CONFLICT & TERROR 03/11

Spain PM seeks support after electionPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:17am

Spain's governing Socialists were on Monday seeking the support of smaller parties after an election that left the country deeply divided politically. With 99.9 percent of the votes counted, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's party won 169 seats compared to 153 for Mariano Rajoy's conservative Partido Popular party. Full Story

Severe UK weather causes travel chaosPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:18am

Severe weather caused travel chaos across Britain on Monday as strong winds and rain led to dozens of cancellations and delays at airports, ports and railway stations. The weather led to 41 flight cancellations at London's Heathrow Airport and 13 cancellations at Gatwick, according to a spokeswoman for BAA, the authority that operates the airports, and a spokeswoman for budget carrier Flybe.Full Story

Bush, Polish prime minister to discuss missile defensePosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:20am

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is hoping talks Monday with President Bush will help break an impasse on allowing U.S. missile defense interceptors to be based on Polish soil. The two leaders also are likely to discuss NATO's operations in Afghanistan, since Poland is set to expand its contribution to the force. Full Story

Sarkozy mulls French election blowPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:22am

French President Nicholas Sarkozy's conservatives are looking to cut deals with adversaries in a bid to win next week's second round of municipal elections after a first-round vote sent a warning to the president. A small, centrist party could be a decisive factor in determining whether the governing right can turn the tide March 16. Full Story

Victorious Spanish PM urges unityPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:26am

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has promised a new era in Spanish politics, after winning another four year term in office. His Socialist Party won 169 seats, five more than in the last election, but still short of an absolute majority. Full Story

Serbian government calls for pollPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:27am

The Serbian government has called on President Boris Tadic to dissolve parliament and hold an early election. It comes after Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica announced the collapse of his coalition government at the weekend. Full Story

Hungarians reject austerity planPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:28am

A referendum called by Hungary's main opposition party to abolish new fees for health care and higher education has succeeded by a spectacular margin. With a turnout of just over 50%, more than 80% voted to abolish the fees. Full Story

Austrian authorities: No injuries in attack on public prosecutor's officePosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:32am

An arsonist attacked the public prosecutor's office in Salzburg on Monday, but no one was injured, authorities said. Police later arrested a suspect who they said confessed to starting the blaze. Salzburg police spokesman Andreas Huber said a man entered the office  located in the same building that houses the city's federal courthouse  just after it opened at 8 a.m., poured flammable liquid on the prosecutor's desk and set it on fire. Full Story

India culls poultry to contain new bird flu outbreakPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:42am

Only a month after authorities declared bird flu was under control in eastern India, veterinary workers began culling thousands of chickens on Monday to contain a fresh outbreak in poultry. Full Story

Malta's PM wins close re-electionPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:45am

Malta's ruling Nationalist Party has won Saturday's general election by the slimmest margin in the Mediterranean state's four-decade history. The Nationalists beat the opposition Labour Party by some 1,500 votes - 0.5% of the nearly 300,000 votes cast, election officials said. Full Story

Putin says relations with West won't be easier under MedvedevPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:53am

President Vladimir Putin says the West should not expect its relations with Russia to be any easier under his newly elected successor, and he accused the West of trying to replace the United Nations with NATO. Speaking at a news conference after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Putin again warned that the independence of Kosovo would only encourage separatism in Europe. Full Story

UK media: Iraq and Afghan costs 'to double'Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:01am

The costs of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq this year are likely to almost double to #3.297bn, a committee of MPs has warned. The Commons defence committee said operational costs for this financial year were now forecast to reach #3.297bn - a 94% increase on last year. Full Story

Aides say Sadr Still in Charge of Iraq Shiite RadicalsPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:03am

Anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will remain in overall charge of his Shiite radical movement even as he steps back from its day-to-day operations to pursue his religious studies, aides said on Monday. Full Story

Saudis mend fences with neighbourPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:04am

Saudi Arabia's crown prince begins a three-day visit to neighbouring Qatar on Monday, the latest sign of a thaw in bilateral relations. The Saudis recalled their ambassador from Qatar in 2002, in protest at coverage by the Qatari-owned satellite television channel, al-Jazeera. Full Story

Israel scales back Gaza operationPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:05am

The Israeli government has ordered its military to reduce its operations in the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials say. The order comes after a sharp drop in rocket fire from militants in the Palestinian territory. Full Story

Oman to introduce new rental lawPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:07am

A new rental law will be introduced in Oman soon, capping rents at 7% per year and bringing measures to protect tenants' rights. "The rent committee formed by the government has recommended major changes in the rental law in the country in order to control rising rentals," Al Khonji, who is a member of the Rent Committee , reported Gulf News quoting Khalil Bin Abdullah Al Khonji, a member of the government-formed Rent Committee and also Chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Full Story

Hamas leader confirms Iranian trainingPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:17am

A top Hamas official has confirmed reports that members of the militant Palestinian political organization have received military training in Iran. The unidentified Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades official said Hamas fighters have been trained in Tehran by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for more than two years, The Times of London reported Sunday. Full Story

Lebanon presidential vote postponed for 16th timePosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:20am

A parliamentary session to elect Lebanon's president has been postponed from Tuesday to March 25 amid continued deadlock between rival political leaders, the speaker's office announced on Monday. Full Story

Musharraf foes strike a deal in PakistanPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:34am

The leaders of the two major political parties, in an unexpectedly strong show of unity against President Pervez Musharraf, agreed Sunday that they would reinstate the judges fired by the president and would seek to strip him of crucial powers. Full Story

Big fall in China's trade surplusPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:49am

China's trade surplus unexpectedly fell in February, suggesting the US slowdown is hitting demand for Chinese goods. China exported $8.6bn (#4.3bn) more than it imported last month, down from $23.7bn in February last year, according to government figures. Full Story

New charges filed against Thaksin in ThailandPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:52am

Military-backed investigators said they filed new criminal corruption charges Monday against deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, accusing him of wrongly legalising a lottery scheme. Full Story

Low turnout in eastern Sri Lanka local pollPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:53am

Polls opened in Sri Lanka's Eastern province with local elections here Monday morning marked by a very low voter turnout. Election monitors said that after one hour since the poll started at 7 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) only a very small number of voters had turned up at the polling stations. Full Story

School damaged in arson attackPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 11:02am

A fire at a school in east Belfast is being treated as arson, the police have said. Reports of a suspicious blaze at Orangefield High School were received by the PSNI at 2325 GMT on Sunday. It is believed windows were smashed and three ground floor classrooms set alight. Full Story

I did 'smash' Sinn Fein - PaisleyPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 11:04am

Outgoing Northern Ireland first minister Ian Paisley claims he did achieve his pledge to "smash" his republican rivals Sinn Fein. Speaking on the BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, he said Sinn Fein could no longer be "true republicans" because they were "in part of the British government". He had a very good working relationship with his one-time enemy, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, he said. Full Story

Russia may be preparing Abkhazia recognition-EUPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 11:09am

Russia may be preparing to recognise Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia, weeks after Kosovo's Western-backed secession from Serbia, a senior EU official said on Monday. Russia dropped formal trade restrictions on the rebel region on Thursday, prompting the pro-Western Georgian government to accuse Moscow of trying to destabilise the Caucasus region. Full Story

EU commissioner wants Cuba sanctions abolishedPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:00pm

The European Union's top development aid official left Cuba on Sunday convinced that EU diplomatic sanctions against the communist island should be dropped after Fidel Castro's retirement, his main aide said. EU Aid Commissioner Louis Michel visited Havana to gauge the political climate following the replacement of the ailing 81-year-old Castro by his brother Raul Castro on Feb 24, Cuba's first change of leader in almost half a century. Full Story

Queen urges action, not talk, to tackle climate changePosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:02pm

Queen Elizabeth II made rare comments on the environment as she issued her Commonwealth Day message Monday, calling for more action to meet rhetoric on tackling climate change. The 81-year-old monarch, who heads the 53-nation global body of mainly former British colonies, said countries that pollute the least -- particularly the least-developed nations -- are often the worst affected by climate change. Full Story

Spain's victorious Socialists turn to economyPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:04pm

Fresh from a second consecutive election victory, Spain's Socialists began to prepare a public works program on Monday to reinvigorate a flagging economy. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who boosted his tally of parliamentary seats but once again fell short of an absolute majority, said he would approach smaller parties to forge alliances. "There are a number of parties we can speak to," an exhausted-looking Zapatero told a news conference. Full Story

Rain and high winds battering UKPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:36pm

Parts of the UK are being battered by rain and fierce winds, as weather forecasters warn worse may be to come. Winds of up to 82mph (130km/h) have brought down trees in Wales and south-west England and left 10,000 homes without electricity. There are 36 flood warnings in place in England and Wales and it is feared water could spill over sea walls when high tides peak. Full Story

Coal 'key to UK's energy supply'Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:44pm

Coal-fired power stations will remain a "key source" of British energy, Cabinet minister John Hutton has said. Mr Hutton, who is considering proposals to build a new coal station in Kent, said fossil fuels were needed to back up nuclear and renewable energy. Full Story

EU launches probe into U.S. online gaming measuresPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:47pm

The European Union launched an investigation on Monday into whether U.S. measures on foreign online gambling companies break international rules, possibly paving the way for World Trade Organization action. European online gaming companies, such as PartyGaming and bwin Interactive Entertainment, complained in December that the U.S. Justice Department was singling out foreign online gambling companies for prosecution. Full Story

Spyware Costs Businesses More Than $8,000 a YearPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:11pm

Spyware on corporate computers causes serious network downtime at more than one-quarter of small and midsize businesses (SMBs), with each incident costing an average of 2.5 days to resolve. A computer-technology association counsels CIOs to look at spyware as a serious business issue rather than a technology issue, and make safe-computing education a C-level initiative. Full Story

EU's Barroso says euro cushioning oil price impactPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:14pm

Europe has been shielded from the effects of rising oil prices to some extent by the strength of the euro, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a French newspaper in an interview released on Saturday. "Today we buy a barrel of oil at 66 euros, whereas if there were perfect parity, we would be paying more than 100 euros," Barroso told the weekly Journal du Dimanche. Full Story

Dutch 'must show' anti-Islam filmPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:29pm

The Danish cartoonist behind drawings satirising the Prophet Muhammad has urged a Dutch lawmaker to air an anti-Islam film despite Muslim outrage. Kurt Westergaard said MP Geert Wilders should show his film, despite government warnings that this would damage Dutch interests. Full Story

US 'to modernise Polish military'Posted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:33pm

The US has agreed to help modernise Poland's military as part of a deal to base 10 missile defence interceptors on Polish soil. President George W Bush made the promise during talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Washington. Full Story

EU offers to bolster Afghan police missionPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:58pmThe European Union offered Monday to boost its police training mission to Afghanistan, amid US-led calls for thousands of instructors to be sent to the conflict-torn country. Full Story

Spanish premier faces quick challengesPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 3:21pm

Forget about savoring victory. Spain's freshly re-elected Socialist prime minister begins a second term facing immediate challenges from a slumping economy and surging violence by the Basque separatist group ETA. Although he was cheered by emerging from Sunday's election with a bigger cushion in parliament, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero must quickly deal with growing unemployment, rising inflation and a booming real estate market that suddenly went flat. Full Story

Mandelson says might rethink decision to quit EUPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 3:23pm

European Union trade chief Peter Mandelson said on Monday he might rethink his decision to leave the European Commission next year when his term ends. British newspapers said Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently asked Mandelson about the possibility of a second spell as the country's representative in Brussels, even though the two men have in the past been widely reported to dislike each other. Full Story

Al-Qaeda claims Austrian hostagesPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 4:41pm

Militant group al-Qaeda in Islamic North Africa has said it took two Austrian tourists hostage in Tunisia last month. The declaration, made in an audio broadcast aired on al-Jazeera TV, said the duo were kidnapped on 22 February. A spokesman who called himself Salah Abou-Mohammad said it was retribution for the West's support of Israel. Full Story

Sarkozy's reforms 'to go aheadPosted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 4:43pm

French PM Francois Fillon has said the government will press ahead with President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform plan despite setbacks in local elections. Partial results from Sunday's first round put Mr Sarkozy's ruling UMP conservative party at 45.5%, with the opposition socialists at 47%. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.