More Hopefuls Emerge To Succeed Annan

UNITED NATIONS — Following the announcement Tuesday by Prince Zeid Rassan of Jordan of his candidacy for U.N. secretary-general, two more hopefuls have emerged. Chan Heng Chee, 64, an academic and one-time government critic, who has been Singapore’s ambassador to Washington for 10 years, is one of them. Her name has been making the rounds at the U.N., but she has not been nominated. Ms. Chan said diplomatically that she could not comment on whether she has been approached to run. Reuters also reported that a British MEP with a Sri Lankan passport has been nominated by Fiji as a candidate for U.N. Secretary-General, according to letters obtained yesterday. The candidate, Niranjan Deva-Aditya, 58, represents a Conservative Party constituency in the European parliament. He is a former MP.

— Los Angeles Times

Three Britons Are Killed In Afghanistan

LONDON — Three British soldiers died in Afghanistan yesterday, bringing to 35 the number killed since British forces were sent to the south of the country earlier this year. One soldier was killed and six injured by a landmine. A Ministry of Defense spokesman said five of the injured were in a serious condition. The incident took place in Helmand province, where Britain has about 4,000 troops. They are part of a NATO force battling Taliban rebels in the most serious fighting since the fundamentalist regime was overthrown in 2001.

— The Daily Telegraph

Three Million Sudanese Lives at Risk, Annan Says

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Three million lives will be at risk in Sudan’s war-torn region of Darfur if renewed fighting sabotages the international relief effort, Secretary-General Annan said yesterday. The warning came as the African Union, an alliance of 53 countries on the continent, confirmed that it will withdraw its mission from the area. More than 1 million others, who are unable to work or grow crops because of the fighting, also depend on food aid. In total, about 3 million people, half of Darfur’s population, are being kept alive by the international relief operation.

— The Daily Telegraph

U.S. Air Force Officer Goes Missing In Ex-Soviet Republic

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — A female U.S. Air Force officer stationed at the air base near Bishkek disappeared while shopping in the Kyrgyz capital, the American military said yesterday. Major Jill Metzger, of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, was separated from a group of servicemen while visiting a department store on Tuesday afternoon and has not been seen since, officials at the Manas air base said in a statement. It said a group of 22 military investigators and logistics officers were searching for Major Metzger together with the U.S. Embassy and Kyrgyz security and law enforcement services. Bishkek police chief Moldomusa Kongantiyev said that, according to footage from the store’s security cameras, Major Metzger spent only 10 minutes inside the store. She later made two calls from her cell phone to a number in Bishkek and turned off her phone at 9 p.m., he said.

— Associated Press