October, 2005

• 7 October

  New Romanian Anti-corruption Chief Openly Criticises his Institution

  Daniel Morar, the young prosecutor who was appointed chief of the National Prosecutor’s Office (PNA) in August, is not satisfied with the way the most important anti-corruption organisation in Romania is doing its job. “We found numerous files treating small corruption cases, which are suffocating our specialists. Meanwhile, the 40 …

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• 7 October

  Five Years After Democratic Revolution, Serbia’s EU Prospects Brighten

  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 …

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• 7 October

  European Parliament President Calls for New Effort to Reunify Cyprus

  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 …

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• 3 October

  US says no sign 2 Marines seized in Iraq

  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 …

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• 3 October

  UN to seek more time in Hariri probe, Siniora says

  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 …

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• 3 October

  Israel suspends offensive

  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 …

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• 3 October

  AU accuses gov’t forces of attacking civilians in Darfur

  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 …

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• 3 October

  Tehran warns Tel Aviv

  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 …

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• 3 October

  Ahmadinejad denies report of curbing oil sales

  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 …

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• 3 October

  Zarqawi sending militants back home — minister

  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 …

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