Strike paralyzes UK postal service

Britain's mail service has ground to a halt after tens of thousands of postal workers walked off the job in a 48-hour national strike. Rolling strikes that began over the summer have contributed to a backlog of about five million packages and letters, according to Royal Mail, the country's national post service. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are striking for better pay and protection against a plan to modernize equipment that they say will result in job losses. About 42,000 postal staff and drivers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday, while 78,000 delivery and collection workers plan a one-day strike for Friday.