KHARTOUM (AP) — President Omar Bashir has escalated his rejection of the United Nations deploying peacekeepers in Darfur, saying they would be neocolonialists and accusing “Jewish organisations” of pushing for their deployment.

GENEVA (AFP) — An international conference was mired Wednesday, as efforts continued to break a deadlock after a Muslim challenge to moves to facilitate Israeli membership of the global Red Cross movement.

SYDNEY (AP) — Australia will review its troop deployment to Iraq by the end of this year, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said Wednesday — the first time the Australian government has signalled a possible timeline for withdrawing its troops.