EU foreign ministers concluded at their Luxembourg summit that Serbia has significantly moved forward with democratic reforms. On Monday (3 October), they gave the green light for Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) to start Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) talks. The achievement of this milestone comes at a symbolically important juncture — the …

European Parliament President Josep Borrell called on Wednesday (5 October) for a new effort to end the 31-year division of Cyprus. “I think we have to use the momentum created by the opening of negotiations with Turkey in order to (launch) a new initiative on a Cyprus settlement,” Borrell said …

BAGHDAD (Reuters) — The US military said on Sunday it had no reason to believe a militant group’s claim to have seized two Marines during fighting in Iraq, but said it was doing an inventory of personnel all the same. “There are no indications that Al Qaeda claims of having …

BEIRUT (Reuters) — A UN team investigating the killing of Lebanon’s former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, will ask for an extension of its mandate until mid-December, the Lebanese prime minister said on Sunday. A UN team led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis is due to report to the Security Council …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel suspended an offensive against fighters in the Gaza Strip, including targeted killings, as clashes between Hamas gunmen and Palestinian police trying to enforce an arms ban killed at least three in Gaza City. Medical sources said three Palestinians, including a police major, had been killed …

KHARTOUM (AFP) — The African Union Mission in Sudan has accused government forces and Arab militias of launching joint attacks on villages and refugee camps in Darfur, in which at least 44 civilians were killed. These include an attack Wednesday on the Aro Sharow refugee camp in which the UN …

DAMASCUS (AFP) — Iran’s parliament speaker on Sunday warned Israel against any attempt to attack its nuclear facilities, and promised to “teach it a lesson” if it did. “If Israel does something stupid and attacks our nuclear facilities like it did in Iraq, we promise to teach it a lesson …

DUBAI (AP) — Iran’s president has denied telling a newspaper that his government might curtail oil sales if Iran is referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear programme. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “never had an interview, either oral or written, with the Khaleej Times,” the president’s …

AMMAN — Foreign Al Qaeda militants waging a campaign of suicide car bombings in Iraq plan to send some fighters home in preparation for similar operations in their own countries, the Iraqi interior minister said on Sunday. Interior Minister Bayan Jabor said documents found with Abu Azzam, said to be …

LONDON (AFP) — Army morale and recruitment are suffering because troops are seen as “guilty by association” with Prime Minister Tony’s Blair’s decision to invade Iraq, Britain’s top soldier claimed in comments published here Sunday. General Sir Michael Walker, chief of the defence of staff, also said, in an interview …