World In Brief

Government: conflict damaged oil fields

SOUTH SUDAN: The government warned today that it could take up to a year to restart oil production in some of its oil fields due to damage during military clashes in April.

South Sudan inherited around 75 per cent of Sudan’s oil production when it became an independent country last July.

But the south must export its oil through pipelines in Sudan and the two have been unable to agree on fees.

South Sudan shut down its oil production in January after accusing Sudan of stealing its oil exports.

Amber Gold chief faces fraud charge

POLAND: A Warsaw court approved the arrest of company boss Marcin Plichta today on charges of defrauding thousands of investors.

Financial institution Amber Gold offered high rates of return on what it claimed were gold-based investments. Instead of investing the money it allegedly used funds from new investors to pay off older ones.

The scheme collapsed in mid-August with losses amounting to 182 million zlotys (£34m).

Monzon residents killed in shootout

PERU: Two civilians died of gunshot wounds in a clash between police and coca growers in the Upper Huallaga valley, police said today.

The men were killed on Tuesday near Monzon, a coca-growing area that is governed by drug gangs and authorities have never before attempted eradication.

Police fired tear gas and shots in the air after at least 800 coca growers confronted eradication workers.

Capital officials call for more cops

BRAZIL: Public authorities in the capital Brasilia have asked for help from federal police to fight a wave of violent crime.

The federal public security department is assigning 100 federal officers to patrol for the next three months.

Robberies where victims are held at gunpoint and forced to withdraw money from cash machines have increased by 36 per cent this year.

Unemployment rises in Germany

GERMANY: The number of unemployed ticked up by 29,000 in August, raising the jobless total to more than 2.9 million.

Economists had been counting on domestic demand to help offset weakening exports within the eurozone.

But the strong labour market that has been one of the main drivers of German growth in the first half of the year is struggling in the face of the effects of the financial crisis on overseas customers and resulting job losses are starting to affect domestic consumption.

Gillard leads tributes as five soldiers die

AUSTRALIA: The country mourned the deaths of five of its soldiers in Afghanistan today.

Three died at a base in Uruzgan province when a man in Afghan army uniform opened fire.

Hours later two others soldiers were killed when their helicopter rolled over.

“This is our single worst day in Afghanistan,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

“I believe this is the most losses in combat since the Vietnam war.”

Ono spearheads fracking protest

US: Yoko Ono and her son Sean Lennon have launched a coalition of artists, musicians and film-makers to oppose hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — a process where millions of gallons of chemically treated water are injected into the ground to force the release of natural gas from shale deposits.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is due to decide whether to allow shale gas fracking in New York State.

Gas blast in mine kills 19 and traps dozens

CHINA: A gas explosion at a coalmine in south-west China has killed 19 miners and trapped dozens more, state media reported today.

The Xiaojiawan coalmine in Sichuan province exploded on Wednesday evening with 152 miners inside.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of 16 miners who died from carbon monoxide poisoning and 28 others remain trapped.

The mineowners are in custody for investigation.