Blair and Arnie team up for climate action

Published on Tuesday 1 August 2006 13:53

TONY BLAIR speaks with Arnold Schwarzenegger after agreeing to work with the California governor to find ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

Their agreement came following a climate change meeting in Long Beach that was attended by the Prime Minister, Schwarzenegger and business leaders.

A "mission statement" said the UK and California would "share experiences" and "find new solutions".

The mission statement - which was signed by both Mr Blair and Mr Schwarzenegger - says that Britain and California will "commit to urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low carbon technologies". The movie star turned politician added:

"You can protect the environment and you can make sure the economy grows without any problems - we have shown that here in California."

THREE BRITISH NATO SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN INSURGENTS' ATTACK

A THIRD British soldier has died after a patrol vehicle came under attack from insurgents in Afghanistan earlier today.

The soldier received emergency medical treatment following the morning ambush by militants, which killed two of his colleagues, but he later died. A fourth soldier is missing, presumed dead.

The NATO soldiers were ambushed in the volatile Helmand province in the south of the country.

Militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns ambushed the patrol as it made its way through the region.

Taliban guerrillas and drug barons have been operating for years in Helmand, the main opium producing region of Afghanistan, the world's leading supplier of heroin.

Yesterday, NATO forces took over security in the Afghan south from the US-led coalition to begin one of the biggest ground operations in the alliance's history.

More than 1700 people have already been killed in the area this year.