GAZA CITY (AFP) — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas formally tasked Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday with forming the first government controlled by Islamists one month after the faction’s election victory. Abbas gave an official nomination letter to Haniyeh at his Gaza City office, an arrangement agreed in talks between the …

MOGADISHU (AFP) — At least 15 people were killed and 23 wounded Tuesday in fighting between gunmen loyal to warlords controlling the Somali capital and Islamic court security militia, witnesses and medical sources said.This brings the death toll to 33 and dozens wounded since the clashes erupted on Saturday, pitting …

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — US Ambassador John Bolton accused the United Nations and some Security Council members on Monday of moving too slowly towards setting up a UN peacekeeping force in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region.Bolton expressed frustration with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and UN officials over the pace of …

BEIRUT — Buoyed by recent street protests, the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority is starting a big push to try to oust President Emile Lahoud, Damascus’ top ally in Lebanon. But they have limited tools — and their drive is already splitting the country and threatening to plunge it into chaos. Although …

Car bomb kills at least 21BAGHDAD (Reuters) — A car bomb killed at least 21 people in Baghdad on Tuesday hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari angrily dismissed US warnings to shun sectarianism in the country’s new government. The blast in the southern Dora district, the bloodiest in …

BAGHDAD (AP) — A spate of roadside bombings in Baghdad and north of the capital killed a US soldier and at least 11 Iraqis Saturday, officials said. Two Macedonians were kidnapped in southern Iraq, while a search is on for a private German plane missing in the north. An Iraqi …

KHARTOUM (Reuters) — Sudan’s government on Saturday rejected US accusations that genocide was ongoing in its Darfur region and said it was discussing allowing a robust UN force to take over from African peace monitors there.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday said genocide was continuing in Darfur through …

TEHRAN (Agencies) — A gathering of Iranians who claim they are dedicated to becoming suicide bombers warned the United States and Britain on Saturday of attacks on coalition military bases in Iraq if there were a strike against Tehran’s nuclear facilities.”With more than 1,000 trained martyrdom-seekers, we are ready to …

RAMALLAH — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday officially tasked Hamas with forming a new Palestinian government as Palestinian legislators were sworn in during the opening ceremony of the second Palestinian Legislative Council. The ceremony was held simultaneously in the presidential compound in Ramallah and the parliament building in Gaza City, …

Seyed Ali Khamenei was born in Mashhad Khorasan province of Iran, in 1939. He began religious studies before completing the elementary education. He attended the classes of masters of “Sath” (seminary lectures based on reading textbooks) and “Kharej” (seminary lectures not based on reading textbooks) in Mashhad, such as Haj …