Around the world: Ships ordered to set sail as storm heads for oil spill site

Ships ordered to set sail as storm heads for oil spill site

Dozens of ships in the Gulf of Mexico have been ordered to leave the site of the BP oil spill by the US government as Tropical Storm Bonnie gathers pace.

Incident commander Admiral Thad Allen said the well would remain capped while ships evacuated the Gulf.

Drilling on a relief well has been suspended for up to two weeks.

Bonnie is the second named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, with wind speeds of 40mph, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

Forecasters say the edge of the tropical storm could reach the spill area by early on Saturday.

It has already caused flooding in Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and is moving north-west over the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

Admiral Allen said the rig drilling the relief well - which will ultimately be used to block the leaking well permanently - and many other boats would leave the area.

He said: "Some of the boats may be able to remain on site but we will err on the side of safety. While this is not a hurricane, it's a storm that will have probably some significant impacts, we're taking appropriate cautions."

Gillard angers greens with price delays

Australia: Prime minister Julia Gillard angered environmentalists today by confirming a pricing scheme for carbon pollution will be delayed until 2012.

The move will strain her party's ties with the Greens ahead of elections on August 21.

PAKISTAN: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has extended the term of the army chief by three years in order to ensure continuity in the fight against Islamist militancy.

Women 'told they'd be raped'

Some women arrested during last month's G-20 summit protests in Canada claim police made sexual threats and used sexually-charged language.

One of the women, Amy Miller, said police told her she was going to be raped when she was detained for 13 hours.

Chavez ends Colombia link

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has broken diplomatic relations with neighbouring Colombia, accusing the close US ally of fabricating reports that Colombian rebels find safe haven inside Venezuela.

Colombia has what it says are videos and maps of rebel camps.

Four escape Iraqi prison

Four al-Qaida-linked detainees have escaped from a Baghdad area prison that was handed over by the US to Iraqi authorities a week ago .

The daring escape embarrassed a government struggling to prove it is capable of operating without US oversight.

The escape is the second to come to light in Iraq in about a week, and spotlights concerns about how prepared are Iraqi authorities to take full control of the country.

Tutu to retire from public life

ONE of South Africa's most beloved figures, Desmond Tutu, announced plans to retire from public life after his 79th birthday in October.

The Nobel peace laureate, honoured for his efforts to fight apartheid, said he wanted to spend more time with his family..