Olmert to remove unauthorized outposts
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 5:08am
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday told his Cabinet that he will remove all unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank, pledging to meet a key Israeli commitment under the "road map" peace plan, a government spokeswoman said. Olmert also said Israel will not build any new settlements in the West Bank, though he stopped short of promising a freeze in construction in existing settlements. The road map calls for a halt in all settlement activity. Full Story
Balkans to splinter if Kosovo breaks away- Serbia
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 5:21am
Serbia is warning the West ahead of a new round of talks on its breakaway Kosovo province that a declaration of independence by the Albanian majority would lead to new secessionist moves in the Balkans. "If the independence of Kosovo is recognised, it would not be the final stage of the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, but the first stage of new disintegration and secession in the Balkans," Serbia's Kosovo minister, Slobodan Samardzic, said. Full Story
France in last-ditch effort to press Lebanon deal
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 5:46am
France's foreign minister, on his second visit to Lebanon in under a week, met Lebanese leaders on Monday to press them to agree a consensus nominee for president, two days before the deadline for a parliamentary vote. Bernard Kouchner returned to Beirut on Sunday night to pursue a French-sponsored initiative aimed at averting a presidential crisis that threatens to leave Lebanon with two rival governments and possible bloodshed. Full Story
India opposition, Maoists protest land row violence
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 8:24am
India's parliament was adjourned on Monday and Maoist rebels enforced a two-day strike in remote rural strongholds, as protests mounted over the killing of villagers in a land row in the east this month. Opposition lawmakers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) disrupted both houses of parliament after demanding a debate over the violence in the Nandigram area, which has been blamed on the communist government of West Bengal state. Full Story
Three men face murder charges in Manila bomb probe
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 8:26am
Philippine police have sought murder charges against three men for last week's suspected assassination of a Muslim lamaker in a bomb attack at the Congress building, officials said on Monday. State lawyers will question police and the three men late next week and then decide whether there is sufficient evidence to bring them to trial. Full Story
Asean finalises historic charter
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 8:46am
South East Asian foreign ministers have agreed new rules for the regional group Asean, committing members to promoting human rights and bolstering democracy. The charter is due to be signed at a summit on Tuesday by the bloc's 10 member states, including Burma. Full Story
Malaysian authorities bust largest-ever secret disc burner lab
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 9:09am
Cinema chiefs announced Monday that local authorities had busted a 52 million dollar secret optical disc burner lab -- the biggest pirate lab ever to be found in Malaysia. Mike Ellis, the Motion Picture Association's (MPA) regional director said the raid was conducted last Friday by a team of 20 officers from Malaysia's ministry of domestic trade and consumer affairs. Full Story
Berlusconi to launch 'mass party'
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 9:23am
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's flamboyant former prime minister, is to launch a new party of the centre-right. He told supporters in a Milan piazza the party would unite Italians "against the old fogeys of politics". Mr Berlusconi said he hoped all his coalition partners would join the new party, despite recent criticisms by key allies on the centre-right. Full Story
Georgia ends state of emergency
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 9:30am
Georgia has lifted the state of emergency it imposed nine days ago amid a wave of opposition protests. An interior ministry spokesman said the situation was "back to normal". The move came as President Mikhail Saakashvili announced he was replacing PM Zurab Noghaideli, and appointing Lado Gurgenidze, a banker, to the post. Full Story
Israel agrees prisoner release
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:04am
The Israeli government has approved a request by Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, to release up to 450 Palestinian prisoners ahead of his meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. The number falls short of the 2,000 prisoners requested by Abbas and represents only a fraction of the 10,000 believed to be held by Israel. Full Story
Olmert Acts to Bolster Abbas
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:05am
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sought wide Arab support on Monday for a U.S.-led peace conference by agreeing to release 441 Palestinian prisoners and reaffirming a pledge not to build new Jewish settlements. Olmert held talks in Jerusalem with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a last-ditch bid to narrow differences a week ahead of the Annapolis, Maryland meeting. Full Story
Oil prices rise after Opec summit
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:07am
Oil prices have risen in Monday trading, after leaders of producers' cartel Opec decided not to boost production at their latest meeting. US light crude was up 69 cents to $94.53 a barrel by early afternoon trading in Europe, having earlier risen by more than $1. Full Story
Critics Assail Weak Dollar at OPEC Event
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:08am
A rare meeting of the heads of state of the OPEC countries ended here today on a political note, with two leaders President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran blaming the weakness of the United States dollar for high oil prices. Despite the best efforts of the host country, Saudi Arabia, to steer the meeting away from politics and promote OPECs environmental concerns, the leaders of Venezuela and Iran let loose some show-stealing statements. Full Story
U.S. Says Attacks in Iraq Fell to the Level of Feb. 2006
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:09am
The American military said Sunday that the weekly number of attacks in Iraq had fallen to the lowest level since just before the February 2006 bombing of the Shiite shrine in Samarra, an event commonly used as a benchmark for the countrys worst spasm of bloodletting after the American invasion nearly five years ago. Data released at a news conference in Baghdad showed that attacks had declined to the lowest level since January 2006. It is the third week in a row that attacks have been at this reduced level. Full Story
Dubai eyes US investment bargains
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:16am
An investment agency owned by the Dubai government says the US mortgage crisis has created a wealth of cheap American investment opportunities. Omar bin Sulaiman, governor of DIFC Investments, told the Reuters news agency that the crisis had driven down the share prices of US firms. Full Story
Norwegian suspect held over YouTube school threat
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 11:10am
Police held a suspect for questioning after video threats were made against a Norwegian junior high school similar to those published before a school massacre in Finland, Norwegian media reported on Monday. The threats against Erdal junior high school in western Norway were made in a video posted on the website YouTube, and had direct links to reports of a school massacre in Finland earlier this month, including a picture of the school. Full Story
Germany 'foils school massacre'
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 11:15am
German police say they have thwarted a plot by two students to carry out a massacre at their school. One suspect, aged 17, committed suicide after being questioned about the plot and his alleged accomplice, 18, is under arrest, police said. A school in the western city of Cologne is believed to have been the target. Full Story
Rescuers fear soaring death toll in Bangladesh
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 12:26pm
Helicopters airlifted food to hungry survivors Monday while rescuers struggled to reach remote areas devastated by Bangladesh's worst cyclone in a decade, amid fears the death toll could be far higher than the official figure of 2,400. The army helicopters carried mostly high-protein cookies supplied by the World Food Program, said Emamul Haque, a spokesman for the organization's office in the capital, Dhaka, which was coordinating international relief efforts. Full Story
Hong Kong democrats suffer heavy defeat
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 12:37pm
Hong Kong democrats suffered a heavy defeat in local elections on Monday with pro-Beijing politicians winning a majority. The result dealt a blow to the democrats amid an ongoing debate on establishing full democracy. Full Story
Algerian forces say arrested top member of Al-Qaeda branch
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 2:44pm
Algerian security services said Monday they had arrested top regional Islamic chief Fateh Bouderbala, alias Abdelfatah Abou Bassir, an alleged member of Al-Qaeda's North African branch. Full Story
Algerian voters apathetic amid claims of election rigging
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 4:35pm
The campaign for the November 29th elections began amidst fears of rigging by the administration in favour of parties belonging to the ruling coalition: the National Liberation Front (FLN), the National Rally for Democracy (RND) and the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP). Suspicions mounted when the government refused to create an independent political commission to monitor the elections. Full Story
European bank grants over $8m to Moroccan investment fund
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 4:36pm
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted $8.7m to a new investment fund in Morocco dubbed "CapMezzanine," MAP quoted a bank press release from of bank as saying. Initiated by Morocco's state-run fund of deposit management and the Facility for Euro Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the $64.4m fund aims to support SMEs in Morocco. Morocco has focused on SME development as a main driving force for economic growth. The country allocated nearly $2 billion to fund micro-credit projects in 2006. Full Story
Zimbabwe Teachers Union Threatens Strike If Members Are Politically Harassed
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 4:38pm
The head of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said Monday that the organization will strike if its members are harassed on political grounds in the runup to national elections which the government has slated for March 2008.Full Story
Foreigners held for Iraq shooting
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 4:39pm
At least 33 foreigners have been detained in Baghdad after a shooting incident in which a woman was injured, say Iraqi government officials. Full Story
Sustainable development experts meet in Tunis
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 4:42pm
A meeting of experts on sustainable development in North Africa opened Sunday (November 18th) in Tunis, organised by the North African bureau of the United Nations, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), with the collaboration of the Observatory for Sahara and the Sahel and the Tunisian environment minister. Full Story
Colombia puts year-end deadline on hostage talks
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:31pm
Colombia on Monday placed a year-end deadline on talks led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez aimed at freeing rebel-held kidnap victims including French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt. The statement released by the government puts pressure on left-winger Chavez, who is trying to broker an exchange of the hostages for rebels held in government jails. Full Story
New bid to break Kosovo stalemate as deadline nears
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:32pm
Serbian and Kosovo Albanian leaders will meet on Tuesday to try to reach a compromise over the breakaway Serb province of Kosovo as a December 10 deadline for a deal draws near. While few expect a breakthrough after months of fruitless wrangling, Western capitals want all options to be explored before leaders of the province's majority Albanians press ahead with an independence push. Full Story
ASEAN leaders open formal summit
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 10:33pm
Southeast Asian leaders opened their annual summit Tuesday with the signing of their first charter overshadowed by Myanmar, which embarrassed the region by blocking a UN briefing on the military state. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has come under mounting international pressure to rein in member state Myanmar after its campaign to suppress pro-democracy protests left at least 15 dead. Full Story
Another arrest in Philippine Congress bomb plot
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 12:28am
Philippine security forces have arrested a fourth suspect in a bomb attack at the Congress building that killed four people, including a Muslim lawmaker, Manila's police chief said on Tuesday. Roberto Rosales said a man suspected of assembling the bomb to assassinate Congressman Wahab Akbar was arrested during a raid at an apartment in the capital's Malate district on Monday night, where traces of explosives were also found. Full Story
MP accuses Hezbollah of plot to change Lebanon's regime
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 12:30am
Member of Parliament Akram Shehayeb accused Hezbollah of plotting to control Lebanon and change its regime, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday. "Hezbollah is for a pre-emptive war to control state institutions to torpedo the Taif accord," Shehayeb told Naharnet newspaper, referring to 1989 national reconciliation accord. Full Story
Maoists blow up Indian rail track to protest killings
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 1:01am
Maoist insurgents blew up a railway track in eastern India on Tuesday, severely disrupting the rail network on the second day of protests over the killing of villagers in a land row. Dozens of trains were held up or cancelled after the attack in Bihar's Lakhisarai district, railway officials and police said. Full Story
Thousands flee NW Pakistan valley ahead of offensive
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 1:50am
Thousands of people are fleeing a valley in northwestern Pakistan after security forces warned them to leave ahead of a major operation against pro-Taliban militants, witnesses and officials said on Tuesday. Helicopter gunships and artillery fire killed about 18 militants on Monday, the military said, as troops intensified efforts to drive rebel fighters out of the scenic Swat valley where they are trying to impose a strict Islamic code. Full Story
Officials set Pakistan general elections for Jan 8
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 1:52am
Pakistan is to hold general elections on January 8, officials said Tuesday, more than two weeks after President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. "The final list of candidates will be issued on December 15 and elections will be held on January 8," a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Full Story
Quake hits Iranian oil-rich area, no damage reports
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 2:48am
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake jolted Iran's oil-rich southwest on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, official Iranian media said. The quake occurred at 0520 GMT near the town of Ghaleh-tal in an eastern part of Khuzestan province and the tremor was felt in the provincial capital Ahvaz and elsewhere, IRNA news agency said. Full Story
Iran says agrees to new talks with U.S. on Iraq
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 2:49am
Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday Tehran would agree to a U.S. request for a new round of talks on security in Iraq, Iranian news agencies reported. "These negotiations will be held in a near future," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said according to the ISNA news agency. The official IRNA news agency carried a similar report. Full Story
Sri Lanka says 25 people killed in fighting:defence ministry
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 2:51am
Clashes have left at least 21 Tamil rebels and four government soldiers dead in Sri Lanka's embattled northern regions, the defence ministry said Tuesday. Fighting along the de facto border into rebel-held territory in the Vavuniya district killed 18 members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as well as three security personnel on Monday, the ministry said. Full Story
Up to 30 militants killed in latest Pakistan offensive: army
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 2:58am
Up to 30 more militants loyal to a pro-Taliban cleric were killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces in a remote northwest tourist valley, the army said Tuesday. The latest deaths take the toll reported by the army from a week of fighting in the scenic Swat Valley to around 150. Full Story
Pakistan releases opposition supporters
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 3:15am
Authorities said Tuesday they have begun releasing some of the thousands of opposition supporters detained since emergency rule was imposed earlier this month, while Pakistan's military leader departed for a visit to Saudi Arabia. The releases came hours after judges hand-picked by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf quashed legal challenges to his disputed re-election as president. Full Story
Putin: Russian nuclear forces ready for any attack
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 5:26am
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia's nuclear forces must be ready for an adequate response to any aggressor and warned Moscow could not remain indifferent to what he termed NATO's "muscle-flexing." Putin, speaking to top generals less than two weeks before December 2 parliamentary elections, said the NATO military alliance had built up its forces close to Russia's borders. Full Story
Risk of Turkish incursion into Iraq diminished-FM
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 5:34am
The risk of a major Turkish incursion into northern Iraq to strike at Kurdish PKK guerrillas has diminished because of better cooperation between Baghdad and Ankara, Iraq's foreign minister said on Tuesday. "The danger is still there to be honest ... but I think the chances of a major invasion are less now," Hoshiyar Zebari told reporters on arriving for a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels. Full Story
Ukraine's mine death toll rises
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 8:33am
The death toll from Sunday's blast at a mine in Ukraine has risen to 88, making it the worst mining accident in the country's history, officials say. They say 12 miners are still missing in the Zasyadko coal mine in the eastern Donetsk region. Fires have hindered rescue efforts, and a senior union official has said there is no chance of finding survivors. Full Story
Nepal civil servants resign over security concerns
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:40am
Scores of junior civil servants resigned in southern Nepal on Tuesday, the latest among hundreds of village administrators who have quit citing a lack of security in the troubled region, an official said. Government employees are among more than 80 people killed this year by rebels in violent protests by an ethnic Madhesi group, in clashes with Maoists and in other local disputes in the southern plains. Full Story
Vietnam arrests foreign citizens: political group
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:46am
Vietnamese police have arrested six political activists, including citizens of the United States, France and Thailand, a U.S.-based group opposed to one-party communist rule said. A Vietnam government official declined immediate comment on Wednesday and a U.S. embassy official said it had confirmation of the arrest of one U.S. citizen and had asked Hanoi for access. Full Story
Jordan holds parliamentary vote
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:48am
Jordanians are voting in parliamentary elections being seen as key to the country's transition to democracy. About 880 candidates, including a record 199 women, are contesting 110 seats in the lower house of parliament. The Islamic Action Front (IAF) is the main opposition but independents, who are mainly loyal to King Abdullah, are expected to dominate the polls. Full Story
43 in Contractors Convoy Held After Baghdad Shooting
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:51am
The Iraqi military detained 43 people in a convoy for a contractor with the United States military on Monday after the shooting of an 18-year-old woman in central Baghdad, the military said. Witnesses and an Iraqi Army sergeant said a guard on the convoy wounded the teenager in the leg as she crossed the street in the bustling, mixed neighborhood of Karada. While some early accounts said American security guards had been arrested, Maj. Brad Leighton, a spokesman for the military, said none of those arrested were Americans. The military said the episode involved Almco, a Dubai-based company under contract to the military. Full Story
Halting Steps Taken to Frame Mideast Talks
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:53am
Israeli and Palestinian leaders made new efforts on Monday toward preparing a joint statement before an international peace gathering planned for next week, but some issues have yet to be resolved, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, met at the prime ministers residence here to try to salvage efforts to agree on a short written text. The statement would be presented at the American-sponsored gathering tentatively scheduled for Nov. 26 and 27 in Annapolis, Md. Full Story
Rising player with a vision for Shiite Iraq
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:56am
Ammar al-Hakim is presiding over an Iraqi Shiite building boom. His austere Shaheed al-Mihrab Foundation has raised 400 mosques in Iraq since 2003. It's building the largest seminary here in the holy city of Najaf and opening a chain of schools. And it now has 95 offices throughout the country. What's more, Mr. Hakim's foundation is winning over adherents to his party the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) through all-expenses-paid mass marriages along with cash payments and gifts for the newlyweds, free education and stipends at his new schools, and an array of other charitable projects such as caring for orphans and displaced families. All of this is being done to promote ISCI's core vision: a federation of nine provinces where conservative Shiite Islam would reign. Full Story
Hamas-controlled Gaza muddles through amid apathy
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 9:59am
Since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip on June 15, governance has barely functioned. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya in a November 4 speech expressed his dissatisfaction with the paralysis afflicting the executive, judicial and legislative institutions, accusing the Ramallah government of responsibility. Haniyya also justified the Hamas government's taking illegal steps, even if he did not call them such, as a substitute. Legally, the Haniyya government is a caretaker government, but the law does not give it the authority to make major decisions. Full Story
Khmer Rouge prison chief faces a long-delayed day in court
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 10:03am
More than 28 years after the killing stopped, the first Khmer Rouge defendant stepped into a public courtroom Tuesday to answer for the deaths of 1.7 million people - a tiny, self-effacing man who once commanded an efficient and ruthless torture house. The defendant, Kaing Guek Eav, 66, known as Duch, was seeking bail on charges of crimes against humanity. His lawyer's claim that Duch's human rights were being violated by his long detention drew laughter from Cambodian spectators. Full Story
Australian bank may outsource more jobs to India
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 10:05am
The National Australia Bank (NAB), one of Australia's leading banks, is considering outsourcing more IT jobs to India, causing much ire among its IT workforce here. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday, NAB is considering proposals that threaten the jobs of about 400 IT employees, causing angst throughout the bank's 2,700-strong IT workforce. Full Story
Storm displaces thousands in PhilippinesPosted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 10:34amAt least 11 people have been killed in the Philippines in floods and landslides triggered by tropical storm Gale. Our reporter Shirley Escalante reports from Manila, thousands of people have also been displaced. Full Story
APDM protest on 23rdPosted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 10:40amThe All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) on Monday announced a countrywide protest on Nov 23 against the imposition of the state of emergency. It welcomed a proposal by PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto for a conference of all opposition parties to chalk out a joint strategy for restoration of Constitution and judiciary. Full Story
Iran agrees to Iraq talks with US
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 10:42am
Iran says it has agreed to a US proposal for a new round of talks on improving security in Iraq. The talks would be held in the near future, said Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Mr Mottaki said Iran had agreed to the talks as part of a policy of helping the Iraqi people. The talks have yet to be confirmed by Washington but if they go ahead they will be the fourth round of discussions between the US and Iran over Iraq. "The Swiss Embassy in Tehran has handed over to Iran a message from the US government for a new round of talks concerning Iraq," Mr Mottaki told reporters on Monday. Full Story
China wins major Afghan contract
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 11:33am
A Chinese mining company has won a tender to develop one of the world's largest copper mines in Afghanistan. The state-owned China Metallurgical Group says it will invest nearly $3bn in the mine at Aynak in the province of Logar, south of Kabul. Officials say it will be the largest foreign investment in Afghan history and will employ 10,000 people. Full Story
Putin rattles nuclear sabre at Nato
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 4:43pm
President Putin accused Nato yesterday of threatening Russias security and ordered the military to place the countrys strategic nuclear arsenal on a higher state of alert. Full Story
Thousands freed but Musharraf is shunned by his exiled rival
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 4:44pm
Thousands of opposition activists who had been detained under emergency rule were freed in Pakistan yesterday, as President Musharraf left the country for Saudi Arabia. Full Story
Video threatens Germany, Austria over Afghanistan
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 6:28pm
An Islamist group calling itself the "Global Islamic Media Front" has sent a video demanding Germany and Austria withdraw their troops from Afghanistan, Austria's interior ministry said on Tuesday. Full Story
Explosives seized in raid after Philippines Congress blast: military
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 1:46am
Security forces seized explosives during raids on buildings allegedly linked to last week's bomb attack at the Philippines House of Representatives that killed a congressman, the military said on Wednesday. Military and police agents found bomb components in a central Manila house late Tuesday, said Philippine Army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ernesto Torres. Full Story
Border Fence Project Raises Environmental Concerns
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 1:49am
The Department of Homeland Security is ahead of schedule in building some 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican border, but some environmental groups, elected officials and local Indian tribes say too little attention is being paid to the environmental consequences of the barriers. Full Story
Car bomb in Iraq's Ramadi kills six: police
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 3:59am
A car bomb killed at least six people, including women and children, in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Wednesday in a rare attack on a region that has become one of the safest in the country. Major Mohammed Arak said a parked car exploded outside a courthouse being guarded by police in the middle of Ramadi, capital of western Anbar province. A separate police source said a suicide car bomber was responsible. Full Story
Sabotage hits French railways, strike continues
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 4:19am
Widespread sabotage has damaged France's high-speed rail network and caused huge delays to services already hit by an 8-day transport strike, a senior executive at the SNCF state railways said on Wednesday. Full Story
Musharraf to quit army by weekend
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 4:24am
PAKISTAN'S Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf will step down as army chief and swear a new oath of office as a civilian president by the weekend, the country's attorney general said today. Malik Mohammad Qayyum said that if the Supreme Court threw out a final legal challenge tomorrow to General Musharraf's re-election as expected, the military ruler would hang up his uniform within days. Full Story
Tajik opposition fears crackdown after explosions
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 4:33am
Tajikistan's opposition expects a further clampdown on civil liberties by the government which is worried by what it regards as growing Islamist militancy. No one has claimed responsibility for last week's explosion in a building where the Tajik prime minister had been due to attend a conference, nor for a blast in June at the Supreme Court building. One person died in the Nov. 14 blast. Full Story
London bomb conspirator sentenced
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 4:36am
One member of a group that conspired to detonate suicide bombs on the London transport system in 2005 was sentenced Tuesday to 33 years in prison. Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 34, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to cause explosions. Prosecutors said he lost his nerve and dumped a backpack containing his device in a park. It was shown to the jury as evidence. Full Story
Death toll mounts as Pakistan troops battle militants
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 4:38am
More than 40 people have been killed in two days of fighting in a northwest Pakistani valley as troops seek to wipe out militants trying to enforce Taliban-style rule, the military and witnesses said on Wednesday. Major Amjad Iqbal, an army spokesman, said 17 militants were killed in Swat valley's Shangla district in gunbattles overnight, taking the death toll since Tuesday to 40. Full Story
Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.
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