Soldiers prepare to tackle highest rugby match on Earth
Soldiers fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan are bidding to play the highest rugby match on Earth when they trek to Everest base camp.
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Rangers manager McCoist attends funeral service for soldier
Rangers Football Club manager Ally McCoist attended the funeral of Army officer Captain Walter Barrie today, who was killed by a rogue member of the Afghan army on Remembrance Day.
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Well-wishers urged to stop sending Christmas presents to soldiers
Well-wishers sending Christmas presents to soldiers in Afghanistan have been urged to stop - because they are clogging up the postal system and stopping letters and gifts from military families getting through.
Army bosses said they greatly appreciated the torrent of gifts sent to those serving abroad but appealed for them to make donations instead.
– Lieutenant Colonel Brett Duxbury, of the British Forces Post OfficeAs with every year, the Christmas post period is by far our busiest.
Just this week we dispatched more than 10,500 bags of mail to operational theatres, which will arrive in time for Christmas Day.
Unsolicited mail can seriously impact on our ability to deliver post from loved ones to personnel serving on operations at Christmas.
We do not underestimate the impact that mail from friends and family can have on morale and it is for that reason we make it our priority each year to ensure it arrives on time.
Relatives fought for Supreme Court hearing
The families of soldiers who have been killed in battle fought to take the human rights' fight to the Supreme Court.
Sue Smith, 51, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, whose son Private Phillip Hewett, 21, was killed seven years ago, wept outside the Court of Appeal in October and described the Ministry of Defence's attitude as "despicable".
– Sue SmithIt is just so dismissive. It 'doesn't matter': they are Action Men; if you break them, just bury them. But they are not just Action Men. People need to make a stand.
Marines attempt record-breaking marathon in London
Mark Scoular, a police officer and ex-Royal Marine who founded Commando 999, said that the Marines would not let the bad weather hamper their marathon challenge over Remembrance weekend.
"It is wet, but we will all be cheery and absolutely fine, I'm sure. It will be a good old pace but we are all looking forward to it."
Soldiers' human rights appeal given three-day hearing
The Court of Appeal ruled in October that soldiers' relatives could claim for damages for negligence, but appeal judges said that they could not make damages claims under human rights legislation.
Relatives' lawyers took the fight to the Supreme Court, which will analyse the issue next year.
– Supreme Court spokesmanThe appeal will be heard in the week of Monday February 18 and the hearing is expected to last up to three days.
Seven justices will hear the appeal. Judgment is expected to be reserved.
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Judges to rule on soldiers' human rights
Relatives of soldiers killed fighting in Iraq are likely to find out next year whether they can make damages claims against the Government, using human rights legislation.
A Supreme Court spokesman today said a hearing was scheduled to start in February, where Supreme Court justices will hear arguments in the wake of rulings by the High Court and Court of Appeal.
Ruling on soldiers' right to life
Britain's highest court is to debate whether soldiers in battle have the right to life, it was reported tonight.
The Supreme Court will investigate circumstances surrounding the death of Private Phillip Hewett in Iraq in July 2005 and examine whether troops in war zones are covered by Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to life, The Independent said.
Private Hewett's mother Sue Smith has fought for justice since the 21-year-old was blown up with two colleagues from the Staffordshire Regiment in a roadside bomb attack on their armoured Snatch Land Rover.
In October the lower Court of Appeal ruled that relatives of soldiers who had been killed in action could pursue claims on negligence grounds - but not make damages claims under human rights legislation.
The judges accepted the Government's assertion that the battlefield was beyond the reach of litigation but the families' lawyers said the fight would go on and they would take the human rights battle to the Supreme Court.
Labour MP: Afghanistan war 'unwinnable'
Members of military families will join Labour MP Paul Flynn at today's ceremony, who was suspended from parliament over comments he made about the conflict in Afghanistan.
– Labour MP Paul FlynnWe are fighting an unwinnable war of occupation and the sooner we follow our former coalition partners in withdrawing from the country the better. Unfortunately successive governments have failed to realise this and continue putting the lives of our soldiers at risk, repeating the tired mantra that they are reducing the threat of terrorism in the UK in doing so.
About 500 British troops are due to return home by the end of this year, leaving a further 9,000 to return by the end of 2014.
The number of members of UK forces to have died since operations began in October 2001 now stands at 433, and the US toll has now hit 2,000.
Anti-war activists hold 'naming the dead' ceremony
Anti-war activists will hold a "naming the dead" ceremony today as part of their campaign to bring British troops home from Afghanistan.
MPs will join the event in central London, after which members of military families will deliver a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to bring the troops home by Christmas. It is signed by 19 members of families who have or have had loved ones in Afghanistan.
The event comes on the 11th anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan.
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