December, 2007

• 13 December

  Election monitors fear rigging of Pakistani vote

  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Prospects for a free and fair general election in Pakistan next month are poor and a rigged result could lead to more instability and play into the hands of Islamist militants, election watchdog groups said.

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• 13 December

  Putin’s anointed successor leaps ahead in Russia poll

  MOSCOW (Reuters) – The popularity of Dmitry Medvedev, anointed successor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, soared in an opinion poll released on Thursday. Medvedev was endorsed by Putin as his preferred presidential candidate on December 10 but he was already pulling away from other possible contenders, independent pollsters Levada said …

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• 13 December

  Investigators look for clues in Lebanon killing

  BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese army investigators searched for clues on Thursday in the assassination of a top general who had been tipped to become the next army chief. Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, killed by a 77 lb car bomb on Wednesday, was a leading contender to replace army chief General …

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• 13 December

  TIMELINE: Recent attacks in Lebanon

  (Reuters) – Lebanese army investigators searched for clues on Thursday in the assassination of a top general who had been tipped to become the next army chief. Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, killed by a 35 kg (77 lb) car bomb on Wednesday, was the first military officer to be killed, …

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• 13 December

  New Russian parliament to convene on December 24

  MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed the newly elected State Duma, or lower house of parliament, will hold its first session on December 24, the official gazette said on Thursday.

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• 13 December

  Kasparov says dropping Russian presidential bid

  SERPUKHOV, Russia (Reuters) – Former world chess champion and Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov said on Thursday he was dropping plans to run for president next year because obstruction from authorities made it pointless.

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• 13 December

  Ukraine parliament meets, but no debate on PM

  KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament reconvened on Thursday a day after the opposition prevented the chamber from sitting, but there was no indication when it would reconsider a proposal to restore Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister.

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• 13 December

  Russian PM says Kudrin lost 1 billion roubles

  MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov asked Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin on Thursday to account for 1 billion roubles ($41 million) in earthquake relief funds that had gone missing.

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• 13 December

  Russia police hold activists on way to funeral

  SERPUKHOV, Russia (Reuters) – A Russian opposition activist accused the authorities of “cynical and immoral” behavior on Thursday after police briefly held two busloads of activists as they traveled to a colleague’s funeral.

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• 13 December

  Iran’s Security Troops Disband Terrorist Group

  TEHRAN (Fars News Agency) – Iranian security forces killed 5 terrorists and arrested 15 more in clashes in a southeastern region on Thursday, saying they had planned to detonate bombs in the country.

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