Wikinews:Briefs/August 5, 2006

The time is 18:00 (UTC) on August 5th, 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews News Briefs.

Headlines

North Korea

Flooding due to heavy rains has devastated North Korea, leaving over 100 dead and thousands homeless. The United Nations' official figures give the death toll at 154, with 127 more missing. North Korean officials have said that hundreds have been killed.

However, The South Korean aid organisation Good Friends estimates that around 10,000 are dead or missing, with 1.5 million people homeless. While these figures have not been confirmed, the group's information has been found accurate in the past.


Sweden

Four of Sweden's ten nuclear reactors have been shut down due to safety concerns following an incident last week at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant, in which the reactor cooling systems failed. The reactor has since been shut down there.


Uganda

The leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, the rebel group in Uganda, has agreed to a unilateral ceasefire to end 18 years of fighting.


Canada

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's strong support for Israel in its current crisis with Lebanon is unpopular with many Canadians. A recent Strategic Counsel poll for BellGlobeMedia found that 45% of Canadians disagree with the Conservative government's support for Israel, a number that climbs to 61 per cent in Quebec.

United States

The magnetic tapes of the first moon landing that was beamed to the world via three tracking stations have gone missing. There will be a search for these tapes in the hope that they may be found before they deteriorate.


sports - rugby

A late try by the Australian Wallabies substitute, Mat Rogers caused the South African Springboks heartbreak in tonight's match at Sydney's Telstra Stadium. Australia won the match 20–18, their second in this year's Tri Nations.


Closing statements

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