Eurasia Press & News

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in a last-minute bid to clinch an agreement a day before his Kadima party holds an election to replace him.

GAZA (Reuters) – Thousands of Hamas members voted in a secret internal ballot in the Gaza Strip that re-elected the Islamist group’s most prominent leaders to its highest bodies and signaled no change in policy.

GAZA (Reuters) – Eleven Palestinians including a pro-al Qaeda militant and a child were killed on Tuesday in overnight gun battles in the Gaza Strip, Hamas police officials said.

The new US military commander in Iraq, Lt Gen Ray Odierno, has said that recent security gains there are “fragile and reversible”.

Representatives of Lebanon’s many political factions are meeting to begin dialogue on the country’s future.

Officials in the Gaza Strip say at least 11 people have been killed in a gun battle between Hamas security forces and a powerful local clan.

Ukraine has been plunged into political crisis again following the collapse of the ruling coalition. The governing parties of President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko are pro-western but are deeply divided over other issues.  Tensions recently came to a head over the subject of presidential powers. 

The Netherlands has prevented the EU from agreeing to extend new trade benefits to Serbia.The block comes despite a positive report from the chief UN war crimes prosecutor on Belgrade’s co-operation.

Outgoing General David Petraeus has handed over control of US military operations in Iraq at a ceremony in Baghdad. Petraeus is widely credited for security gains in Iraq after implementing a surge strategy backed by 30,000 extra US troops.

Five former US Secretaries of State say the next American administration should hold direct and unconditional talks with Tehran.