Middle Orient

Libya court delays ruling on Bulgarian nurses

TRIPOLI (Reuters) — Libya’s Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed to Jan. 31 its ruling in the final appeal of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for deliberately infecting children with the HIV virus. “The court delays the hearing to January 31 to give further time for …

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Iran warns IAEA ahead of key meeting

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s top nuclear negotiator issued a blunt warning to the UN atomic watchdog on Tuesday, saying more pressure on the Tehran over its controversial nuclear activities would have “consequences.” The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to meet from November 24, with Iran running the risk of …

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Israeli PM’s son pleads guilty to perjury

TEL AVIV (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s son Omri pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of providing false testimony and falsifying documents at the opening of his trial before a Tel Aviv court. The trial follows a police investigation into allegations of illegal financing of Sharon’s successful 1999 campaign …

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Widespread fraud reported in Egypt runoffs

CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptians were voting Tuesday in runoffs for the first phase of parliamentary polls, which the opposition Muslim Brothers charged were rife with fraud by President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party. Of the 164 first-phase seats, most of the 133 still undecided contests were pitting candidates from the ruling …

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Gaza border agreement clinched

RAMALLAH — Palestinian and Israeli negotiators yesterday reached an agreement on opening the Gaza-Egypt border at Rafah after a marathon negotiations session chaired by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Quartet envoy James Wolfensohn. The deal allows for the Rafah crossing to be opened on November 25 under Palestinian …

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Saudi Arabia, US pledge stronger cooperation

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia and the United States pledged Sunday to boost cooperation on terrorism, Iraq and Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in a renewed display of unity in their often-delicate alliance. The vows came during a day of talks between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Saudi leaders …

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Palestinian state would boost Israel security — Rice

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israelis and Palestinians to prove their willingness for peace on Sunday and said a Palestinian state would enhance the Jewish state’s security. She urged the Palestinians to tackle fighters, as they are meant to under a US-backed peace “road …

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Sunni Arabs step up calls for halt to US, Iraqi operations

BAGHDAD (AP) — Sunni Arab politicians stepped up demands Sunday for an end to US and Iraqi military operations, claiming they threaten Sunni participation in next month’s elections — a key US goal. The US command announced that three more American troops have been killed. Meanwhile, some 1,100 Iraqi lawyers …

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Palestinians say Kingdom ‘lung’ of West Bank

RAMALLAH — Fadi Abu Saada from Bethlehem has several relatives in Amman. Having worked and lived there for two years, he also has many friends in the city. His first instinct Wednesday night when he heard the news of the bombings was, like that of many others, to get on …

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Peres ousted as Israeli Labour Party chief

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Shimon Peres was ousted as Israel’s Labour Party leader on Thursday by a trade union chief who vowed to quit Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s ruling coalition and usher in early elections. After a leadership contest that shook up Israel’s political landscape, Amir Peretz, 53, said he …

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