By Alexandre Deslongchamps Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada should place conditions on a decision to extend its military mission in Afghanistan beyond 2009, as a government- commissioned panel recommended last week.

MESAJUL E.S. DL. HAMID REZA ARSHADI, AMBASADOR, CU OCAZIA ZILEI NATIONALE A REPUBLICII ISLAMICE IRAN 11 FEBRUARIE 2008 Iranul se află în inima Orientului Mijlociu, fiind o punte de legătură între Marea Caspică ÅŸi Golful Persic. Datorită varietăţii climatice caracteristica zonei Iranului, este posibil ca în acelaÅŸi moment al anului, …

BETHLEHEM, West Bank – A Palestinian teenager was killed and another was wounded by Israeli troops during a raid into the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Monday, Palestinian medical officials said.

MOSCOW – Russia warned the United States and European Union on Monday that it would take a series of unidentified measures if Serbia’s breakaway province of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence.

MOSCOW – A self-styled tsar, four empresses and scores of other eccentrics have sought to register for Russian presidential elections in March, the country’s elections chief said on Monday.

CAIRO – Egypt said on Monday it wanted the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas to control the border crossing with the Gaza Strip, excluding Hamas Islamists who have run the territory since June.

ISLAMABAD – Gunmen who took up to 250 Pakistani school children hostage on Monday in a northwestern town freed them all and surrendered to tribal elders, a government spokesman said.

BEIRUT – Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most powerful faction, on Monday demanded to know who was behind shooting that killed eight opposition supporters in some of Beirut’s worst street violence since the 1975-90 civil war.

RIYADH – Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal met Saudi officials in Riyadh on Monday as part of a Saudi bid to mediate the return of Gaza, under Israeli blockade, to Palestinian Authority control, Saudi and Palestinian officials said.

Lebanon has been going through the worst political crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. The country has been without a president since November as leaders of its rival factions are unable to agree on a national unity government.