Newswindow: Bo scandal takes new turn, murdered Briton MI6 spy

Bo scandal takes new turn, murdered Briton MI6 spy

china's intriguing scandal relating to Bo Xilai took a new turn with revelations that Briton Neil Heywood murdered by the expelled Communist Party leader's wife Gu Kailai was a spy working for British secret service — MI6. Heywood, who was closely moving with Bo and various top officials of the Communist Party as a businessman, had been providing information to the British secret service, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Mandela's smile now on South African currency notes

Millions of South Africans will now carry the smiling face of ex-President Nelson Mandela in their wallets after a range of currency notes depicting the anti-apartheid icon on the one side was released Tuesday. Reserve Bank governor Gill Marcus officially put the new notes into circulation as legal tender by using them for a purchase at a local grocery store here. "(Mandela) is delighted about it. We did show him the designs, the drafts and everything else," Marcus said. "This is our way to pay tribute to him." The new banknotes have been designed with additional security features to avoid counterfeiting.

Pakistan: Malala shooter's sister apologises for attack

the sister of a man suspected in the shooting of Malala Yousufzai has apologised to the teenage Pakistani rights activist, saying her brother had brought shame to their family. "He has brought shame on our family. We have lost everything after what he did. What he did was intolerable," Rehana Haleem said, referring to her 23-year-old brother Attahullah Khan.

Suicide bomber kills 32 near Iraqi military base, several wounded

A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives detonated the vehicle near an Iraqi military base as soldiers changed shifts north of Baghdad Tuesday, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 46, according to authorities. The blast struck around midday as troops were leaving the base in Taji, 20 kilometres, north of the capital, police said. Twenty-two soldiers were among the dead, while several persons were injured and vehicles damaged, they said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though suicide car bombings are a favourite tactic of Sunni militant groups such as al-Qaida.

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