TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and the US are not scheduled to attend bilateral talks on the sidelines of a security conference due to be held in Munich, Germany on Feb. 6-8, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. “As some sources in the Iranian parliament have noted, no Iran-US negotiations have …
Read More »Kosovo MP Team Backs Serbia, Bosnia Embargo
A Kosovo parliamentary commission has recommended that the government implements an embargo on Serbian and Bosnian goods as a tit-for-tat response to Serbia and Bosnia blocking and taxing Kosovo’s exports. Serbia rejects the secession by Kosovo’s Albanian majority last February and has vowed never to accept it as an independent …
Read More »Headscarved Pupil Pushes Limits In Macedonia
The case of a teenage girl who wants to wear her headscarf to school is creating waves in Macedonia, with educational authorities, local officials and teachers locked in a tug-of-war over religous freedom and the right to education. The girl, who attends a high school in the western Macedonian town …
Read More »UNMIK To Broker Kosovo – Serbia ‘Talks’
The head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier, is negotiating with both Belgrade and Pristina to start talks on ‘technical issues’, but it is still unclear whether top state officials or experts will take part, UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko told Serbia’s B92 radio. “Ambassador Zannier met Serbian …
Read More »Serbia To Talk About Kosovo, Not With Kosovo
Serbia is ready to talk about practical issues regarding life in Kosovo as long as discussions do not touch on Kosovo’s declaration of independence, Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Tuesday, indicating Belgrade would only accept the United Nations mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, not the ethnic Albanian government in Pristina, …
Read More »Macedonia Presidential Hopefuls Enter Bids
Six hopefuls have so far confirmed they have raised enough support for formalizing their candidacy in Macedonia’s presidential election next month, local media said. The deadline for rising the required ten thousand signatures expires on Tuesday at midnight, the State Election Commission said. The candidates who already qualified are the …
Read More »Kyrgyzstan starts moves to close U.S. airbase
BISHKEK – Kyrgyzstan began moves on Wednesday to close a U.S. military air base in the former Soviet republic which is vital for supplying U.S.-led troops fighting in Afghanistan. The decision by a traditional Russian ally in Central Asia sends a tough signal and challenge to new U.S. President Barack …
Read More »Russia plays tricky game with U.S. over Kyrgyz base
MOSCOW – Russia has embarked on a risky political game with new U.S. President Barack Obama by forcing its ally Kyrgyzstan to close a U.S. military base while keeping up overtures to establish warmer relations with Washington. The Manas air base near the capital of the Central Asian state is …
Read More »Taliban kidnap 29 Pakistani police and soldiers
MINGORA, Pakistan – Pakistani Taliban kidnapped 29 paramilitary soldiers and policemen Wednesday, police said, as the militants intensified their campaign against government forces. Security has deteriorated sharply in northwestern areas along the Afghan border as well as the Swat valley, where troops are struggling to stem spreading Taliban influence. In …
Read More »Turkish Speaker Invited to Gaza Conference in Iran
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani invited his Turkish counterpart Koksal Toptan to attend a parliamentary conference to be held soon in Tehran where participants will discuss the recent crisis in Gaza. During a phone conversation with Toptan, Larijani said regional countries should call for more effective measures to …
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