CONFLICT & TERROR 07/13

Thailand foreign minister quitsPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:52amThai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama has resigned after a top court ruled he had violated the constitution by signing a deal over a disputed temple. Cambodia had been petitioning to have the temple on the Thai-Cambodian border listed as a World Heritage site. Full Story

Malaysia's PM meets party amid handover speculationPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:55amMalaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met with leaders of his ruling party Thursday amid speculation he will announce a plan to step down in June 2010. Abdullah has faced calls to quit since March elections that handed the opposition unprecedented gains, and a fuel price hike that has triggered public outrage and a series of protests. Full Story

India vote turns spotlight on small playersPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:58amThe fate of India's ruling coalition may be in the hands of small parties and independent lawmakers after the withdrawal of its communist allies and signs of revolt amongst its newest supporters. Full Story

2 Taliban killed by group of Afghan villagersPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 8:04amA group of villagers in northwestern Afghanistan used a machine gun, sticks and stones to kill two Taliban militants and chase 10 others away, a provincial police chief said Thursday. Full Story

Sarkozy warns EU on treaty debatePosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 8:18amFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy has warned the European Parliament that the EU must not waste time on more negotiations over the Lisbon Treaty. In a speech to MEPs in Strasbourg, Mr Sarkozy said Europe "must not be condemned to inaction". Full Story

'Alarming rise' in Ukraine racismPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 9:03amThere has been an "alarming rise" in the number of racially motivated attacks in Ukraine, according to a new Amnesty International study. The group says more than 60 people were targeted in racial attacks last year. Four people have died this year alone. Full Story

Starving migrants found off SpainPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 9:04amMore than 30 African migrants, weak from hunger and thirst, have been rescued off the coast of Spain - but another 15 died, Spanish police say. Most of the dead were young children, whose bodies were thrown overboard. Full Story

Turkey investigates al-Qaeda linkPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 9:06amPolice in Istanbul are investigating the possibility that one of the four gunmen involved in an attack on the US consulate had links to al-Qaeda. Three policemen and three of the attackers were killed during a gun battle in the city on Wednesday. A Turkish government official said one of the attackers was known to have traveled to Afghanistan, AP reports. Full Story

Pakistan is said to be attracting insurgentsPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 10:55amAmerican military and intelligence officials say there has been an increase in recent months in the number of foreign fighters who have traveled to Pakistan's tribal areas to join with militants there. Full Story

Government forecast shows decade-long drought worsening in Australia's parched food beltPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 10:57amA decade-long drought in Australia's most important crop-growing region is worsening and there is little hope for relief from either saving rains or a new government conservation plan, officials said Thursday. Full Story

Doctors' strike spreads in NepalPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 11:05amA strike by doctors in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has spread to clinics and hospitals across the country, medics say. Medical staff began the industrial action on Wednesday, demanding improved security at work. Full Story

Investigators look for motive in deadly attack on U.S. Consulate in TurkeyPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 11:24amU.S. and Turkish investigators worked urgently Wednesday to determine the motive and affiliation of gunmen whose shootout at the U.S. Consulate here left three Turkish police officers and three assailants dead. Turkish news reports cited police sources as saying Al Qaeda was suspected in the attack, the most serious assault on a foreign diplomatic mission in Turkey in five years. But there was no immediate confirmation of the report or claim of responsibility. Full Story

Pakistan: Police nab a Taliban leadPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 2:45pmPolice arrested a senior militant who served as a deputy to the top Taliban commander in Pakistan, Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said Thursday. Full Story

U.S. unites with Europe, Australia on drug inspectionsPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 4:59pmFaced with the globalization of drug production, the United States is joining with Europe and Australia to inspect factories in countries such as China and India that make an increasing share of the active ingredients in medications. Bush administration officials said Wednesday that the agreement would allow regulators to coordinate their inspections and share information, thereby covering a wider territory and more foreign facilities. Full Story


PKK sets German hostage demandsPosted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 5:04pmA Kurdish rebel group has vowed not to release three German tourists it has kidnapped unless Germany renounces its crackdown on the PKK. The three climbers were seized from their camp on Mount Ararat in Turkey's eastern Agri province on Wednesday. Full Story

Brown urges Zimbabwe 'isolation'Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 5:26pmGordon Brown has urged the UN to use the "full weight of the international community" to isolate the "illegitimate" state of Zimbabwe. In a statement to MPs on this week's G8 summit, he said there was a "growing international coalition for change". Full Story

Courtesy the Terrorism Research Center, Inc.