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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban set a new midday Monday deadline for the lives of 22 South Koreans, warning the Afghan government to release some of its captured fighters or else hostages will die.
The Taliban last week set several deadlines that passed without consequence, and it wasn’t clear how seriously the militants would treat their latest ultimatum for 22 remaining South Korean hostages, including 18 women. A leader of the South Korean group was shot and killed last week. for more click here

Amid the panic last week, traders are clinging to one silver lining.

At least, they think, the Bank of England won’t raise the base interest rate to 6% this month. Not now.

And it’s true, that with all the upheaval in the global credit markets finally making its presence felt in equities, the Bank is likely to feel extremely reluctant to pile on the pressure while the City is feeling so wobbly.

That doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t though…
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Seventy-four years ago this week, The Times started serialising the worst book ever written. Adolf Hitler had dictated Mein Kampf in Landsburg Prison in 1924, while incarcerated for his attempted putsch against the German Government. The book would not be published in Britain until October 1933, but this newspaper obtained the rights to run exclusive extracts four months earlier. for more click here

Proposals to fly the Union flag every day on public buildings are set not to apply to Scotland.
The government published the plans earlier this week, and they follow Gordon Brown raising the issue of celebrating Britishness in January. for more click here

HERITAGE chiefs were under growing pressure today to drop plans to turn one of Leith’s most historic buildings into flats.

The National Trust for Scotland is currently negotiating the sale of 17th century Lamb’s House to city council-owned development company, EDI. Up to 12 apartments and new offices would be created in the landmark building, just off the Shore. A 1960s extension would also be knocked down and replaced with a modern block. for more click here

VETERANS OF one of Britain’s bloodiest conflicts were yesterday rewarded for their sacrifices more than 50 years after the event.

Soldiers who fought a guerrilla campaign in the jungles of Malaya against communist insurgents were presented with medals specially commissioned by a grateful Malaysian government.

Some 125 medals were awarded at a special ceremony at the barracks at Berwick-upon-Tweed. for more click here

The US is considering a $20 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. According to a senior US defense department official, “We’ve been working very hard on a Saudi arms package, which we believe is critical to the overarching architecture… to deal with the changing strategic threat from Iran and other forces.” for more click here

TO TAKE part in their annual exercises with the United States Air Force last month, Japan dropped 500lb live bombs on Farallon de Medinilla, a tiny island in the western Pacific’s turquoise waters more than 150 miles north of Guam.

The exercise would have been unremarkable for almost any other military, but it was highly significant for Japan, a country still restrained by a constitution that renounces war and allows forces only for its defence. for more click here

The United States is reported to be preparing a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states worth $20bn (£9.8bn) over the next decade. Defence officials quoted by US media said the sales would include advanced weaponry, missile guidance systems, upgraded fighter jets and naval ships. for more click here

The doors to most of their Commons offices will remain shut for the next 10 weeks or so as their long break has started.

Whether such a lengthy recess is deserved is, I suppose, a matter of opinion given that as they sped out of the parliamentary gates we were discovering in an avalanche of ministerial statements that member’s allowances and expenses are heading, full pelt, towards £100m a year. for more click here