LONDON – The British ministry of defence has clawed back money paid to a soldier killed in Afghanistan because he died before the end of the month.
The family of Lance Cpl Jordan Bancroft was told £433 had been overpaid into his account because he died on August 21st, 2010, and had been paid for the month in advance. It was taken from £1,493.04 refunded to him for holiday time off not taken.
His father Tony Bancroft was reported as saying: “When I read the letter, it felt like I’d been poked in the eye with a sharp stick.” An MoD spokesman said in cases of overpayment, adjustments were made to ensure families get what they are owed. – (AP)
Hurricane weakens off Mexican coast
CANCÚN, Mexico – Hurricane Rina weakened yesterday off Mexico’s Caribbean coast, where the approaching storm has prompted evacuations and flight cancellations for tourists visiting popular resorts such as Cancún.
A hurricane-hunting aircraft found Rina had “significantly weakened” to a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with its winds dropping to 135km/h, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
Rina is not expected to affect Mexico’s main oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico or coffee-growing areas in Central America that were battered by heavy rains this month. – (Reuters)