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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 …

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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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Spectre of Ahmadinejad victory haunts women

TEHRAN — Left in a state of shock by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s surprise election success, young professional women in Tehran fear they could lose all their hard-won new freedoms if the ultra-conservative wins the presidency. “We are always worried. We have never been working at ease. But now, with Ahmadinejad as …

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