Brown in tribute to Afghan dead

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has paid tribute to the courage of British troops in Afghanistan, as the number to die there since 2001 reached 100.

His comments came after three soldiers were killed in a suicide attack.

The men, from 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, were on foot patrol in Helmand when the blast happened.

Defence Secretary Des Browne added no loss could be compensated for, but he remained convinced the campaign was "the noble cause of the 21st century".

"We are making significant progress in Afghanistan. It's slow, sometimes it's frustratingly slow," he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

"The reason we are making that progress is because those very brave and professional young men and women have gone about their job in such a way that they have created, in the most difficult of circumstances, a degree of security that many people a couple of years ago thought was impossible."

The prime minister said those who had died had "paid the ultimate price" but had "achieved something of lasting value."

He said: "My first thoughts and condolences are with the families of these soldiers, who died serving in Afghanistan with such distinction more:...

S Korea sends beef envoys to US

The South Korean government is sending delegates to the US for talks on a controversial beef deal that has triggered weeks of protests.
The envoys will meet US officials to discuss changes to the April deal, under which South Korea agreed to resume US beef imports.
Protesters say the move does not protect them from mad cow disease, despite assurances to the contrary.
President Lee Myung-bak's popularity has plummeted over the issue.
Last week, the ruling party suffered a heavy defeat in its first electoral test since Mr Lee took office - in sharp contrast to its election victory late last year.
Some reports suggest a Cabinet reshuffle could be imminent.
More protests
The beef issue has sparked weeks of demonstrations in the capital, Seoul, and led to scores of arrests.
South Korea used to be a major market for US beef, but banned most imports in 2003 after BSE was found in cattle there.
In April Mr Lee's government agreed to relax most of the restrictions - a move linked to approval of a bilateral free trade deal.
As protests escalated, the government asked the US to stop exports from cattle aged more than 30 months in a bid to assuage popular concern.
On Saturday, Mr Lee and US President George W Bush held telephone talks on the issue, with Mr Bush reportedly agreeing to the request, according to South Korean media.
The South Korean delegates - a presidential envoy and ruling party lawmakers - will seek assurances of this commitment when they arrive in the US later this week, media reports said.
The protests, meanwhile, show no sign of easing off.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Seoul over the issue. More demonstrations are planned for later in the week.