CAIRO (AFP) — An Egyptian court rejected on Thursday a bid by opposition leader Ayman Nur to be released from prison on medical grounds, despite his claims that his health has worsened since he was jailed.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel is prepared to transfer withheld tax revenues to the Palestinians through a mechanism that guarantees none of the money will go to the Hamas-led government or fighters, Israeli officials said on Thursday.

ANKARA (AP) — Turkey’s military, building up troops on the Iraqi border, said Thursday it was ready to launch a cross-border offensive to fight Kurdish fighters — pressuring the government to support the idea which could strain ties with Washington and lead to tensions with Iraqi Kurds.

BEIRUT (AFP) — The UN vote to set up an international court for the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri was hailed by his supporters on Thursday but it stirred up fears of more instability in the deeply-divided country.

FALLUJAH (Reuters) — A suicide bomber killed up to 20 men queuing at a police recruitment centre west of Baghdad on Thursday, police said, and Al Qaeda members battled a rival Sunni faction in the south of the capital.

GAZA CITY (AFP) — An Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip wounded two Palestinians trying to fire a rocket on Thursday as violence continued in the lawless territory despite international appeals for restraint.

“The ground has been lost and all we are doing is surviving,” Capt Docherty said. “It’s completely barking mad.”

Tension is rising on Turkey’s border with Iraq amid speculation Ankara may be about to launch an incursion to tackle Kurdish rebels.

Looking back, it is strange how many years it has taken the liberals among us to understand that Israeli democracy needs safeguards – not against organizations trying to bring it down, or a political structure that can undermine it, or a too-powerful internal force that draws strength from the lack …

Alegerile anticipate ar putea întârzia atragerea fondurilor europene, a declarat, în această dimineaţă, premierul Călin Popescu Tăriceanu. Potrivit ÅŸefului Guvernului, instituÅ£iile statului nu-ÅŸi permit să amâne absorÅ£ia banilor europeni. DeclaraÅ£ia a fost făcută la aniversarea a 80 de ani de la înfiinÅ£area Academiei de ÅžtiinÅ£e Agricole ÅŸi Silvice Gheorghe Ionescu …