Royal Mail

London, Jan. 1 (AFP): Royal Mail’s virtual 350-year monopoly of the British letter-delivery market ended today as new rules took effect to enable rivals to compete for a share of the potentially lucrative business.

Postcomm, the national postal services regulator, has granted long-term licences to 13 operators, including DHL Global Mail and TNT, clearing the way for them to compete with state-owned Royal Mail.

Iraq protest

Rahinawa, Iraq, (Reuters): Security forces in Iraq shot dead four people protesting against a recent hike in fuel prices on Sunday after rioters set cars and petrol stations on fire near the northern oil city of Kirkuk. Iraq is grappling with the price rises imposed by a deal with the IMF.

CIA alert

Washington (Reuters): A former CIA counter-terrorism officer who tracked Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan says the US spy agency could need a decade to build up its clandestine service for the war on terrorism. Gary Berntsen said CIA director Porter Goss faces an uphill battle to fill the agency’s senior ranks with aggressive, seasoned operatives.

Gaza unrest

Gaza (Reuters): Masked Palestinian gunmen briefly kidnapped an Italian peace activist in the Gaza Strip and blew up a United Nations club on Sunday in separate incidents that underscored growing internal unrest.