Nation & World Briefly 6/21

Rockets hit U.S. base, kill 2 troops

KABUL (AP) - U.S. and Afghan officials say a rare rocket attack on the main U.S. base in Afghanistan has killed two U.S. troops and wounded six Americans.

U.S. spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenst-

ricker says four military personnel and two civilians were among the wounded.

Bagram, which lies 25 miles northeast of Kabul, is surrounded by high mountains and long stretches of open desert from which militants could fire rockets on the base, but such attacks are relatively rare.

Kabir Ahmad, Bagram's top government official, says two rockets were fired at the base early today.

British government: End 'i before e' rule

LONDON (AP) - It's a spelling mantra that generations of schoolchildren have learned - "i before e, except after c."

But new British government guidance tells teachers not to pass on the rule to students, because there are too many exceptions.

The "Support For Spelling" document, which is being sent to thousands of primary schools, says the rule "is not worth teaching" because it doesn't account for words like 'sufficient,' 'veil' and 'their.'

Jack Bovill of the Spelling Society, which advocates simplified spelling, said Saturday he agreed with the decision.

But supporters say the ditty has value because it is one of the few language rules that most people remember.

New York Times reporter escapes Taliban kidnappers

KABUL (AP) - A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.

David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.