RIYADH (Agencies) — King Fahd was laid to rest in an unmarked desert grave Tuesday after his body, wrapped in a simple brown robe, was borne from a prayer service by his sons. His Majesty King Abdullah, US Vice President Dick Cheney and other world leaders headed to Saudi Arabia …

Turkey is ready to sign a protocol extending its customs union to the 10 new EU member states, including Cyprus, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in London on Wednesday (27 July). Ankara is reportedly planning, however, to attach a declaration to the protocol stressing that it does not …

ANKARA (AP) — Kurdish rebels kidnapped a small-town mayor in southeast Turkey, relatives and officials from the mayor’s office said Thursday, the second kidnapping in three weeks as rebel attacks in Turkey have become increasingly bold. Turkish soldiers backed by helicopters were searching the majority-Kurdish region for the mayor, who …

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister said he wants US troops “on their way out” as soon as his government can protect its new democracy. The top American general in the country said he hopes to begin significant withdrawal by next spring. At the same time, in an unannounced visit Wednesday, …

CAIRO — After 24 years as Egyptian president where his grip on power has been almost unchallenged, Hosni Mubarak will have to face up to unprecedented demands for reform if he wins a historic fifth term. Mubarak — one of the longest serving leaders in the Arab world — moved …

PARIS (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with France’s foreign minister Thursday for talks on Israel’s upcoming withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as the two countries tried to forget years of diplomatic tension and enter a new, friendlier period of relations. The morning talks between Sharon and Philippe …

GAZA CITY (AFP) — Factions pledged Thursday to work with the Palestinian Authority to ensure the success of Israel’s historic pullout from the Gaza Strip next month, Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said. A recent wave of deadly violence has compounded fears that Israel’s pullout will be marred by attacks and …

EREZ CROSSING, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel is beefing up its border with the Gaza Strip after next month’s withdrawal, the army said Thursday, disclosing details of a high-tech triple complex to ring the coastal strip with what they hope will be the world’s most impenetrable barrier. The barrier system …

CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday confirmed he will seek a fifth mandate in the country’s first-ever competitive presidential poll in September, ending months of speculation about his future. Mubarak’s announcement comes at a pivotal moment for Egypt as it copes with the aftermath of the Sharm …

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Insurgents set off a huge blaze when they blew up a train carrying petroleum products in Baghdad on Thursday, as governments around the world condemned the murder of two Algerian diplomats kidnapped last week. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari accused the insurgents of seeking to undermine diplomatic …