July, 2005

• 29 July

  Blair, Erdogan Discuss Turkey’s EU Bid

  Turkey is ready to sign a protocol extending its customs union to the 10 new EU member states, including Cyprus, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in London on Wednesday (27 July). Ankara is reportedly planning, however, to attach a declaration to the protocol stressing that it does not …

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• 29 July

  Kurdish rebels kidnap mayor in southeast

  ANKARA (AP) — Kurdish rebels kidnapped a small-town mayor in southeast Turkey, relatives and officials from the mayor’s office said Thursday, the second kidnapping in three weeks as rebel attacks in Turkey have become increasingly bold. Turkish soldiers backed by helicopters were searching the majority-Kurdish region for the mayor, who …

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• 29 July

  General, PM say more troops should leave when possible

  BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister said he wants US troops “on their way out” as soon as his government can protect its new democracy. The top American general in the country said he hopes to begin significant withdrawal by next spring. At the same time, in an unannounced visit Wednesday, …

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• 29 July

  Mubarak — Egypt’s veteran ruler faces up to reform

  CAIRO — After 24 years as Egyptian president where his grip on power has been almost unchallenged, Hosni Mubarak will have to face up to unprecedented demands for reform if he wins a historic fifth term. Mubarak — one of the longest serving leaders in the Arab world — moved …

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• 29 July

  Sharon holds talks with French FM in Paris

  PARIS (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with France’s foreign minister Thursday for talks on Israel’s upcoming withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as the two countries tried to forget years of diplomatic tension and enter a new, friendlier period of relations. The morning talks between Sharon and Philippe …

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• 29 July

  Factions to work for success of pullout — Qureia

  GAZA CITY (AFP) — Factions pledged Thursday to work with the Palestinian Authority to ensure the success of Israel’s historic pullout from the Gaza Strip next month, Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said. A recent wave of deadly violence has compounded fears that Israel’s pullout will be marred by attacks and …

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• 29 July

  Israel planning high-tech barrier around Gaza after withdrawal

  EREZ CROSSING, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel is beefing up its border with the Gaza Strip after next month’s withdrawal, the army said Thursday, disclosing details of a high-tech triple complex to ring the coastal strip with what they hope will be the world’s most impenetrable barrier. The barrier system …

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• 29 July

  Mubarak seeks 5th term

  CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday confirmed he will seek a fifth mandate in the country’s first-ever competitive presidential poll in September, ending months of speculation about his future. Mubarak’s announcement comes at a pivotal moment for Egypt as it copes with the aftermath of the Sharm …

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• 29 July

  Outrage at diplomats’ killing in Iraq

  BAGHDAD (AFP) — Insurgents set off a huge blaze when they blew up a train carrying petroleum products in Baghdad on Thursday, as governments around the world condemned the murder of two Algerian diplomats kidnapped last week. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari accused the insurgents of seeking to undermine diplomatic …

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• 29 July

  34 arrested over London, Sharm attacks

  BRITISH ANTI-TERRORIST officers arrested nine men in dawn raids Thursday in connection with the botched July 21 bomb attacks on London’s transit system as police warned of “a race against time” to hunt down the bombers. And the dragnet in the Sharm El Sheikh terror attacks widened Thursday as police …

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