The time is 19:00 (UTC) on August 7th, 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews News Briefs.
Lebanon
The Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, told a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Beirut that an Israeli air strike killed more than 40 people in the village of Houla in southern Lebanon. However, he later revised the figure down to one.

Ethiopia
At least 190 people have been confirmed dead after heavy rains caused a river to burst its banks in the eastern Ethiopian city of Dire Dawa. A further 300 are reported missing.

Afghanistan
Over 2,000 NATO troops stood at attention at Kandahar Airfield Monday morning to mourn the death of the fifth Canadian soldier in a week to die in Afghanistan.
The name of the British soldier killed in southern Afghanistan during a joint operation with Canadian-led NATO troops has been revealed by the Ministry of Defence to be Private Andrew Barrie Cutts, from the Royal Logistics Corps.

United States
Oil prices rose dramatically on Monday after a major Alaskan oil field shut down operations, halving the total output of oil from Alaska. Coming on top of the ongoing violence in the Middle East, the price of Light, sweet crude for September delivery rose by $1.23 to US$75.99 a barrel in early afternoon Asian trading at the New York Mercantile Exchange.

New Zealand
Television New Zealand (TVNZ) has today won a legal battle in which they will now be able to broadcast footage of two French spies pleading guilty to manslaughter in relation to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.

Australia
Residents of Kelso, New South Wales - a suburb of Bathurst in the state's Central West - may have been confused by a newsletter sent by the local council giving an incorrect date for the council's by-election.

United Kingdom
A recently discovered photograph of Florence Nightingale went on display in a special exhibition at the Florence Nightingale Museum in London. She was rarely photographed, both for religious reasons, as well as fear that if she were easily recognized, it would interfere with her work.

We invite you to visit wikinews.org for up-to-date news and information. This has been Audio Wikinews Newsbriefs. Thank you for listening, and enjoy the rest of your day.
This recording has been released under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
Wikinews:Briefs/August 7, 2006