BAGHDAD (AP) — The leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq called Thursday for explosives experts and nuclear scientists to join his group’s holy war and help attack US bases around the country. The audio message posted on the Internet came as at least 23 people were killed primarily in and …

BERLIN (Reuters) — European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Thursday he had failed to reach a deal with the chief Iranian negotiator on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but said they would hold another round of talks soon. Several Western diplomats who were briefed on Solana’s talks with Larijani …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that he hopes to hold a long-delayed meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in the coming days, but ruled out releasing prisoners or offering other goodwill gestures to the Palestinian president until a captured Israeli soldier is freed.