Wikinews:Briefs/October 26, 2007

ISIS says target of Israeli airstrike in Syria was a nuclear facility
Researchers at the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) have stated that a building that was located inside Syria at the site where Israel launched an airstrike on, has not only been completely removed, but that it was also a nuclear reactor under construction.

The researchers obtained the images from DigitalGlobe and released the satellite images of the site before the airstrike and according to them, the building is a nuclear reactor. They also state that the images show a facility much like the on in North Korea at Yongbyon. Another image taken on October 24, shows a site where a large building used to be, the ground being wiped clean of its existence. A water-pumping station located on the Euphrates River was believed to be used for cooling the reactor, claim the ISIS.

Syria denies that they are building any kind of nuclear facility stating "the main point is that is that the Israeli fighter jet violated the airspace of a member state of the United Nations... and (should) assume the consequences."

Currently, the United States denies that the satellite photos show any site inside Syria and have not commented on the images. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also refused to release a statement.

Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan
Matthew Locke, an Australian special forces soldier with the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) has been shot and killed while taking part in a 300-man special operatives attack against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The death, Australia's third combat soldier death since the Vietnam War, is the second to occur in October.

The soldier, believed to be employed in Perth, Australia in the State of Tasmania and married with an unknown amount of children, was immediately lifted from the scene by the aero-medical helicopter evacuation team and was pronounced dead early this morning after suffering critical wounds throughout his chest. It is reported that he had received "high bravery honors" just before the battle.

Leaked emails show UK RAF were aware of Nimrod problems prior to fatal crash
Leaked emails have revealed that the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) were aware of a dangerous problem with fuel leaking from Nimrod MR2 surveillance aircraft long before one exploded in midair during a mission in Kandahar, Afghanistan. All 14 people on board were killed in the crash in September last year.

A board of inquiry has recently completed deliberating the cause of the accident, with a final report expected in about two weeks time. It is expected by many that the report will find a fuel leak was to blame. The crash was the largest loss of life from any UK service in a single incident since the Falklands war. Although the report will determine the cause of the crash and make recommendations to prevent its reoccurence, it will not attempt to establish blame for the disaster.

FEMA employees pose as fake reporters during press conference
The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is under fire after the agency held a fake press conference with fake news reporters in regards to individuals effected by the California wildfires and the assistance they could receive.

The agency called a press conference on Tuesday, giving the press only 15 minutes to show up. When many did not, FEMA brought in agency officials to pose as fake reporters and ask questions. The option for reporters to call into the conference was also available, but the ones who did call-in only got to listen to the press conference, and could not ask questions. No reporters were actually present during the conference.

FEMA apologizes for the mishap and says that their intentions were only to get the information to the citizens of California. FEMA is currently deciding whether or not any officials should face punishment for the incident.

This is not the first time that the Bush administration has come under fire for planting reporters at press conferences. In February of 2005, White House reporter Jeff Gannon was accused of being planted to ask softball questions to President Bush.

Oil prices reach all-time high; pass US$91.00 per barrel
Oil has risen to a new all-time record high during trading in Asia, passing US$91.10 at 10:23 p.m. on October 25 (eastern time).

In electronic trading at the NYMEX Crude Futures in the United States touched a record price of, at US$92.22, according to Bloomberg, setting another record all-time high. On the IntercontinentalExchange Brent Crude futures reached US$89.30 (basis December) as of 8:34 a.m..

NYMEX Crude closed at $91.86, while ICE Brent closed at $88.69, at the conclusion of Friday's trading.

The raise come when the United States announced that it had an "unexpected loss" in the nation's stockpile of oil. The fear that Turkey may launch a large scale attack on Kurdish Militants inside Iraq is also being blamed for the raise in prices and the U.S. imposed more sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium.

This has been an Audio Wikinews brief and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license at http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/