Middle Orient

DAMASCUS — Spurred by the Kurds’ political advance in Iraq, the Kurdish minority in Syria is hoping the Baath Party congress in Damascus will help resolve their problems, which have been compounded by the recent murder of one of their leaders. In Iraq, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani has been elected …

KHARTOUM (Reuters) — Darfur peace talks are due to resume on Friday after a six-month gap that has seen the political and military landscape in Sudan’s vast west change in a way that could improve the chances for a deal. Despite recent infighting which has raised doubts over their ability …

BEIRUT — Two months after a one-million-strong march against Syria’s domination, many Lebanese feel cheated by opposition politicians who compromised with Damascus and failed one of their leaders — slain journalist Samir Kassir. “Leave us alone. None of you could protect him,” cried Gisele Khoury, during the funeral of her …

CAIRO — The US approach to political change in Egypt has shifted in favour of those who advocate caution to keep Islamists out of power until they clarify or modify their policies, diplomats and analysts say. Another school of thought, pressing for rapid change regardless of consequences, appeared to be …

BAGHDAD — Palestinian refugee Thaier Noureddine never wanted to leave Iraq, even if he could return to the land his family fled after the 1948 Middle East war. But he’s been desperate for a way out since Iraqi security forces arrested his brother Ghazwaan and three other Palestinians in a …

TEHRAN — Western diplomats are confident Iran has chosen a pragmatic line in negotiations over its nuclear programme and say a long-term deal is possible with the EU, and eventually the United States, if they can come up with the right incentives. In recent months the Islamic republic has been …

TEHRAN (Reuters) — Pressure mounted on Wednesday on four hardline candidates in Iran’s June 17 presidential race to reach consensus on a single nominee to challenge wily former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who leads opinion polls. A new survey showed Rafsanjani, 70, still leading the pack of eight candidates, but …

WASHINGTON (AFP) — For the first time since its launch in March 2003, a majority of Americans feel the Iraq war has not made the United States a safer place to live, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll published Wednesday. Fifty-two per cent of the 1,002 adults who took …

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Twenty-two Iraqi soldiers were kidnapped near the Syrian border, an Iraqi military source said Wednesday as four US soldiers were killed in less than 24 hours in attacks north of the capital. With no let-up in the targeting of the country’s fledgling security forces, senior Iraqi Shiite …

Israel to free 400 prisoners today OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Agencies) — Israel will free 400 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday in what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has called an attempt to boost moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of a Gaza withdrawal. Palestinian officials dismissed the long-delayed release as a public relations …