OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AP) — The first group of Jewish settlers announced Saturday they plan to move out of their Gaza Strip homes next month, several weeks before the army is officially set to withdraw from the coastal area.
Read More »World worries focus on Iran nuke programme
LONDON (AP) — The world reacted warily Saturday to a hardliner’s victory in Iran’s presidential election, with many nations expressing worries about Iran’s nuclear programme. Many urged Iran to respond to international concerns about the programme, while Russia said it was willing to keep working with Iran on nuclear power …
Read More »Ahmadinejad vows strong Iran
TEHRAN (Reuters) — Ultra-conservative Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad swept to a stunning landslide victory in presidential election on Saturday and immediately vowed to turn Iran into a strong and exemplary Islamic state.
Read More »Aljazeera Guantanamo inmate abused
An Aljazeera cameraman who has been incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay since 2001 has suffered extreme physical, sexual and religious abuse, his lawyer has said. Clive Stafford-Smith, who visited clients in the US detention camp in Cuba a few weeks ago, told Aljazeera.net that Sami al-Hajj had been beaten by his …
Read More »Up to 20,000 US troops may depart Iraq next year — general
BAGHDAD (AFP) — US troops may start withdrawing from Iraq next March, a US general said Tuesday, as the new US ambassador to the volatile country pledged to help Iraqis crush a ruthless insurgency. As many as four or five US military brigades (up to 20,000 people) could leave then …
Read More »Sharon, Abbas make little progress
AN UNPRECEDENTED SUMMIT between the Palestinian and Israeli leaders broke up in Jerusalem on Tuesday amid bitter arguments and recriminations over continuing violence, yielding few tangible results. Palestinian officials at the meeting said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon began the two-hour summit with a humiliating 20-minute lecture to Palestinian President …
Read More »Justice minister says Saddam’s trial will be over by year-end
BRUSSELS (AP) — Iraq’s justice minister said Tuesday that Saddam Hussein’s trial on war crimes charges will be over by the end of the year and accused the United States of trying to delay interrogations of Saddam. Abdel Hussein Shandal’s comments underlined the Iraqi government’s determination to bring the ousted …
Read More »UNHCR head urges global action to stem refugee flow
PALORINYA RECEPTION CENTRE, Uganda (AFP) — The new head of the UN refugee agency Tuesday urged concerted global action to improve conditions in war-ravaged southern Sudan in a bid to stem a flow of refugees, still fleeing despite a landmark peace deal. On a tour of camps in northwestern Uganda, …
Read More »Iraq seeks support to move out of ‘critical’ phase
BRUSSELS (AFP) — More than 80 foreign ministers and officials gathered in Brussels Tuesday for a conference aimed at showing solidarity with violence-wracked Iraq, and to hear Baghdad’s plans for how to rebuild it. While organisers admitted the Brussels talks may be short on major new initiatives, they played up …
Read More »Rice criticises Saudis on rights, gets firm rebuff
RIYADH (AFP) — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticised Saudi Arabia’s record on democratic reform and the jailing of three activists but was firmly rebuffed Tuesday by Washington’s staunch Middle East ally. “The row is really meaningless,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal told a post-midnight news conference …
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