World News from the BBC.
At least 14 people have been killed in an explosion in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. The exact cause of the blast is unclear, but some reports say it happened in a power generator. More than a hundred people were taken to hospital.
An investigation is under the way in northeastern Afghanistan into the shooting dead of ten medical workers whose convoy was
ambush
ed in the Province of Badakhshan. Two of those killed were Afghans, 6 were American, and the others were German and British. Police blamed armed robbers. But a Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the foreigners were killed because they were
preach
ing Christianity.
Based on our information, yesterday at around 8 in the morning, one of our patrols
encounter
ed a group of ten foreigners in the Kuran Wa Munjan district of Badakhshan. Our Mujahadin warned them to stop but they kept running, so our Mujahadin opened fire and killed them. The documents we found on them were materials for
proselytizing
Christianity and Bibles which were translated into Dari.
Those allegations were denied by the Christian charity which employed the medical workers, the International Assistance Mission.
Rescue workers in Chile are trying to reach 34 miners who are trapped in a copper mine before they run out of air. The workers were cut off two days ago when the main access tunnel collapsed. Officials hope the miners were able to reach an underground shelter with oxygen, food and water.