1,445 Afghan civilians killed so far this year

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KABUL, Afghanistan: The United Nations said yesterday that 1,445 Afghan civilians have been killed so far this year by insurgents or U.S.- and NATO-led forces - a 40 percent increase over 2007. Exactly 800 of the deaths, 55 percent, were caused by Taliban fighters and other insurgents, the U.N. report said. It said that was almost double the 462 civilian deaths attributed to anti-government fighters in the first seven months of last year. U.S., NATO and Afghan troops killed 577 civilians, or 40 percent, including 395 deaths caused by airstrikes, the report said. That was up 21 percent from the 477 deaths the U.N. said were inflicted by pro-government forces in 2007. An additional 68 civilians died in crossfire or other incidents for which U.N. officials couldn't determine responsibility, the report said. The U.N. did not say how its human rights monitors collected statistics on combat deaths and did not discuss its sources of information or their reliability.

FDA blocks importation of generics from India

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WASHINGTON: The government closed U.S. borders yesterday to more than 30 generic drugs - including popular antibiotics and cholesterol medicines - made by India's biggest pharmaceutical company, citing poor quality at two of its factories. The Food and Drug Administration's move doesn't end U.S. sales by Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. Instead, it blocks imports of generic drugs, including generic versions of the antibiotic Cipro and cholesterol pill Zocor, as well as pharmaceutical ingredients made at the two suspect plants in India. FDA inspections found violations earlier this year that could lead to contamination, allergic reactions and other problems, and the company hasn't taken proper steps to correct them, said Deborah Autor, director of FDA's compliance office. The FDA told consumers who have Ranbaxy products at home not to worry or quit using them: Repeated testing hasn't found any contaminated products, just the threat of them if factory conditions don't improve.

Opposition governor arrested in Bolivia

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LA PAZ, Bolivia: Soldiers arrested an opposition governor yesterday on suspicion of directing a massacre of government supporters, as Bolivia's political crisis prompted the United States to evacuate its Peace Corps volunteers. Violent protests against President Evo Morales have swept Bolivia's eastern lowlands, where opposition-controlled provinces are demanding a larger share of of the country's natural gas wealth and trying to block his attempts to direct resources to the deprived indigenous majority. The arrest of Leopoldo Fernandez, governor of the remote Amazonian province of Pando, ended efforts by the president and opposition leaders to talk about compromises after anti-Morales protesters ransacked government offices in Pando and three other eastern provinces last week.

PETA video shows abuse of pigs in Iowa

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WASHINGTON: An undercover video shot at an Iowa pig farm shows workers hitting sows with metal rods, slamming piglets on a concrete floor and bragging about jamming rods up into sows' hindquarters. On the video, obtained by the Associated Press, a supervisor tells an undercover investigator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that when he gets angry or a sow won't move, "I grab one of these rods and jam it in her [anus]." The farm, outside of Bayard, Iowa, about 60 miles west of Des Moines, is a supplier to Hormel Foods of Austin, Minn. PETA wants to use the results of the investigation to pressure Hormel, the maker of Spam and other food products, to demand that its suppliers ensure humane treatment of pigs. Yesterday, Hormel spokeswoman Julie Henderson Craven called the abuses "completely unacceptable." The animal rights group also planned to send the video to the sheriff in Greene County, Iowa, seeking prosecution of 18 people on animal cruelty violations.

House OKs drilling off both coasts

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WASHINGTON : The House has voted to allow oil drilling off the nation's Atlantic and Pacific coasts if states agree - but only 50 or more miles out. Republicans called the bill a ruse, saying that's well beyond where most of the estimated 18 billion barrels of oil is located. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill - approved last night 236-189 - marked "a new direction in energy policy" because of its emphasis on alternative energy. The bill rolls back $18 billion in oil industry tax breaks and imposes new oil and gas royalties, while giving tax incentives for wind and solar industries and for conservation. Before the vote, the White House said President Bush would veto it if it passes Congress.