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By Lesley Wroughton FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday the number of U.S. combat troops in Iraq would be cut by some 7,000 by early next year, but the number involved in training Iraq's new military would increase. Rumsfeld, the second senior U.S. official to visit Iraq this week in the wake of last week's election, said progress in Iraq's politics, economics and security lay behind the decision to scale back the combat troops. "President (George W ...

By Jeremy Lovell LONDON (Reuters) - A court rejected as politically motivated on Friday a Russian request to extradite a former manager at Russian oil major YUKOS and close ally of the firm's jailed founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In a stinging condemnation of the Russian case, Judge Timothy Workman said that even the prosecution of Khodorkovsky had been a political sham and that Alexander Temerko had no chance of a fair trial if he were sent back to Moscow. "I am satisfied that the request for ...

ROME (Reuters) - The first Roman Catholic to be appointed British ambassador to the Vatican for 400 years presented his credentials to Pope Benedict on Friday and stressed the importance of inter-religious dialogue. Francis Campbell, 35, has previously served as an adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair and is Britain's youngest ambassador. "The United Kingdom is a strong supporter of furthering dialogue among peoples, in particular furthering engagement within the Christian family and with othe ...

LONDON (Reuters) - A postman who orchestrated a 20 million-pound fraud by stealing thousands of cheque books was jailed for 6-1/2 years by a court on Friday. Police said it was one of the largest scams of its kind to have been discovered in Britain. Dido Mayue-Belezika, 35, from Camden, north London, pleaded guilty of intercepting the cheque books over a period of some three years from the postal sorting office where he worked. His brother-in-law Ishiaba Kasonga then sold the books on to a 22 ...

By Wendel Broere THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A court jailed a Dutch businessman for 15 years on Friday after finding him guilty of complicity in war crimes for selling chemicals to Iraq used to carry out gas attacks, but acquitted him of genocide charges. The court said Frans van Anraat, 63, supplied the raw materials knowing they would be used to make poison gas by Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1980-1988 war with Iran and used against its own Kurdish population, including an attack on the town of Ha ...

By Lesley Wroughton FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday the number of U.S. combat troops in Iraq would be cut by some 7,000 by early next year, but the number involved in training Iraq's new military would increase. Rumsfeld, the second senior U.S. official to visit Iraq this week in the wake of last week's election, said progress in Iraq's politics, economics and security lay behind the decision to scale back the combat troops. "President (George W ...

LONDON (Reuters) - A British court has rejected a Russian request to extradite Alexander Temerko, a former manager at stricken Russian oil major YUKOS and close ally of the firm's jailed founder. Russia crushed YUKOS with a $27 billion back-tax claim and founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky was imprisoned for fraud and tax evasion, a move widely seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to stifle his political ambitions. "I am satisfied that the request for the extradition of Mr Temerko is to prosecute and pu ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Jessica and Jack were the most popular names for babies born this year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday. Jessica ousted Emily as the top girl's name, with Sophie third. Olivia, at four, was the only new entry into the top five. Fifth was Chloe while Ellie dropped from second to sixth. Jack was the most popular boy's name for the 11th year running, alth ...

LONDON (Reuters) - A student was remanded in custody after appearing in court on Friday charged in connection with attempted bomb attacks in London on July 21. Adel Yahya, 23, of north London, appeared at Bow Street magistrates court in central London accused of conspiracy to cause an explosion "likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property", police said. Police say four men tried to set off bombs on three underground trains and a bus in the capital on July 21 but their devices f ...

By Martyn Herman LONDON (Reuters) - London's winning bid for the 2012 Olympics could have been helped by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member pressing the wrong button during the voting process, according to a BBC report. The report says that the member mistakenly voted for Paris in the third round of voting in Singapore on July 6, giving it 33 votes to 31 for Madrid instead of 32-32 which would have prompted a vote-off before the final round. Madrid had been ahead after the second  ...