Eurasia Press & News

BELGRADE – The European Union told Serbia on Friday to protect embassies after attacks over Western support for Kosovo’s secession, and suggested such violence could harm its prospects of closer ties with the bloc.

GAZA – Hamas called on the European Union on Friday to step up pressure on Israel to lift its economic and military blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist group.

BEIRUT – Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Friday to avenge the assassination of his senior commander Imad Moughniyah and threatened to deal Israel a crushing blow if it attacked Lebanon again.

Putin introduced the 42-year-old Medvedev to leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as “one of the candidates” in the March 2 election, but left no doubt he was more than that.

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday promised to end the almost daily violent attacks in Moscow on migrant workers from the former Soviet states.

BELGRADE – The U.S. embassy in Serbia ordered on Friday the departure of support staff and dependents of diplomats after a mob attacked the mission the day before, a spokeswoman said.

LONDON – Lawyers for five Iraqis have accused British soldiers of mass executions and torture and called for a police investigation into an “atrocious episode” in British army history.

Embattled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said in a column published on Friday that he was ready to work with the newly elected parliament to fight terrorism and build a stable democratic government to promote long-term economic growth.

BRUSSELS – The European Commission said on Friday it was awaiting responses from Poland and Romania to charges that they hosted CIA prisons where al Qaeda suspects were questioned and guards used methods akin to torture.

ISLAMABAD – A roadside bomb ripped through a vehicle carrying a wedding party in Pakistan’s northwestern valley of Swat on Friday, killing 13 people, officials said.