The leaders of Macedonia’s four main political parties agreed on March 22 as the date for holding presidential and local elections, seen as a test for the country’s democratic credentials. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, leader of the ruling centre right VMRO DPMNE party, told local media that parliament speaker Trajko …

GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli aircraft, tanks and ships pounded the Gaza Strip for a 15th day Saturday and militants from Hamas fired rockets back at Israel, both sides defying international efforts to put a stop to the conflict. In the latest exchange of fire, eight Palestinians were killed by an …

GAZA (Reuters) – Israel rejected a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday and warplanes and tanks pounded the Palestinian enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dismissed Thursday’s binding Security Council resolution demanding an “immediate and durable” ceasefire in the two-week-old war as “unworkable.” …

GAZA (Reuters) – “Abu Salah died, his wife died. Abu Tawfiq died, his son died, his wife also died. Mohammed Ibrahim died, and his mother died. Ishaq died and Nasar died. The wife of Nael Samouni died. Many people died. “There were maybe more than 25 people killed,” said Ahmed …

RAMALLAH (Reuters) – Palestinians in the occupied West Bank protested on Friday against Israel’s full-scale offensive against Gaza, but the demonstrations were divided, short, and relatively muted. The death toll in the two-week onslaught, now 783, has stunned West Bank Palestinians, eclipsing an internal quarrel between those ready to recognize …

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – The European Union will hold talks with Russia on Saturday to finalize a gas monitoring deal to allow the resumption of gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, which have been cut off for days over a pricing row. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, representing the EU presidency, …

KABUL (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday to meet political and military leaders in the war-torn country, which will become a top foreign policy priority of the new administration. One of the first decisions U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is expected to make is to …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Global expectations of Egypt have been doubled because of its different geographical position and its shared borders with Gaza through Rafah border crossing, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said. Egyptian government needs to comply with its historical and conscientious obligations over Gazans and take fundamental steps regarding …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Village Affairs Mehmet Mehdi Eker and Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour in a meeting on Thursday discussed ways to expand cooperation in agriculture and animal husbandry. At the meeting, the Iranian envoy offered to set up a joint agricultural commission to speed …

TEHRAN (FNA)- The 12th Iranian International Market for Films and TV Programs is scheduled to kick off work here in Tehran on January 30. The five-day market is being held on the side section of the 27th International Fajr Film Festival opening on January 31. International companies have received the …