over the weekend.

It is typhoon season in the North West Pacific, which brings storms like Morakot with exceptionally high rainfall and strong winds, said Liam Dutton from the BBC Weather Centre.

But, to put it in context, he said Morokot brought around 40 times as much rain to Taiwan as would fall on a typical wet weekend in the United Kingdom.

Typhoon Morakot has caused at least $225m (£135m) in agricultural damage, while nearly 30,000 houses are still without power and 750,000 homes are without water, according to the latest estimates from officials.

The storm also hit mainland China, where about 1.4 million people were evacuated from coastal areas, eight people died in flooding and up to 10,000 homes were destroyed.

In the town of Pengxi in China's eastern province of Zhejiang, a landslide toppled seven older houses, reportedly killing two people.

Meanwhile in Japan, another seasonal storm, Typhoon Etau, caused floods and landslides that have killed at least 15 people since the weekend and left a dozen missing.

About 1,000 people spent Tuesday night in shelters and 4,600 households were without water, officials said.

BBC.co.uk

Lockerbie bomber release imminent

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who is suffering from terminal prostate cancer, has been serving his jail sentence at Greenock Prison.

Scottish ministers described the development as "complete speculation".

The Libyan had launched an appeal against his conviction for the murder of 270 people when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie in 1988.

It is believed UK and Libyan officials have held talks this week.

The speed of Megrahi's transfer is believed to be influenced by consensus among all parties that Megrahi be back on Libyan soil in time for Ramadan next week.

'Request deadline'

The news came after Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill visited Megrahi in prison, amid speculation he might be moved to Libya.

A prisoner transfer request was made by Libya to the UK government last May, less than a week after a treaty allowing prisoners to be transferred between the two countries was ratified.

In response, to the BBC's story, a spokesman for Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said: "No decision has been taken, either on the application for compassionate release or the application under the prisoner transfer agreement and so it is entirely speculation."

Decisions about prisoners are the responsibility of the Scottish Government, in effect giving Mr MacAskill the final say.

Mr MacAskill said last week he would miss the 90-day deadline, which expired on 3 August, because he was waiting for more information.

No transfer can take place if criminal proceedings are active, meaning Megrahi would have to drop his latest appeal against his conviction in order to be sent home.

He was ordered to remain in prison for a minimum of 27 years, having been found guilty of the bombing - which is still the UK's worst terrorist atrocity.

Megrahi's legal team had also made a request for him to released from prison on compassionate grounds.

An earlier request, made in October 2008, was rejected by Appeal Court judges after they heard medical evidence that with adequate palliative care, Megrahi could live for several years.

The court heard that such requests are normally only granted where a prisoner has less than three months to live.

(news.bbc.co.uk)

Former Gunnery dean sued for sexual molestation

WASHINGTON -- A civil lawsuit has been brought on behalf of a 16-year-old boy against The Gunnery School and the school's former dean of students, Robert Reinhardt, alleging Reinhardt sexually molested the teen during the 2007-08 school year.

Attorney Bob Reardon Jr., of the Reardon Law Firm, filed the suit Aug. 10 in Superior Court in New London.

Reinhardt had been dismissed by The Gunnery in June, after allegations of sexual abuse of students surfaced.

He was arrested Aug. 5 in Litchfield County on criminal charges -- two counts of second-degree sexual assault, with risk of injury to a minor attached to each charge, and one count of fourth-degree assault.

He is out on $750,000 bond with a return court date of Sept. 1.

The civil suit brought by Reardon this week charges that between September 2007 and June 2008, when the boy was 14 and 15 and a full-time boarding student at The Gunnery, "Reinhardt repeatedly over a long period of time sexually assaulted the minor plaintiff, violating his person and exploiting him for his own sexual gratification," the suit says

The suit goes on to say the teen is under psychiatric care as a result of the assaults and will "likely never" fully recover.

The suit claims Reinhardt was able to "engage in pedophilia" with the boy and other minors because he was allowed to invite boys to spend the night in his apartment on campus.

"This boy was sent to a boarding school as his first time away from home," Reardon said. "Within a month of being there he was molested, and the molestation continued. It has been devastating for him and just as devastating for his parents."

The suit also names as defendants The Gunnery School, Head of School Susan Graham, and school employee Dana Jackson.

"The bottom line is, this man (Reinhardt) had been there for many years and in his capacity as dean of students had greater accessibility to young boys than any other faculty member," Reardon said Wednesday.

"The molestation of this boy went on over a long period of time. They (the school, Graham, Jackson) were failing to do their full duty in allowing this to occur and continue," Reardon said.

Reinhardt's attorney, William Dow of Hartford, said Wednesday that "these charges are identical to the criminal charges. Rob Reinhardt is denying the criminal charges and will deny these as well."

"Rob Reinhardt has, and continues to have, an outstanding reputation. The amount of support he has received and continues to receive is overwhelming," Dow said.

Calls to Graham on Wednesday were not returned.

The newstimes.com

US, Mexico Clash On Trade, Drugs

President Barack Obama, left, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon shake hands as they meet in Guadalajara, Mexico

U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Monday, after the two presidents made no progress on contentious issues of trade and human rights at their North American summit in Guadalajara, Mexico.

A senior White House official describes Sunday's meeting between Mr. Obama and Mr. Calderon as "cordial."

The U.S. president expressed strong support for Mr. Calderon's efforts to fight drug cartels. But President Calderon said the United States should move faster to send Mexico the $1.4 billion it has promised over three years to counter organized crime. One hundred million dollars of that money is being delayed because some U.S. lawmakers are concerned about alleged human rights abuses by the Mexican army.

US to be 'Helpful Neighbor'

Unmarked tombs, many of them victims of recent drug violence who were unclaimed by family or friends, are seen at a municipal cemetery in Tijuana, Mexico

Even so, U.S. National Security Advisor General James Jones has said Washington will continue to work closely with the Mexican government in fighting the drug cartels. He said, "The Calderon government has, in fact, performed very courageously in the face of these cartels and I think, we think, that we have to do everything we can to be a helpful neighbor and partner to make sure that we are successful in this."

Mr. Calderon also wanted to know what Mr. Obama would do about the U.S. ban on Mexican trucks on its roads. The U.S. president had promised to restore a program that would allow Mexican truckers into the United States. But under pressure from labor unions and consumer groups, Mr. Obama later signed a bill that included a ban on spending for the program. Mexico then slapped tariffs on dozens of U.S. products. Mr. Obama told his host he would "try to move forward," but said Congress has "legitimate safety concerns" about Mexican trucks.

(from L-R) Mexican Pres. Felipe Calderon, US Pres. Obama, Canadian PM Stephen Harper

Later, the two leaders met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper over dinner. All three will hold a lengthy meeting on Monday, before holding a press conference and returning home. Featured prominently on Monday's agenda are efforts to contain any new outbreak of H1N1 swine flu and strategies to revive the three countries' economies.

More Summits Ahead

White House officials say the president has met with the Canadian and Mexican leaders a combined 12 times since he took office in January.

More meetings will follow in September. Prime Minister Harper has accepted an invitation to visit the White House, and all three leaders plan to attend the G-20 summit of major and developing economies, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

( voanews.com)

England face Dutch as Spain mourns death of Jarque

Hamburg - England head to Amsterdam looking forward to a prestigious friendly against the Netherlands Wednesday while European champions Spain travel to Macedonia in sombre mood following the sudden death of Espanyol defender Daniel Jargue.

The former Spanish U-21 international died on Saturday after suffering a massive heart attack whilst in his room in Italy, where Espanyol were on tour.

The 26-year-old's death has shocked Spanish football and although he had not been called up for the full team, Jarque was reportedly part of national manager Vicente del Bosque's plans for the 2010 World Cup.

There will be a minute's silence in honour of Jarque before Wednesday's friendly, and the Spanish players will wear black armbands.

"It will not be easy," said Del Bosque on Sunday, "to play a football match after what has happened." He described Jarque as "a good person and a promising young player."

Meanwhile, Fabio Capello's England will be looking to improve on the last time they met one of the favourites for the World Cup and were outplayed by Del Bosque's Spain.

The Dutch have already qualified for next summer's finals and are likely to present equally tough competition.

"The game is a good chance for us against one really important country," Capello said. "They are ranked third in the FIFA rankings, so it will be a really good test before we play Croatia (in the World Cup, in September)."

With the match against Holland coming four days before the start of the new English league season, Capello has vowed to name his strongest side.

United goalkeeper Ben Foster will compete with Robert Green and Paul Robinson for the starting goalkeeping spot, while in attack, Wayne Rooney is likely to be partnered by Emile Heskey.

Frank Lampard, who is likely to form a midfield alongside Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry and David Beckham or Theo Walcott, said he expected a tough examination from a Holland side that can call on four English-based players in Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Robin van Persie and Nigel de Jong, while former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben is also available.

"It is going to be hard," Lampard said. "They have obviously qualified because they are a good team and are playing well. It will be interesting to play against a team who are going to the World Cup as one of the favourites and who play very good football."

World champions Italy visit Switzerland looking to put behind them the harrowing defeats to Egypt and Brazil at the Confederations Cup in June.

Marcello Lippi has called up for the first time Genoa defender Domenico Criscito and Juventus's midfielder Claudio Marchisio, both coming from the Azzurri's youth team.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, captain Fabio Cannavaro and seven other world champion veterans are still in the lineup, while young full-backs Davide Santon and Giorgio Chiellini, plus striker Giuseppe Rossi, are confirmed from previous games.

"Only by mixing older and younger players, can you hope to have one chance in a billion to win the World Cup again," Lippi told Sky TV. "You could try a total overhaul, but it's likely that you won't win anything for a dozen years."

Ireland, who are the only real threat for the world champions in their World Cup qualifying group, are also involved in friendly action with Giovanni Trapattoni's side playing Australia.

World Cup hosts South Africa entertain Group 7 leaders Serbia in Pretoria, Brazil play Estonia in Tallinn, Portugal visit Liechtenstein and Russia take on Argentina in Moscow in other high- profile friendlies.

Bomb attacks in Iraq kill dozens

At least four bombs have exploded in Iraq, killing about 40 people and wounding more than 200.

Two truck bombs exploded in a Shia village near the northern city of Mosul, killing at least 23 people and injuring around 130.

Meanwhile, two bombs went off near construction sites in Baghdad, with 16 people killed and more than 80 wounded.

The attacks come a month after US troops pulled back from cities and handed over security to Iraqi soldiers.

At least 36 people were killed in a series of attacks on Shia areas on Friday.

Losing confidence

At about 0400 (0100 GMT) on Monday, truck bombs exploded nearly simultaneously in the village of Khaznah, 20km (13 miles) east of Mosul.

The blasts were so powerful that at least 30 houses in the village - home to the tiny Shia Shabak ethnic group - were completely destroyed.

Police say the death toll could still rise because many people are still buried under the rubble of their own homes.

Ethnically-mixed Mosul - Iraq's second city - is one of the last strongholds of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and still sees frequent attacks despite a decline in violence elsewhere in the country.

However, despite security gains in Baghdad, at least two bombs went off near construction sites in separate parts of the capital on Monday.

They appeared to be mainly targeting labourers who were gathering in the early morning looking for work.

One of the bombs was hidden in a pile of rubbish when it went off in the western district of Hay al-Amel, killing at least seven people and wounding 46.

Minutes later a second bomb went off in the northern area of Shurta Arbaa, killing at least nine people and wounding 35.

The Iraqi government has tried to send a positive message to Iraqis, saying they are in control and these attacks are caused by the remnants of the insurgency.

But this message is getting lost because of the violence, the BBC's Natalia Antelava in Baghdad says.

A car bomb exploded outside a mosque during a funeral service last Friday, killing 30 people.

Meanwhile in Baghdad on Friday, three bombs killed six people returning from a pilgrimage.

( news.bbc.co.uk)

UK worker held after Iraq death

A British man has been arrested by Iraqi police after a UK contractor was shot dead in Baghdad's Green Zone.

UK company ArmorGroup Iraq said Paul McGuigan and Australian colleague Darren Hoare were killed on Sunday.

A company spokesman said employee Danny Fitzsimmons, who rejoined the firm recently, had been arrested. He is also accused of wounding an Iraqi.

A second British ArmorGroup employee was also questioned about the shooting but released later by police.

An Iraqi military spokesman said the incident "started as a squabble".

The Green Zone is a heavily protected region of Iraq's capital city.

'Tragic'

Iraqi military spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said the matter was now in the hands of Iraqi justice.

Mr McGuigan, a former Royal Marine, 37, worked for the company for six years and has family in Scotland, the firm's spokesman said.

The ArmorGroup Iraq spokesman said: "I can confirm the deaths of two ArmorGroup Iraq employees in the early hours of this morning in a firearms incident in the International Zone in Baghdad.

"The two men were Paul McGuigan, a British national, and Darren Hoare, an Australian national. Their next of kin have been informed and we are supporting them as much as we can in these tragic circumstances.

"We are working closely with the Iraqi authorities to investigate the circumstances of their deaths."

The ArmorGroup Iraq spokesman described the firm as a "protective security company" that has been operating in Iraq since 2003.

The BBC's Natalia Antelava in Baghdad said "it does seem to have been some sort of personal squabble", adding that the men were colleagues.

She said: "It [the Green Zone] is actually the safest place in Baghdad, it is a place that is very well protected, that us surrounded by checkpoints and big walls.

"It's a place where embassies are, where many international organisations operate from, where most foreigners live."

But she added: "It really does show you this is a high-stress, high-risk environment where violent things happen."

The Green Zone is the fortified area which houses the Iraqi government, coalition headquarters and most embassies.

In January Iraqi forces took over responsibility for the security of the zone which is a powerful symbol of the US-led occupation of Iraq.

(The BBC)

Rio Tinto spied on China for six years: Report

BEIJING: China's state secrets watchdog has accused Australian mining giant Rio Tinto of committing industrial espionage against China for six years and causing the country significant economic losses. Chinese authorities detained Australian citizen Stern Hu and three other Shanghai-based Rio employees in early July and accused them of bribery and stealing state secrets during iron ore contract negotiations. Rio said in July the accusations are "wholly without foundation." "The large amount of data and intelligence on China's steel sector found on Rio Tinto's computers and the huge damage to the economic interests and security of the country are evident," said a report published over the weekend on the baomi.org website run by the State Secrets Bureau. The bureau is responsible for protecting the state secrets of China's government and Communist Party organisations. The Baomi report said "this six-year espionage case involved corruption, information gathering and spying." According to Chinese media reports, Rio bribed officials at 16 major Chinese steelmakers during iron ore talks. The watchdog said Rio's spying had cost China's steel sector 700 billion yuan (102 billion dollars), without giving further details.

Steelguru.com