July, 2008

• 5 July

  Knives, petrol bombs found in Afghan prison

  KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan security forces found more than 100 knives and swords, petrol bombs and dozens of mobile phones in a search of Kabul’s main prison, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

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• 5 July

  FACTBOX: Security developments in Afghanistan

  (Reuters) – Following are security developments in Afghanistan at 3:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday: KANDAHAR – Gunmen shot dead a member of the parliament outside his house late on Friday in the southern province of Kandahar, the government said.

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• 5 July

  Pakistan’s Musharraf defies resignation calls

  KARACHI (Reuters) – Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf hit back at calls for his resignation on Friday, saying he was needed to help political parties avoid an economic meltdown and tackle a militant threat gripping the country. “We cannot address the problems of terrorism and extremism and the economic crisis if …

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• 5 July

  Armenian opposition supporters march through capital

  YEREVAN (Reuters) – Thousands of opposition supporters marched through the Armenian capital on Friday and vowed to hold a month-long series of protests to demand the resignation of President Serzh Sarksyan and new elections. The opposition accuses the authorities of ballot-stuffing and intimidation in the February 19 election which official …

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• 5 July

  Israel orders razing of Jerusalem attackers’ homes

  JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday sought the demolition of the houses of two Palestinians behind recent deadly attacks against Israelis after the attorney-general said the move was legally viable. Israel wants to raze the homes of a Palestinian who killed three Israelis in a bulldozer …

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• 5 July

  Syria says talk of direct Israel contact premature

  PARIS (Reuters) – Syria’s foreign minister said on Friday it was premature to talk of direct peace negotiations with Israel, a day after the Jewish state called for face-to-face discussions to start soon. A third round of indirect talks between the long-standing foes took place in Istanbul this week and …

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• 5 July

  U.S.-led air raid kills 22 Afghan civilians

  ASADABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Twenty-two civilians, including women and children, were killed in an air strike by U.S.-led forces on Friday in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nuristan, an official said. The attack happened on a road in Want district while the noncombatants were traveling in two vehicles, the district chief, …

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• 5 July

  Belarus blast at concert wounds 50

  MINSK (Reuters) – About 50 people were wounded early on Friday by a home-made bomb that sprayed nuts and bolts into a crowd at an open-air concert in Belarus’s capital attended by long-time ruler President Alexander Lukashenko, officials said. Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet state with an iron grip …

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• 5 July

  Israel reclosure of crossings dampens Gazans’ hopes

  GAZA (Reuters) – Israel responded to Thursday’s rocket attack by again closing its border crossing with Gaza on Friday, dampening hopes among Gazans that a ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish state might ease an Israeli-led blockade. A truce brokered by Egypt on June 19 calls on militants in the …

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• 5 July

  Hamas says suspends prisoner swap talks with Israel

  GAZA (Reuters) – Islamist Hamas said on Friday it was suspending indirect talks with Israel over a prisoner swap deal, citing Israeli violations of a declared truce in Gaza. Gaza’s Islamist leaders have accused Israel of dragging its feet in implementing the truce deal that includes a gradual increase of …

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