CONFLICT & TERROR 07/10

3 Police and 3 Gunmen Die in Attack on U.S. Post in TurkeyPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 7:21amGunmen opened fire on Turkish security guards outside the United States Consulate in Istanbul, and at least three officers were killed, a governor said.Full Story

Somali Pirates Release German Ship after Ransom PaidPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 7:23amSomali pirates have released a German-owned ship and its 15-man crew after a receiving a hefty ransom payment. "The information we have is that the MV Lehmann Timber was released on Tuesday when a ransom of $750,000 (478,000 euros) was paid," Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Program told DPA news agency on Wednesday, July 9. Full Story

Report urges EU security network to pool intelligencePosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 7:27amThe EU should set up a network of anti-terrorism centres across the Union to share intelligence gathered by secret service agencies to tackle terrorism, writes Jamie Smyth in Cannes. It also needs to beef up security measures to protect citizens from the threat of a biological or nuclear attack from terrorists by screening more freight arriving at ports and conducting background checks on transport employees. Full Story

Security top priority for successful Olympics, says China VPPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 8:32amSecurity is the single most important factor in hosting a successful Olympics, China's Vice President Xi Jinping told a "mobilisation" rally on Wednesday, 30 days before the Beijing Games open. Full Story

Attack at US Istanbul consulatePosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 8:51amThree policemen and three gunmen have been killed in an armed attack near the US consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul, its governor has said. The identity of the attackers is still unclear, but they began shooting at 1100 (0800 GMT). The police are looking for a fourth man seen with them. Full Story

S Korea opposition to end boycottPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:06amMore than a month of paralysis in South Korea's National Assembly will finally lift this week, after the opposition party agreed to end its boycott. Deputies from the Democratic Party had refused to attend legislative sessions in protest at the government's decision to scrap a ban on US beef imports. Full Story

Cautious optimism ahead of North Korea nuke talksPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:08amSix-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear activities were to resume in Beijing on Thursday amid cautious optimism they would move a step closer to securing complete disarmament. The talks have not been held for nine months amid delays in securing from the reclusive North Korean regime a declaration of its nuclear activities, as agreed in a landmark six-nation accord reached last year. Full Story

Pro- and anti-government factions battle in Lebanon's north, leaving 3 dead and 32 woundedPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:14amHeavy fighting erupted again Wednesday between pro- and anti-government supporters in northern Lebanon, killing at least three people and wounding 32 others and shattering a fragile truce that lasted just two weeks, security officials said. Full Story

Sri Lanka state employees to strike for pay risePosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:15amSri Lankan public sector unions on Wednesday threatened to cripple all state services in a July 10 general strike for a pay increase, but the government said it could not meet their demands without hurting its war effort. Full Story

U.S. Agrees to Lift Immunity for Contractors in IraqPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:20amIraqs foreign minister said Tuesday that the United States had agreed to lift immunity for foreign security contractors operating in Iraq, making them subject to prosecution under Iraqi law, according to Iraqi politicians. Full Story

Iran test-fires missiles in Persian GulfPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:21amIran test-fired nine long- and medium-range missiles Wednesday during war games that officials said aimed to show the country can retaliate against any U.S. and Israeli attack, state television reported. Full Story

Marines say killed 400 militants in Afghan operationPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:22amMore than 400 militants have been killed in a 10-week-old operation led by US Marines in a remote district of southern Afghanistan but fighters remain in the area, a commander said Wednesday. Full Story

Five dead in western Iraq bombingPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:23amA bomb has exploded in the western Iraqi city of Falluja, killing four policemen and a civilian, police say. Full Story

Iraq says Jordan's king postpones Baghdad visitPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:27amIraq's government says Jordan's king has postponed a visit to Baghdad until further notice. Full Story

Israel raids Nablus 'Hamas' sitesPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:32amIsraeli troops have carried out new raids in the West Bank city of Nablus, entering the city hall and a number of mosques alleged to have links to Hamas. Full Story

Embassy attack hardens Afghan mistrust of PakistanPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:39amOrdinary Afghans' mistrust of the Pakistani military and its spies deepened yesterday in the wake of a suicide car bomb attack outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul which killed 41 people and wounded 139. Full Story

Indonesia raises alert for terrorism attacksPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:41amDespite a string of successes against allies of Al Qaeda, Indonesia is on alert for fresh attacks as it hunts an escaped extremist and braces for possible retaliation if it carries out the execution of three men convicted in a 2002 bombing. Full Story

Philippines, rebels talk to defuse rising violencePosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:48amPhilippine troops held talks with Muslim secessionist rebels in an emergency meeting on Wednesday in an attempt to defuse rising tensions that could further derail negotiations to end nearly 40 years of conflict, both sides said. Full Story

Attack outside US consulate in Turkey, 6 deadPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 10:25amMen armed with pistols and shotguns attacked a police guard post outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, sparking a gunbattle that left three attackers and three officers dead. Turkish and U.S. officials called the shooting a terrorist attack. The U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Turkey's foreign ministry said security around all American diplomatic missions in Turkey had been increased. Full Story

'Three Germans seized' in TurkeyPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 10:27amThree Germans have been kidnapped by Kurdish guerrillas while on a climbing expedition in eastern Turkey, a local Turkish governor says. He said the tourists were seized by five PKK militants while climbing Mount Ararat, in Agri province. Full Story

Naples police arrest 44 in crackdown on organized crime, drug traffickingPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 11:56amPolice in Naples say they have arrested 44 suspected mobsters in a crackdown on drug trafficking. Police say the sweep on Wednesday followed the capture earlier this year of a convicted boss in the Camorra crime syndicate. Full Story

G8 'revulsion' at Zimbabwe crisisPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 12:45pmGordon Brown has said the G8 summit has made clear the world's "revulsion" at the situation in Zimbabwe and urged countries to support an arms embargo. He said the crisis following Robert Mugabe's re-election had been at the centre of talks and all G8 members recognised the regime was illegitimate. Full Story

Omagh judge remarks 'speculation'Posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 2:47pmA report for the Policing Board has accused the Omagh trial judge of indulging in speculation in criticisms of some of the prosecution case. Mr Justice Weir was critical of police evidence and said they were guilty of a "deliberate and calculated deception". Full Story

Brown has 'true grit' says HarmanPosted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 3:21pmPrime Minister Gordon Brown "is a man of true grit and determination" who should not be under-estimated, Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has said. She spoke out after shadow foreign secretary William Hague wished her well in her "campaign to be rid of" the PM, saying the country was "sick of him". Full Story

Left-wing parties storm out of Indian coalitionPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 6:50amA bloc of Indian left-wing and communist parties announced Tuesday they were pulling out of the country's coalition government in protest against a nuclear energy deal with the United States. Full Story

3 Russian police killed in CaucasusPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 6:51amPolice say gunmen in a southern Russian province fired at a police car and killed three officers. The Interior Ministry of Kabardino-Balkaria province says unidentified gunmen riddled the police car with bullets in the village of Baksan. Full Story

Iran to "hit Tel Aviv, U.S. ships" if attackedPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:22amIran will hit Tel Aviv, U.S. shipping in the Gulf and American interests around the world if it is attacked over its disputed nuclear activities, an aide to Iran's Supreme Leader was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Full Story

Afghan official suggests Pakistan linked to bombPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:24amAfghan officials have evidence that foreigners were behind a massive suicide bombing against India's embassy in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said Tuesday, implying that Pakistan orchestrated the attack. Full Story

20 dead in Sri Lanka clashesPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:25amAt least 19 Tamil Tiger rebels and one soldier were killed in sporadic clashes across Sri Lanka's north, the defence ministry said Tuesday. Full Story

Berlusconi rivals rally support against new lawPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:40amItalian opposition parties are planning to demonstrate Tuesday against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's attempt to pass legislation that critics say would protect him in an ongoing court case. Berlusconi is currently on trial in Milan, accused of paying $600,000 to British lawyer David Mills to give false testimony in his favor during trials in the 1990s. Full Story

Earthquake jolts southern JapanPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:07amA strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook southern Japan on Tuesday, the country's meteorological agency said, but there was no risk of a tsunami and no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Full Story

North Korea talks to start ThursdayPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:14amThe next round of six-country talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme will begin on Thursday in Beijing, South Korea's envoy to the discussions told local reporters on Tuesday. Full Story

Thaksin goes on trial in ThailandPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:30amThe corruption trial of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has begun in Bangkok, almost two years after he was overthrown in a coup. Mr Thaksin and his wife face charges related to a Bangkok real estate deal. Full Story

Iranian president says no war with US, IsraelPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:32amIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that he sees no possibility of a war between his country and the United States or Israel. He also predicted Israel would collapse without Iranian action. Full Story

NATO soldier killed in Afghan blastPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:44amA roadside bomb struck a NATO-led military convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing an international soldier and wounding four others, the force said. The blast struck a vehicle of the International Security Assistance Force in the eastern province of Kunar, ISAF officials in the province and in Kabul said. Full Story

Taliban set up parallel courts in PakistanPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:55amThe Pakistani Taliban has set up several shariat or Islamic law courts in the restive northwestern Bajaur tribal region which are apparently becoming more popular than the courts run by local administration. Full Story

Two killed in Thai school bus ambushPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:56amSuspected Islamic insurgents opened fire on a school bus in Thailand's restive south Monday, killing two paramilitary rangers and wounding three teenage students, police said. The bus was taking 10 students -- aged from 13 to 18 -- home from a school in Pattani province's Nong Chik district when an unknown number of assailants opened fire from a hiding place on the roadside, said police Maj. Gen. Kririn Inn-kaew. Full Story

Indonesia facing fresh religious unrestPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:59amINDONESIA is at risk of fresh religious unrest as hardline Islamic groups gain increasing influence over the government, a new report warns. Brussels-based think-tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG), says radical Islamic groups are waging intensive campaigns to influence Indonesian government policy. Full Story

British spy points to Russia in Litvinenko deathPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:06amA British security services agent says the Russian government may have been involved in the 2006 murder of former security agent and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London, according to the BBC's Newsnight program aired Monday night. The unnamed security officer told Newsnight there were strong indications the government of former Russian President Vladimir Putin was involved in Litvinenko's murder, according to the report. Putin is now Russia's prime minister. Full Story

US and Czechs sign defence dealPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:17amUS Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has signed a deal to base part of Washington's controversial missile defence system in the Czech Republic. The treaty, signed in Prague, paves the way for a tracking radar system to be set up near the city. Full Story

Austria faces snap September elections after government collapsePosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:19amAustria's governing coalition of social democrats and conservatives has collapsed following wrangling over EU policy and health care issues. The 18-month coalition fell on Monday (7 July) after the centre-right People's Party pulled out of the government saying it could no longer work with the social democrat chancellor, Alfred Gusenbauer. Full Story

Youth violence churns Paris districtPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:22amWhen a 17-year-old Jewish boy was beaten unconscious by a gang of black and Arab youths during a balmy June evening on Rue Petit in Paris, residents weren't surprised. "I could feel things were heating up," says Jean-Jacques Giannesini, a City Council member for the 19th Arrondissement, home to France's largest Orthodox Jewish community and the site of the attack. Just weeks before the incident, he had written to the police with an urgent plea for help, fearing clashes. Full Story

Sarkozy asks Italy to pardon militant from radical Red BrigadesPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:29amFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy says he has asked Italy to pardon a former member of Italy's Red Brigades left-wing terrorist group who lived in France for several years. Sarkozy says he asked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to request a presidential pardon for Marina Petrella, because her convictions for murder and kidnapping were so long ago and because of her health. Full Story

A U.S. attack on Iran? Not coming soonPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:30amA preemptive US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities may be unlikely anytime soon. But that does not mean it is off the table forever. And Israel  worried about the possibility of a hostile, nuclear-armed regional neighbor  may have its own timetable for possible military action. Full Story

PM 'right man' to steer economyPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:37amGordon Brown has said he is the right person to take the British economy through "difficult times" - and that it is "more resilient than most". The prime minister, who is at the G8 summit, said his experience on economic matters and negotiating deals with world leaders was very important. Full Story

Loyalist Haddock seeks media banPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:47amA loyalist at the centre of allegations of police collusion has begun a High Court attempt to ban the media from reporting his whereabouts. Mark Haddock is serving a 10-year term for an attack on a nightclub doorman but is due to be released next year. Full Story

Iraqi PM weighs U.S. exit timelinePosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 9:48amIraq's prime minister said for the first time that he would consider setting a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawals from his country, a move that could prompt a diplomatic battle with the Bush administration in the months ahead. Full Story

Following Egypt request, Israel re-opens Gaza Strip crossingsPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 10:18amIsrael said it would reopen its border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in response to an Egyptian request, reversing an earlier decision to close them after a Palestinian mortar attack. Full Story

EU includes aviation in CO2 curbsPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 10:27amThe European Parliament has backed a law to include aviation in Europe's CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for cutting greenhouse gases. MEPs voted 640 to 30 for aviation to be included in the scheme from 2012. It includes both EU and non-EU airlines. Full Story

Recession 'looming' for UK firmsPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 10:29amThe UK is facing a serious risk of recession within months, the findings of a survey of almost 5,000 small, medium and large businesses suggest. The British Chambers of Commerce's (BCC) quarterly report found the credit crunch and rising costs had dented the most important sectors of the economy. Full Story

Two Hamas men killed in explosionPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 10:33amTwo Palestinian fighters were killed and two others were hurt on Tuesday in a blast that ripped through a Hamas training camp in the central Gaza Strip, Hamas and medical officials said. Full Story

Tiff over term could hurt Palestinian presidentPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 10:35amA debate over when Mahmoud Abbas' term expires is threatening the Palestinian president's ability to head off a permanent split between Gaza and the West Bank  and Washington's goal of forging some sort of Mideast peace deal by year's end. Full Story

Al Qaida groups 'leaving Iraq for Sudan, Somalia'Posted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 10:46amSome groups of Al Qaida terror network in Iraq have started leaving the country towards other hot spots in Africa like Sudan and Somalia, security sources tell Gulf News. Full Story

Spain's regional languages trouble tourists: lobbyistPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 11:08amThe increasing use of regional languages such as Catalan and Basque in parts of Spain instead of Spanish is making life difficult for tourists, the head of a Spanish tourism lobby group said Tuesday. Juan Andres Melian, the director of the Tourism Panel which groups about 30 major Spanish tourism-related companies, said that in some regions local languages had totally replaced Spanish on signs at airports and on roads. Full Story

Uranium liquid leak in southern FrancePosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 1:49pmLiquid containing traces of uranium leaked Tuesday at a nuclear site in southern France, and some of the solution ran into two rivers, France's nuclear safety agency said. Authorities banned the consumption of well water in three nearby towns and the watering of crops from the two rivers. Also banned were swimming, water sports and fishing. Full Story

Activists in Rome urge ban on horse-drawn carriagesPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 3:19pmTourists love to view the Colosseum and other famous landmarks in Rome from the back of a horse-drawn carriage but animal rights activists said Tuesday it's time to ban the practice. Traffic, pollution, heat and heavy carriages expose the horses to health risks, the activists said, adding that the animals rest in dark and humid stables. Full Story

Former spy chief opposes government terror plansPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 3:26pmControversial government plans to increase pre-charge detention limits for suspected extremists are unworkable, the former head of the domestic security service MI5 told parliament Tuesday. Elizabeth Manningham-Buller said in a debate on the subject in the upper House of Lords chamber that she did not think "on a practical basis, as well as a principled one, that these proposals are in any way workable. Full Story

Thousands in Rome protest Berlusconi's policiesPosted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8:03pmThousands of protesters gathered Tuesday in a historic Rome square to denounce the policies of Premier Silvio Berlusconi in the first major opposition demonstration since the conservative leader won April elections. The protest in downtown Piazza Navona was called amid accusations by the center-left opposition that Berlusconi is using public office to pass measures that would help him in his judicial battles. Full Story

Thousands protest against Thai policePosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 7:23amThousands of protesters gathered in front of Thailand's national police headquarters Monday to demand action on long-pending legal cases against toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Full Story

40 dead in Indian embassy blast in Afghan capitalPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 7:24amA car bomb ripped through the front wall of the Indian Embassy in central Kabul on Monday, killing 40 people in what appeared to be the deadliest attack in Afghanistan's capital since the fall of the Taliban, officials said. Full Story

South Korean president fires 3 cabinet ministersPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:00amPresident Lee Myung-bak of South Korea dismissed three ministers on Monday in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at restoring public trust in his four-month-old government which has been shaken by weeks of protests against American beef imports. Full Story

E Timor police move on studentsPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:11amPolice in East Timor's capital, Dili, have fired tear gas into the grounds of the national university and arrested several students, reports say. The students were demonstrating against plans by the parliament to spend $1m (#500,000) on new cars for MPs. Full Story

Thailand stages tsunami drill in PhuketPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:13amSirens blared Monday across the resort isle of Phuket as Thailand tested its new tsunami warning system meant to prevent a repeat of the 2004 Indian Ocean tragedy. Sirens on 79 towers across Phuket and in five neighbouring provinces rang out at 9:45 am (0245 GMT), as more than 1,000 tourists, students and emergency workers joined a brief evacuation of Thailand's world-famous beaches. Full Story

Sri Lanka warns of rebel attacks in ColomboPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:17amSri Lanka beefed up security on Monday and warned of possible rebel attacks around the capital Colombo as the island's Tamil Tiger rebels marked the 21st anniversary of their first rebel suicide attack. Full Story

Indian PM set to meet Bush over nuke deal at G8Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:24amIndian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left Monday for the G8 summit, where he is expected to tell US President George W. Bush that he will move ahead on a stalled bilateral nuclear energy deal. Full Story

Second arrest over student deathsPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:28amA second man has been arrested by police hunting the killer of two French students. Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, both 23, were killed in a frenzied attack at a rented bedsit in New Cross, south-east London, on 29 June. Full Story

Betancourt: 'I suffered terribly'Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:39amIngrid Betancourt has reiterated that she does not believe her freedom or that of 14 other hostages was bought with a ransom to their Colombian rebel captors. But she suffered so much, she said, that had a ransom been paid, "why not?" Three days after her dramatic rescue, the 46-year-old French-Colombian underwent a battery of medical tests Saturday, saying later that doctors "filled me with joy," suggesting that her health has not been permanently compromised from six years of jungle captivity. Full Story

Ceremony remembers victims of 7/7Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:52amHundreds of people crowded into King's Cross station to remember the 52 people killed in the 7/7 suicide bombings in London three years ago. Minister for London Tessa Jowell and London Mayor Boris Johnson laid flowers there at 0850 BST, the time the first three bombs exploded. Full Story

'Stop wasting food', urges BrownPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:53amBritons must stop wasting food in an effort to help combat rising living costs, Gordon Brown has said as world leaders discuss rising prices. The PM said "unnecessary" purchases were contributing to price rises, and urged people to plan meals in advance and store food properly. Full Story

Brown warns unions of 'no return'Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:59amGordon Brown has warned trade unions there will be "no return" to past laws and no pay deals as political parties prepare to submit annual accounts. Mr Brown was speaking to journalists on his way to the G8 summit in Japan. Full Story

Strike action hits German flightsPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:02amMore than 200 flights in Germany and Europe have been cancelled by strike action at Lufthansa's regional carriers CityLine and Eurowings. Members of the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots' union walked out at 2200 GMT on Sunday in a 24-hour strike over pay. Full Story

Police agree to release Madeleine evidencePosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:04amPolice on Monday agreed to hand over evidence about the case of missing girl Madeleine McCann to her parents to allow private investigators working for the family to examine it. In return, Kate and Gerry McCann dropped a bid in the British courts to force disclosure of the information held by Leicestershire Police in central England where they live. Full Story

Thirteen hurt on first day of Spanish bull runPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:06amThirteen people were taken to hospital, one of them seriously injured, on the first day of the annual bull running festival in the northern Spanish town of Pamplona on Monday, organizers said. A 37-year-old man suffered a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen and broken ribs, while two people were concussed and 10 others were treated mainly for cuts and bruises. Full Story

New Serb government to focus on EU, economy and KosovoPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:08amSerbia's new government will focus on quick entry into the European Union, strengthening the country's economy and keeping Kosovo as a part of Serbia, Prime Minister designate Mirko Cvetkovic said on Monday. In his address to parliament before the vote that will confirm him as head of a pro-Western coalition, Cvetkovic said the government aimed at 7 percent GDP growth annually, and would pursue economic ties with both East and West. Full Story

France: EU needs stronger defense capabilitiesPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:10amFrance says Europe needs stronger defense capabilities, with more helicopters, transport aircraft and space-based surveillance. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says that over the next decade, the EU must become strong enough to run two long-term peacekeeping missions at the same time along with other, smaller missions. Full Story

Austria party leader wants new electionPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:14amAustria's vice chancellor and leader of the conservative People's Party said Monday that he will recommend an early election, indicating that the days of the country's "grand coalition" government are over. Wilhelm Molterer, who also is Austria's finance minister, said at a hastily called news conference that he would make the suggestion to senior party officials at a meeting Tuesday. Full Story

Truckers clog up Vienna autobahns to protest high gas prices, taxesPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:18amAt least 1,400 truckers are clogging up the main autobahns around the Austrian capital to protest skyrocketing gas prices and high taxes and tolls. The trucks are crawling along the main arteries into Vienna at a snail's pace, causing delays for commuters. About a dozen trucks are also expected to tour Vienna's famous downtown ring promenade later Monday morning to draw attention to their cause. Full Story

Nationalist protesters disrupt gay march in BudapestPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:21amDozens of protesters clashed with police officers escorting a march by gays and lesbians through the center of Budapest. At least 45 protesters were detained and two police officers injured in the clashes on Saturday, said Eva Tafferner, a police spokeswoman. The protesters pelted the marchers with eggs, bottles and rocks, and threw cobblestones and gasoline bombs at the police, setting fire to a police van. Full Story

Strike in Italy idles trains, buses and tramsPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:22amTransport workers in Italy have gone on strike, forcing the cancellation of thousands of bus, tram and subway lines and snarling traffic across the country. Railway workers have been on a 24-hour strike since 9 p.m. Sunday. Local transport workers went on strike at 8:30 a.m. in Rome and 15 minutes later in Milan. Full Story

Lufthansa Drops 559 Flights as Regional Pilots StrikePosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:24amDeutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe's second-biggest airline, canceled almost one-third of its daily flights in the biggest fallout from a labor dispute in seven years as pilots at two regional units staged a pay strike. "All German stations, particularly Frankfurt and Munich, are affected'' by striking pilots at Lufthansa's Cityline and Eurowings carriers, the company said today on its Web site. The airline canceled 559 flights from an average 1,800 daily departures, said Amelie Lorenz, a spokeswoman in Frankfurt. Munich was hardest hit with 98 cancellations, she said. Full Story

U.S. and Czech Republic to sign missile shield accordPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:29amThe Czech Republic will sign a treaty Tuesday to build a U.S. missile defense radar system on Czech soil despite opposition at home and in Russia. Washington wants to build the radar southwest of Prague and put 10 interceptor rockets in Poland as a part of a defense shield that it says will protect the United States and European allies from "rogue states" such as Iran. Full Story

Londoners mark 3rd anniversary of bombings that killed 52Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 9:37amLondoners on Monday marked the third anniversary of the July 7 suicide bombings that killed 52 commuters during a rush-hour attack. Hundreds of commuters and survivors stood silently as Mayor Boris Johnson and others laid flowers outside King's Cross train and subway station at 8:50 a.m. (0750GMT), three years after the attacks in 2005. Full Story

Iraq's al-Maliki wants short-term US agreementPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:06amIraq has proposed a short-term memorandum of understanding with the United States rather than trying to hammer through a formal agreement on the presence of U.S. forces, the country's prime minister said Monday. Full Story

UAE cancels Iraq debt, names new ambassadorPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:10amThe United Arab Emirates canceled billions of dollars of Iraqi debt Sunday and moved to restore a full diplomatic mission in Baghdad, evidence of Iraq's improved security and growing acceptance of its Shiite-led government. Full Story

Israel to receive report on long-missing airmanPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:13amAn Israeli negotiator was in Europe on Monday to pick up a report compiled by Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas on a long-missing Israeli airman, part of a prisoner-swap deal between the two sides, defense officials said. Full Story

Israel shuts down Hamas-linked facilitiesPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:14amIsraeli troops in jeeps swooped down on the West Bank town of Nablus early Monday, shutting down a girls' school, a medical center and two other facilities of a Hamas-affiliated charity, witnesses said. Full Story

Berlin mulling measures to attract skilled foreign workersPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 10:55amGermany plans soon to adopt measures aimed at relieving a shortage of qualified workers in certain sectors by attracting foreign candidates, an official spokesman said Monday. Although the ministry spokesman did not provide details, the confirmation came after a newspaper said Saturday that authorities were mulling an "index of worker needs." Full Story

UK to slow expansion of biofuelsPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 2:24pmThe UK is to slow its adoption of biofuels amid fears they raise food prices and harm the environment, the transport secretary has said. Ruth Kelly said biofuels had potential to cut carbon emissions but there were "increasing questions" about them. Full Story

Russian blogger sentenced for "extremist" postPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 2:29pmA Russian man who described local police as "scum" in an Internet posting was given a suspended jail sentence on Monday for extremism, prompting bloggers to warn of a crackdown on free speech online. Savva Terentiev, a 28-year-old musician from Syktyvkar, 1,515 kilometres (940 miles) north of Moscow, wrote in a blog last year that the police force should be cleaned up by ceremonially burning officers twice a day in a town square. Full Story

Mercenary jailed for coup plotPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 3:19pmBritish mercenary Simon Mann has been jailed for 34 years for his part in plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea. Simon Mann was arrested after a plane carrying him and about 60 mercenaries landed in Zimbabwe. The goal of the plot was to install exiled opposition leader Severo Moto who is currently in Spain awaiting trial on charges of arms trafficking, and to gain access to the former Spanish colony's oil wealth. Full Story
Iraq talks 'possibly in Ireland'Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 3:43pmNorthern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said a future round of Iraqi peace talks could be held in Ireland. Back from Iraq on Monday, together with the former Assembly Speaker Lord Alderdice, he said Iraqis wanted peace as much as people in Belfast. Full Story

EU green-lights new immigration guidelinesPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 3:46pmEuropean Union nations unanimously welcomed Monday sweeping new guidelines for controlling immigration and are on track to sign the pact in October, the EU's French presidency said. At informal talks in the Riveria resort city of Cannes, EU interior ministers threw their weight behind the "European Pact on Immigration and Asylum" after France softened the text in the face of Spanish opposition. Full Story

PM in 'frank' talks with RussiaPosted on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 3:59pmUK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has held his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the G8 summit in Toyako, Japan. It follows a row over Moscow's refusal to extradite a man accused of killing ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.