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Thursday Aug-28-2008 -- South Ossetia 'downs Georgian spy plane' The United States, NATO and European powers condemned as unacceptable Russia's recognition on Tuesday of two breakaway Georgian regions as independent states, and demanded Moscow recognize Georgia's territorial integrity. Moscow's military offensive in Georgia and its recognition of independence for Georgia's breakaway enclaves has been condemned by the West. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Protesters defy court order to continue occupation of Thai ... BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand issued arrest warrants Wednesday for protest leaders besieging the main government complex, as authorities scrambled to find a peaceful end to the administration's most serious challenge yet. Don't panic -- if we have been arrested, others will carry on." More... Aug-28-2008 -- Gustav nears Jamaica as New Orleans keeps watch The storm is expected to move into waters west of Haiti and head across the Caribbean Sea toward southern Cuba where hurricane warnings are in effect. Energy markets have been riveted by the movements of tropical storms and hurricanes since the devastating Atlantic hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, when a series of storms disrupted oil and gas production. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Miliband warns over Russia crisis KIEV/TBILISI (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Wednesday it wanted to discuss charging Russia more for the lease of a Black Sea naval base, a move that could aggravate regional tensions already enflamed by Moscow's conflict with Georgia. The Russians have created a situation which gives NATO a raison d'etre again: to contain Russia." More... Aug-28-2008 -- Medvedev hails support from China, Central Asia Hu arrived in Dushanbe Tuesday from Seoul after a state visit to the Republic of Korea. Perhaps the key moment of the Dushanbe gathering will not be part of the official agenda. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Malaysia's Anwar sworn in as MP Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's opposition leader, has won a landslide victory in a by-election to return him to parliament. Mr Anwar led a new coalition to an unprecedented showing in the general election in March. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Japanese aid worker killed in Afghanistan JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AFP) — Afghan police searched mountains in eastern Afghanistan Tuesday for a Japanese national whom the extremist Taliban claimed to have kidnapped in a new attack on aid workers. Japan later said that the statement was erroneous. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Hijacked Sudanese welcomed home Passengers and officials at the airport in southeastern Libya said the men identified themselves as members of a Darfur rebel group — the Sudan Liberation Movement, which promptly denied any involvement. Sudanese officials say the hijackers belong to one of the numerous rebel groups fighting in Darfur. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Fighting kills 36 rebels, 5 soldiers in Sri Lanka COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's air force assaulted Tamil Tiger rebels for a third straight day on Friday, hitting a supply base in the separatist group's de facto capital and bunkers elsewhere, the military said. Security forces have reported heavy daily death tolls among the enemy in the north since fighting intensified after the government scrapped a truce last January. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Militants killed in Kashmir siege JAMMU, India (Reuters) - Suspected Muslim militants who slipped across the border from Pakistan into Indian Kashmir were shot dead by security forces after they killed six people in the Hindu-majority region of Jammu on Wednesday, police said. NEW YORK: For India to give up Kashmir and allow it to form an independent country would be disastrous as international terrorist outfits like the al Qaeda will take immediate control of it, according to Dr. Vijay K. Sazawal, a policy analyst and a commentator who specializes in local governance and intra-community issues affecting political dynamics within the Kashmir valley. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Britain most populated EU state by 2060 Germany, the biggest country in the European Union with a population of 82.4 million, will be overtaken by Great Britain and France in 50 years. Though the EU's population is set to fall after 2035, the UK is set to see a 25 percent population growth over the next 27 years, behind only Cyprus, Ireland and Luzembourg. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Mugabe to name Zimbabwe cabinet despite opposition: minister President Robert Mugabe is under pressure from his top military and security advisers to form a government on his own, and ignore the power-sharing talks between his ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Opposition members booed and heckled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as he spoke at the opening of the country's parliament Tuesday, making clear they do not recognize his legitimacy. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Dalai Lama, Citing Exhaustion, Cancels Trips The Tibetan spiritual leader accused exhaustion and canceled two international trips, which were planned a long time before. "Heis not feeling very well and it is mainly due to fatigue." More... Aug-28-2008 -- Christian institutions in India to shut-down to protest attacks BHUBANESHWAR, India (AP) — Christians clashed with Hindu mobs who attacked churches, and eight people died in the violence in an eastern region known for deadly religious fighting. "I was in India three weeks ago, in New Delhi," Cardinal Tauran said. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Death toll in India flood rises to 87 NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian officials appealed to more than 1 million people in flood-ravaged northern India to flee for their lives Tuesday, saying they faced death from a surging river if they remained in their homes. The Bihar state government issued a plea to relief agencies to step in and help get food and shelter to the residents. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Canada government may call Oct. 14 election-source We don't want to prejudge the meeting." "The only uncertainty is Harpers political future," Zed retorted Wednesday. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Bomb Attack in NW Pakistan Kills Police, Prisoners The exact death toll was not immediately clear, with the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan putting it at nine. The officials say militants set off the remote-controlled car bomb as the van reached a bridge Thursday near the town of Bannu. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Nearly 50 militants killed on Pakistan-Afghan border: officials Bajaur is one of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal zones bordering Afghanistan. Qasemi looks on the bright side, citing the militants' failed attack at Camp Salerno. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Two-headed boy dies after after just 48 hours The boy, named Kiron, was born by Cesarean section on Monday weighing 5.5 kgs (12lbs 1oz) in Keshobpur, 85 miles from Dhaka , the capital of Bangladesh . The baby, weighed 5.5 kilograms, was named Kiron, and was moved to a larger hospital in nearby Jessore city. More... Aug-28-2008 -- Peacekeepers to stay in Mindanao PUTRAJAYA, August 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has acceded to requests from the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to extend the International Monitoring Team (IMT) for the short term in Mindanao pending the Philippines Supreme Court's decision on signing of the agreement on ancestral domain. Passage of a renewable energy law will lead to greater energy security in the Philippines and lessen the nation's dependence on imported fuel, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said Wednesday. More... Wednesday Aug-27-2008 -- Medvedev Seeks Support From China, Allies on Georgia (Update2) WASHINGTON, August 27 (RIA Novosti) - U.S. President George Bush has condemned Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as "irresponsible." On Monday the White House announced Vice-President Dick Cheney would visit Tbilisi next month and hold talks with President Mikhail Saakashvili, in a move analysts say will further irritate the Kremlin. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Hijacked plane passengers released The Sun Air Boeing 737 was hijacked shortly after it took off from Nyala, the largest city in Darfur, on Tuesday afternoon bound for the capital Khartoum, and was granted permission to land by Libyan authorities at Kufra military airport in the southeast of the country after it ran short on fuel. Hijackers who forced a Sudanese airliner with some 100 passengers on board to land in Libya want fuel to continue their flight to Paris. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Mugabe 'to form government alone' The victory of Lovemore Moyo, by a vote of 110 to 98, demonstrated that the opposition, at least for now, controls a majority in Parliament for the first time since Zimbabwe achieved independence from white minority rule in 1980. "Clearly it was a difficult situation because some MPs felt support should be given to Lovemore Moyo,'' Chamisa said. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Gustav weakens but could become hurricane again Hurricane Gustav has also caused gas prices to increase by about five dollars per barrel as 25% of U.S. domestic oil produce, which is in the Gulf of Mexico, comes under the hurricane's direct hit during the weekend. The hurricane was expected to dump between four and eight inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain on Hispaniola -- shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic -- as well as eastern Cuba and Jamaica. More... Aug-27-2008 -- US ships bring Georgia aid, avoid Russian-held port A U.S. military ship carrying humanitarian aid has docked at the Georgian port of Batumi. While the Mediterranean is a justifiable arena for the Iraq operation, it is harder to use Iraq to explain a Black Sea presence. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Thailand Court Issues Arrest Warrants for Nine Protest Leaders Bangkok, Thailand (AHN) - Hundreds of riot police and 8,000 protesters who have occupied the main government house here faced off Wednesday as their leaders negotiate for a peaceful turnover of the building. Royalist demonstrators swarmed government buildings and a state television station in Bangkok today in an attempt to drive from office its democratically elected government for the second time in two years. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Militants Take 5 Hostages in Northern Indian State The five latest deaths came late Sunday in Srinagar, Kashmir's main city, and Monday in two towns and one village when security forces confronted angry protesters defying a curfew in the Kashmir Valley, the Muslim heart of India's Jammu and Kashmir state. "In the last two months the firing along the border has increased 20 times or more compared to the same period last year.'' More... Aug-27-2008 -- Fifth arrest over Brown-Blair death threats Specialist counter terrorism police conducted a dawn raid on a flat behind a halal butcher's shop in Lancashire in north-west England and arrested the 24-year-old man. LONDON (AFP) — Police on Wednesday said they had arrested a fifth person in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Gordon Brown. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Pakistan's Feuding Leaders Lobby Party Defectors for Presidency Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's biggest political parties, headed for more than two decades by rival former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, revived their battle for control after their first power-sharing attempt failed. Musharraf ordered the Red Mosque operation "for clearing the area of the terrorists. More... Aug-27-2008 -- UN cites evidence that US attack in Afghanistan killed 90 civilians President Hamid Karzai ordered the investigation into Friday's operation in the western province of Herat after Afghan officials said high numbers of civilians were killed but the US-led coalition said only 30 militants died. U.S. coalition spokesman, First Lieutenant Nathan Perry, told VOA the troops were able to search the compound following the battle to confirm the casualty figures. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Gunmen seize Japanese aid worker and his driver in eastern Afghanistan JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AFP) — Afghan police searched mountains in eastern Afghanistan Tuesday for a Japanese national whom the extremist Taliban claimed to have kidnapped in a new attack on aid workers. Ito worked for the non-government organization, set up by Tetsu Nakamura, a Japanese doctor working in Afghanistan and Pakistan for more than two decades. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Critics want Malaysia PM to resign over Anwar win Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's opposition leader, has won a landslide victory in a by-election to return him to parliament. In the March elections, Anwar's three-party alliance won an unprecedented 82 of parliament's 222 seats — 30 short of a majority — and wrested control of five states. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Pakistani Push in Tribal Areas Triggers a Flood of Refugees ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The Taliban mortared Syed Kifayat Hussain's house last week and murdered his father in June, he says. KARACHI (AFP) — Suspected militants in the Pakistani port city of Karachi torched two armoured vehicles destined for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, police said Monday. More... Aug-27-2008 -- N. Korea, Angry Over Terror List, Threatens to Rebuild Nuclear Program "We are unchanged in our stance that humanitarian aid should not be linked to the nuclear issue,'' spokesman Kim Ho Nyoun told reporters today. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said North Korea still has obligations to fulfill. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Ryanair passengers on plunge jet say crew did not know what to do The airline has rejected claims in some areas of the media that the oxygen masks did not work correctly on the aircraft. I would have thought a seasoned traveler would be more familiar with the emergency procedure - I'm sure I could recite it myself and I'm hardly an explorer. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Indian police told to shoot as anti-Christian riots flare NEW DELHI, August 25 (Compass Direct News) ' The killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) leader Swamiji Laxmanananda Saraswati and four associates by suspected Maoists on Saturday night (August 23) led to renewed anti-Christian attacks in Orissa state, with churches torched and two people burned alive. VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Wednesday condemned spiralling violence against Christians in Orissa but also deplored the killing of a Hindu leader that sparked clashes. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Canadian PM hints at general election "It's so ridiculous," Dion told reporters at the Royal York Hotel Tuesday afternoon. IainGFoulds, Nath_BC may lack restraint, but we have been down this road before, Harper has displayed unethical behaviour and his bullying behaviour is associated with an underlying insecurity or cowardness. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Sri Lankan jet strikes after Tiger plane attack COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's air force assaulted Tamil Tiger rebels for a third straight day on Friday, hitting a supply base in the separatist group's de facto capital and bunkers elsewhere, the military said. COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka staged provincial elections amid high security Saturday as troops pushed deeper into rebel territory in the island's north in fresh fighting that has left 26 dead, officials said. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Israel grants Palestinians amnesty RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday that Israeli settlements were "not helpful" to the peace process but joined Israeli and Palestinian leaders in saying talks are making progress. Israeli officials have been backing away from that timetable in recent weeks, and Palestinian officials have all but declared the process fruitless. More... Aug-27-2008 -- Indonesia says Gambari mission has not failed in Myanmar Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's refusal to meet with United Nations Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari during his visit to the country last week has put a strong spotlight on the UN's failed diplomatic efforts, said observers and members of the country's opposition. Several Burmese bloggers ridiculed Gambari's mission and UN efforts. More... Tuesday Aug-26-2008 -- Thai leaders face huge protests Thousands of protesters stormed the compound of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, a TV station and several ministeries today in a coordinated bid to unseat his elected seven-month-old coalition government. Live television also showed about 100 protesters sitting on the lawn of the prime minister's official compound, Reuters news agency said. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Pakistani stability hope fades with coalition split Barely a week after Pervez Musharraf resigned as Pakistan's president, the ruling coalition many were hoping would return the country to democratic rule, has collapsed. Pakistan is also gripped by economic problems, including soaring prices, high joblessness and chronic electricity shortages. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Israeli Group Reports Sharp Increase in Settlement Activity The State Department insists that the secretary has not given up on that goal. Ms. Rice has spoken firmly against settlement expansion and urged Israel to allow Palestinians more freedom of movement. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Malaysians flock to polls as Anwar scents victory POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Sleaze, Race Dominate Crucial By-Election By Baradan Kuppusamy Anwar at an election rally. The arrests in northern Perak state -- which is governed by the opposition alliance -- of two members of the state's cabinet and three other members of Anwar's Keadilan party have triggered charges of "dirty tricks''. More... Aug-26-2008 -- UPDATE 1-Ryanair plane loses pressure, 16 in hospital Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe's biggest discount airline, said a flight from Bristol, England, to Spain's Barcelona Girona airport made an unscheduled landing in Limoges, France, yesterday after a loss of cabin pressure, which resulted in 16 people being taken to a hospital with earaches. PARIS (AP) — A Ryanair plane made an emergency landing in central France after the cabin suddenly depressurized, French officials and the Irish carrier said Tuesday. More... Aug-26-2008 -- North Korea halts nuclear reactor disablement SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said Tuesday it has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor and will consider restoring the plutonium-producing facility in anger over Washington's failure to remove it from the U.S. list of terror sponsors. Analysts were divided over the North's intentions. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Iraq Prime Minister Nouri Maliki demands firm withdrawal date Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign-policy analyst at Washington's Brookings Institution , said the Bush administration will want to keep the agreement's redeployment goals as loose as possible to give the U.S. maximum flexibility in case violence worsens. In the past, Washington officials spoke of an "aspirational" time frame linking withdrawals to sustained improved security conditions and the capabilities of Iraqi forces to take over security duties. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Iraqi police disarm girl sent on suicide mission BAGHDAD (AP) — In video footage released by Iraqi police, a teenage girl with an explosives vest tightly strapped to her body is seen handcuffed to a metal grid, her head repeatedly falling forward as several policemen huddle around her. The garment had six compartments, including two stuffed with what looked like tubes and four holding packages wrapped in celophane. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Curfew still in force in Kashmir The latest deaths came late Sunday in Srinagar, Kashmir's main city, and Monday in two towns and one village when security forces confronted angry protesters defying a curfew in the Kashmir Valley, the Muslim heart of India's Jammu and Kashmir state. "The rally is to show to the world that we are against India's occupation of Kashmir," said separatist leader Shabir Shah, who has spent more than 20 years in Indian jails. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Parliament wants Russia to recognize independence of South Ossetia ... Cryptic or open racism has deeply infiltrated the Russian society. Just yesterday, August 25, the Georgian government press office reported South Ossetes took control of Akhalgori, with 95 per cent of population being ethnic Georgian. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Pakistan: Top US diplomat escapes gun attack ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) Pakistan's intelligence services were ordered Tuesday to review security arrangements for diplomats traveling to the northern parts of the country after a U.S. diplomat survived an armed attack in Peshawar, capital of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP). A senior Pakistani intelligence official in Islamabad said the attack took place when Tracy was driving to the U.S. consulate and her vehicle was fired upon by gunmen driving another vehicle. More... Aug-26-2008 -- PAKISTAN: Border Villages Rise Up Against Taliban ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The Taliban mortared Syed Kifayat Hussain's house last week and murdered his father in June, he says. In the South Waziristan tribal region, al Qaeda- andTaliban-linked militants ambushed a military convoy near theAfghan border on Sunday, wounding three soldiers, securityofficials said. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Rebel Fighting in Philippines Intensifies MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered troops to relentlessly pursue Muslim fighters who attacked two towns earlier in the week, a top aide said on Wednesday, while a rebel commander warned of all-out war. Normal 0 (CNSNews.com) - A controversial peace deal with Islamic separatists in the southern Philippines is in jeopardy after hundreds of radicals killed more than 30 people in attacks on several Christian-majority towns, shooting and hacking their victims to death. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Israel Frees 198 Palestinians Before Rice Arrives for Talks RAMALLAH, WEST BANK -- Israel freed 198 Palestinian prisoners to a hero's welcome in the West Bank on Monday, seeking to bolster Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a peace mission. While the release provoked anger among many Israelis ''' at least two of the prisoners released had killed Israeli citizens ''' many Palestinians argue the gesture is far from enough. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Zambian Kwacha regains strength LUSAKA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has said the decision to take the body of the late President Levy Mwanawasa to all the provinces was made after consultations and is aimed at giving a chance to people who cannot afford to travel to Lusaka to pay their last respects, Times of Zambia reported Monday. There's another Africa that's enjoying renewal, thanks to the responsible leadership of men like Mwanawasa. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Further troubles for Spanair MADRID (Reuters) - Grieving relatives on Thursday tried to identify charred bodies from the wreckage of a Spanish jet which crashed at Madrid airport on its second attempt at takeoff after mechanical problems. MADRID, Spain (AP) — A gauge indicating that overheated air was entering a Spanair jetliner forced pilots to abandon a takeoff about an hour before the plane crashed in flames, but airline officials refused to speculate Thursday on the cause of the accident that killed 153 people. More... Aug-26-2008 -- IFJ calls for release of kidnapped journalists in Somalia Kidnapped Australian journalist Nigel Brennan is being held by a Somalian militia group which snatched two Italian aid workers for ransom less than four months ago, according to the local journalist's union. An Australian reporter and his Canadian colleague who have been missing in Somalia since Saturday have been named as Nigel Brenan and Amanda Lindhout. More... Aug-26-2008 -- Explosion at Balochistan rally At least 30 people were injured on Tuesday when a bomb ripped through a political rally by nationalist tribesmen in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said. The blast took place in Jaffarabad, in Pakistan's largest province, Balochistan, said police officer Abdul Majid Bangar. More... Monday Aug-25-2008 -- MDC warns Mugabe parliament moves threaten talks HARARE (AFP) — A second Zimbabwean lawmaker was arrested Monday in what the opposition said was a bid to reverse the party's unprecedented majority ahead of a parliamentary vote to elect a new speaker. Parliament has not met since legislative elections were held in March. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Kouchner says EU not discussing Russia sanctions France currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. "Because the EU has emerged as the principle mediator between Moscow and Tbilisi, European leaders have a new chance to influence events," the ECFR wrote in a policy paper published today (25 August). More... Aug-25-2008 -- Kyrgyz Jet Crash Kills at Least 65 BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — A passenger plane from an airline banned in Europe over safety concerns crashed Sunday shortly after taking off from Kyrgyzstan's main airport, killing at least 71 people on board, officials said. Spanish security forces surround a hijacked Air Mauritania Boeing 737 passenger plane after it landed at Gando airport in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria in Spain's Canary Islands February 15, 2007. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Indians arrest Kashmir separatists Security forces resorted to cane-charge, lob tear smoke shells and fire several rounds in air to disperse the protesters. The decision to arrest the separatists who led large-scale protests in the region demanding an end to Indian rule was taken at a security meeting convened by state governor NN Vohra, officials said. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Rescuers Give up on Missing Climbers in French Alps Helicopters and rescue teams had spent all day scanning the Alpine snow for signs of life at the site, which is popular with hikers in the Mont Blanc range spanning France's border with Italy. Initially, ten people were thought to be missing, but two Italians later turned up safe. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Focus on Wing Flaps In Spanair Jet Crash MADRID (Reuters) - Grieving relatives on Thursday tried to identify charred bodies from the wreckage of a Spanish jet which crashed at Madrid airport on its second attempt at takeoff after mechanical problems. A makeshift morgue was set up at the city's main convention center, officials said. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Philippine leader says offensives against separatists to help peace MANILA (Reuters) - At least 48 soldiers and civilians and scores of Muslim rebels have been killed in the southern Philippines in a week of fighting triggered by the collapse of a peace deal, the government said on Saturday. On Thursday, as rebel leaders refused to hand over commanders accused of atrocities and government troops launched punitive raids, the government of president Gloria Arroyo declared the peace deal - 10 years in the making - was off. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Israel Frees Palestinian Prisoners The release got under way just hours before the planned arrival in Israel of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who will try to spur progress towards a peace deal that Washington says it still aims to achieve by year's end. Al-Ajrami was referring to the fact that two of the prisoners to be released belong to the category Israel refers to as having "blood on their hands", Sayed al-Ataba, Fatah operative jailed for 32 years for the murder of one Israeli and the injuring of 33, and Abu ali-Yata, detained in 1980 for the murder of an Israeli and a Palestinian suspected of collaborating with Israel. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Canadian, Australian Journalists Kidnapped In Somalia Australian Federal Police and extra diplomatic staff have been sent to Somalia to probe the kidnapping of Australian photo journalist Nigel Brennan by members of an armed militia. "We are deeply concerned that our son Nigel Brennan may have gone missing near Mogadishu in Somalia yesterday. More... Aug-25-2008 -- US chopper makes precautionary landing in E Afghanistan The air assault on Wednesday that caused the deaths were called in to respond to an attack on troops operating in Laghman province, which adjoins the Sarobi area, where 10 French soldiers died earlier in the week, an official for the US-led forces said. Coalition forces have said that 30 people died when air strikes were called in to quell Taliban resistance during the operation. More... Aug-25-2008 -- 10 killed as Pakistan politician targeted MINGORA/PESHAWAR: Seventy people, including 45 militants and 16 security forces personnel, were killed in fierce clashes, a suicide attack and bomb blasts in different parts of the restive Swat Valley on Saturday. "The government ignored and continued attacking our position." More... Aug-25-2008 -- Israel Releases Palestinian Prisoners The State Department insists that the secretary has not given up on that goal. Efforts to seal a deal have been hampered by violence andthe expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Iraqis bury dead after bomb at banquet kills 25 Now Abu Marouf, one of the key players, is fleeing arrest. The bloodletting comes about a week before the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, when violence tends to spike in Iraq. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Russian Actions Reignite Tensions Over Strategic Port in Ukraine At the most recent meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on June 16, NATO leaders yet again praised Ukraine's participation in joint military operations and maneuvers. No one will ever tell us what road to take. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Pakistanis displaced by fighting in 'dire need' ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The Taliban mortared Syed Kifayat Hussain's house last week and murdered his father in June, he says. The Islamic fundamentalist movement has been involved in a wave of suicide attacks targeting security installations to demand an end to an army offensive against militants near the Afghan border. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Malaysia's Anwar set to win Parliament by-election POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Sleaze, Race Dominate Crucial By-Election By Baradan Kuppusamy Anwar at an election rally. Permatang Pauh: Two officials in Anwar Ibrahim's opposition party were charged in court on Monday with accepting a bribe in connection to a planned housing project. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Prosecutors seek Thaksin's assets The planned rally comes as state prosecutors formallylaunched a bid to get the courts to seize 76 billion baht (1.2billion pounds) in Thaksin assets frozen in Thai banks sincethe coup. The assets have been frozen since shortly after Thaksin was ousted in a September 2006 coup by military leaders who accused him of widespread corruption and of undermining the countrys democracy by consolidating too much power. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Finding a fix to the NSG's code of Omerta VIENNA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A two-day meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ended here Friday with no agreement on whether to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India. A number of member nations appear to be backing an amendment that would revoke the waiver for India if it resumes nuclear weapons testing. More... Aug-25-2008 -- Russia and Syria joins Palestinans on Rice's agenda A chill has descended on relations between Israel and Russia after Moscow reached out to the Jewish states arch foe Damascus against the backdrop of the Georgian conflict. Syrian President Bashar Assad has pledged to support Russia in its conflict with Georgia and said that Damascus was ready to consider deploying Russian Iskander missile systems in its territory, in response to the U.S. missile shield in Europe. More... Sunday Aug-24-2008 -- Split feared in Pakistan's coalition over judges issue LAST SEPTEMBER, TWO-TIME prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad proclaiming his intention to restore his country to democracy. Mr Sharif is taking a hard line while Mr Zardari wants to move slowly and not confront the army by further humiliating Mr Musharraf, who was the former army chief. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Madrid crash claims another life MADRID (Reuters) - Grieving relatives on Thursday tried to identify charred bodies from the wreckage of a Spanish jet which crashed at Madrid airport on its second attempt at takeoff after mechanical problems. There were too few firefighters at the beginning," Francisco Martinez told reporters after visiting the 11-year-old, who has a broken leg, at a Madrid hospital. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Afghanistan says US killed 76 civilians The air assault on Wednesday that caused the deaths were called in to respond to an attack on troops operating in Laghman province, which adjoins the Sarobi area, where 10 French soldiers died earlier in the week, an official for the US-led forces said. An investigation into the reported civilian deaths was underway, according to coalition and Afghan officials. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Taliban win over locals at the gates of Kabul Sarkozy reassured support to the war-battered country, saying his government is committed to fight terrorism till it is needed, the statement said. Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Three Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and another was injured by a roadside bomb as insurgents in the country intensify their attacks on North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Russia's oil boom may be running on empty Russian military authority remains split between a president elected in May with no opposition, and Prime Minister Putin, who once called the breakup of the Soviet Union "the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century." For God sake give up the pot smoking and wearing the Che Guevara T shirt and the anti American hokey cokey logic. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Pakistan euphoria over Musharraf's exit begins to ebb The group had also claimed responsibility for the Tuesday suicide bomb attack that killed 30 people near the emergency ward of a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan in North-West Frontier Province. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is on the front line of the U.S. -led campaign against terrorism and al Qaeda-linked militants have launched a wave of attacks on the security forces over the past year, bombing military camps, patrols and vehicles. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Protest boats reach Gaza Strip GAZA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two boats carrying members of a U.S. -based activist group will sail into the Mediterranean city of Gaza Friday from Cyprus to challenge the Israeli blockade on the enclave, a Palestinian official said on Thursday. Israel has warned the activists to steer clear of the territory, which it says "is the subject of an (Israeli Navy) advisory notice" that warns off foreign vessels from the "designated maritime zone." More... Aug-24-2008 -- Report: India rejects conditions on nuclear deal VIENNA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A two-day meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ended here Friday with no agreement on whether to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India. Indian officials had hoped that no more than a handful of countries would raise objections to the American text at the NSG meeting in Vienna. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Georgians protest Russian presence in Poti 24/08 09:33 CET Russia's defence minister insisted the pullback had been completed on time, but despite the long columns of tanks rolling back into the separatist enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, some Russian troops remained. Georgia might have escaped the worst for now, but the internal political and economic fallout almost certainly will mean a day of reckoning for President Saakashvili in the not-too-distant future. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Missile defense backers now cite Russia threat The deal is seen as certain to aggravate tensions between Russia and the West already strained by Moscow's military intervention in Georgia. Poland wants to be in alliances where assistance comes in the very first hours of — knock on wood — any possible conflict," Tusk said. More... Aug-24-2008 -- 'Pakistan wants more support from war on terror partners' ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — The resignation of Pervez Musharraf removes a favorite bogeyman of Islamic militants both in and outside of Pakistan, but the government that forced him out is unlikely to change the policies that keep the jihadists fighting. In recent weeks, a Pakistani military operation against insurgents in Bajur has killed nearly 500 people and displaced more than 200,000, officials say. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Pakistan forces target militant positions, kill 50 Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Aug 23 (PTI) At least 26 people, a majority of them security personnel, were killed in three attacks by the local Taliban in Pakistan's troubled northwest today even as security forces shot dead over 40 militants in clashes in the same region. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the bombing and vowed more attacks if the government does not halt military operations against militants in the area. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Georgian fuel train 'blown up by mine' Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told VOA that the buffer zone around South Ossetia is ill-defined and that Russia is "playing games" with the facts. Military operations in Georgia have threatened Russia's membership in the G8 group and its bid for joining the WTO, a U.S. official says. More... Aug-24-2008 -- MDC may lose out over key parliamentary job The July 21 memorandum of understanding that governs the negotiations, which are being mediated by South African president Thabo Mbeki, says that parliament should only be reconvened, or a new government formed, with the agreement of the three parties: the government, and the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. Mbeki, speaking of the findings of a regional security meeting on Zimbabwe, said after the summit on Sunday that parliament may have to convene as talks continued. More... Aug-24-2008 -- What next for President Musharraf? HTML clipboard NEW DELHI, Aug 20 (APP): Welcoming return of democracy in Pakistan, noted intellectual and columnist Kuldip Nayyar said relations between Pakistan and India will improve. The failure to make progress on Kashmir, particularly after 9/11 and U.S. pressure, cooked Musharraf's goose. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Gunmen Kill a Top Official in Baghdad BAGHDAD, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Thursday agreed that the two countries would set timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The war looms as a key issue in the campaign in the United States to elect a successor to President Bush, with presumed Republican nominee John McCain accusing Democratic standardbearer-in-waiting Barack Obama of advocating too precipitate a withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Al-Qaida claims to have killed 130 in Algeria BOUIRA, Algeria, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Two car bombs in Algeria killed at least 11 people on Wednesday, the day after an attack that left 43 dead at a military academy, Algerian press agency APS said quoting the Interior Ministry. "But the group is viewed increasingly as outsiders coming in to attack Algeria. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Assad: Next round of Syria-Israel talks will be 'decisive' Russia promised to consider the sale of "defensive" weapons to Syria during a visit to the country by President Bashar Assad. "The timing of Assad's visit is very important. More... Aug-24-2008 -- US envoy: Release protestors in China Bernard Kouchner, the Foreign Minister, and Rama Yade, the junior Minister for Human Rights, were also on hand at the Lerab Ling sanctuary for Ms Bruni's brief private chat with the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama began a 12-day visit to France a week ago, which stirred tensions with China. More... Aug-24-2008 -- Three-day strike cripples Kashmir The agitation started with the decision of the former governor of the state, Srinivas Kumar Sinha, to hand over 40 hectares of state-owned land to the trustees of the Hindu Sri Amarnath Shrine. After having been politically marginalized in the past several years, thanks to an unprecedented span of peace and prosperity in the state, it had suddenly found an issue that had seized the popular imagination. More... Saturday Aug-23-2008 -- Russia aims to keep control of Georgian port city Russia says it will permanently station what it calls peacekeeping troops in the zones to "prevent new bloodshed". "We appeal to Russia to be the first country from the international community to recognize the independence of the republic of South Ossetia," reads Tskhinvali's request. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Spanish mechanic who cleared doomed plane quizzed MADRID (Reuters) - Grieving relatives on Thursday tried to identify charred bodies from the wreckage of a Spanish jet which crashed at Madrid airport on its second attempt at takeoff after mechanical problems. Relatives of victims of the Spanair jet crash react as they enter a hotel after going to the makeshift morgue at the IFEMA fairgrounds in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Aug. 22, 2008. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Pakistan parties discuss president; militants killed Pakistan's largest political party proposed the husband of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto to succeed ousted Pervez Musharraf as president. The former Supreme Court supported efforts by Sharif, whose government was ousted in Musharraf's 1999 takeover, to return from exile last year. More... Aug-23-2008 -- India: Nuclear Talks End Without Decision VIENNA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A two-day meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ended here Friday with no agreement on whether to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India. NEW DELHI, Aug 23 (IPS) - Dashing hopes that the United States-India nuclear cooperation deal would sail through the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), a two-day meeting in Vienna of the 45-nation association has failed to produce a consensus on a U.S. drafted text. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Taliban group claims Pakistan bombing Los Angeles Times August 22, 2008 islamabad, pakistan - In a devastating strike that signals this week's departure of President Pervez Musharraf will bring no letup in their bloody campaign, Islamic militants took aim Thursday at a symbolic target: the country's main weapons-building complex. "Our enemy lurks silently within our society. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Afghanistan criticises US attack Reports from Afghanistan say dozens of civilians have been killed during a military operation by American forces in western Herat province. "All allegations of civilian casualties are taken very seriously," the coalition said in a statement from the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan at Bagram, north of Kabul. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Missile defense backers now cite Russia threat The deal is seen as certain to aggravate tensions between Russia and the West already strained by Moscow's military intervention in Georgia. Robert Legvold says that part of the agreement is specifically aimed at Russia. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Iraq security accord nears final shape BAGHDAD, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Thursday agreed that the two countries would set timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Zebari and Rice both acknowledged that the security agreement they're pursuing would include a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, which was demanded by the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki but initially resisted by Washington. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Pro-independence strike cripples life in Indian Kashmir SRINAGAR: Yasin Malik, a Kashmir faction leader who has never supported the pro-Pakistan sentiments in the valley, says Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani has been "exploiting" the Amarnath land row to secure his vote bank and be the next prime minister of India. Protesters poured to the streets in the region's main city, Srinagar, after the Friday Prayer ended and some set fire to Indian flags. More... Aug-23-2008 -- African 'Al-Qaeda' claims Algeria blasts BOUIRA, Algeria, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Two car bombs in Algeria killed at least 11 people on Wednesday, the day after an attack that left 43 dead at a military academy, Algerian press agency APS said quoting the Interior Ministry. The terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, North Africas most active terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks. More... Aug-23-2008 -- UPDATE 1-Russia says to patrol Georgia's Poti port MOSCOW, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Russian forces will patrol Georgia's strategic Black Sea port of Poti even though it lies outside the buffer zone where Moscow says its peacekeepers will operate, a senior defence official said on Saturday. On the ground in Georgia, the fact that the sole significant highway linking the eastern and western parts of the country was still blocked by Russian troops in the town of Gori and that the blowing up of a train bridge in the region has halted rail transport along the route continued to create significant problems for Middleton and his port. More... Aug-23-2008 -- France: Dalai Lama Says Repression Is Up Bernard Kouchner, the Foreign Minister, and Rama Yade, the junior Minister for Human Rights, were also on hand at the Lerab Ling sanctuary for Ms Bruni's brief private chat with the Tibetan spiritual leader. In an interview with Le Monde daily released Thursday, the Tibetan spiritual leader accused China of imposing a new, long-term "plan of brutal repression" and building new military camps in Tibetan areas. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Zimbabwe: Dear Arthur - So Long a Letter to MDC-M The July 21 memorandum of understanding that governs the negotiations, which are being mediated by South African president Thabo Mbeki, says that parliament should only be reconvened, or a new government formed, with the agreement of the three parties: the government, and the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. The calling of the legislature, elected on March 29, has been on hold pending the outcome of talks between the two sides. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Philippines says 48 killed in week of fighting MANILA (Reuters) - At least 48 soldiers and civilians and scores of Muslim rebels have been killed in the southern Philippines in a week of fighting triggered by the collapse of a peace deal, the government said on Saturday. 'We have done our best to embrace peace, but the MILF started the hostilities by pillaging villages and murdering innocent civilians in Mindanao. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Nuri Hits China, Killing 3, After Battering Hong Kong (Update1) Nuri isn't expected to approach the city until tomorrow, a day after the final Olympic equestrian events are held there. The arrival of the typhoon forced the cancellation of Hong Kong's most ferries connecting some of the far-fetched islands, the neighboring Macao as well as some cities. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Nepal Maoist PM to mix business, pleasure in China The new head of government was invited by the International Olympic Committee to attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on Sunday 24 August, marking Prachanda's first outing on the international stage. Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Aug 21 (PTI) Nepal's three major parties today agreed on the crucial issue of portfolio distribution in a Maoist-led ministry, brightening chances of formation of the new cabinet tomorrow after four months of political deadlock. More... Aug-23-2008 -- Gaza activists fight poor communications, rough seas Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 84, and Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will also undertake the journey, through which the Free Gaza Movement hopes "to draw attention to the devastating consequences of the Israeli blockade" upon the 1.4 million Palestinians in the coastal strip. Israels security control of the Mediterranean Sea off Gaza has continued even after Israels 2005 "disengagement" from Gaza, in contradiction to the adamant argumentation of many Israeli officials that Gaza is no longer "occupied". More... Aug-23-2008 -- Peru throws out Amazon land laws President Garcia had warned the repeal would be "a very serious, historic mistake". As congress affirmed Garcia had gone too far, protests and riots were sparked in several of Peru's regions with roads being blocked and clashes between indigenous communities and police. More... Friday Aug-22-2008 -- Pakistan to Elect New President September 6 The coalition's second biggest party, that of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, is threatening to quit the alliance unless a decision is taken on Friday to restore judges dismissed by Musharraf last year. The coalition partners have agreed to meet again in three days time. More... Aug-22-2008 -- 64 in Pakistan Die in Bombing at Arms Plant Los Angeles Times August 22, 2008 islamabad, pakistan - In a devastating strike that signals this week's departure of President Pervez Musharraf will bring no letup in their bloody campaign, Islamic militants took aim Thursday at a symbolic target: the country's main weapons-building complex. Just hours before the blasts, which were claimed by the Pakistani Taliban as a response to army attacks on militants, a key party in the government coalition threatened to quit in a power struggle that has dismayed many Pakistanis and the country's Western backers. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Reports: Georgia, S Ossetia exchange detainees The Reuters news service quoted Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, as saying that Russia would install eight new military outposts, putting 500 troops in a security zone in undisputed Georgian territory. A "large column'' of hardware returning to Russia yesterday included "multiple launch systems,'' tanks, armored personnel carriers and trucks, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Iraqi leaders unlikely to meet Friday over US military deal The timing has major political importance in Iraq and the United States. BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Washington and Baghdad are close to completing the terms of a bilateral pact that, among other things, might outline how long U.S. troops will remain in Iraq, the top U.S. and Iraqi envoys said Thursday. More... Aug-22-2008 -- 200000 Muslims protest Indian rule in Kashmir The dispute began after the state government promised togive forest land to the Hindu trust that runs the cave shrineof Amarnath. A Kashmir free of India, free of Pakistan, and above all free of Fundamentalist Islam. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Key India nuclear talks continue NEW DELHI: It's the denouement of the nuclear deal, being played out in equally theatrical style in one of the coveted corner rooms of the Japanese mission in Vienna. ( Watch ) The world's most severely brahminical cartel, Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) gather on Thursday morning to decide whether to let the Indian adventurer through their hallowed portals. "We know the U.S. has been extensively consulting with a number of NSG members and probably has a sheet of paper with a bunch of conditions that it will say the others want," said an Indian official. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Israel fears Russia may sell arms to Syria Russian President Dmitry Medvedev phoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday to assure that his nation's ties with Israel remained steady despite recent tensions created by the IDF's training and equipping of the Georgian army. As Russian analyst Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technology in Moscow, recently told "The Moscow Times": Russia is reluctant to upset Israel because it can be "a valuable source of modern military technologies." More... Aug-22-2008 -- Philippines peace deal with Muslim rebels collapses MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered troops to relentlessly pursue Muslim fighters who attacked two towns earlier in the week, a top aide said on Wednesday, while a rebel commander warned of all-out war. MANILA (AFP) — The Philippine government has scrapped its controversial peace deal with the country's Muslim minority after two weeks of deadly clashes in the south, the presidential palace said Thursday. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Zimbabwe: Dispute Over Parliament The July 21 memorandum of understanding that governs the negotiations, which are being mediated by South African president Thabo Mbeki, says that parliament should only be reconvened, or a new government formed, with the agreement of the three parties: the government, and the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara. The Zanu-PF Central Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to further endorse the Sadc resolution on the Zimbabwean talks and convening of Parliament. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Quiet General Tries to Keep ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — The resignation of Pervez Musharraf removes a favorite bogeyman of Islamic militants both in and outside of Pakistan, but the government that forced him out is unlikely to change the policies that keep the jihadists fighting. A poll released in June by a Washington-based research group, Terror-Free Tomorrow, found 58 percent of Pakistanis favored negotiating with Pakistan's Taliban movement, while 19 percent favored military action. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Regional bloc in threat to Fiji Hopes of democracy being restored to Fiji early next year are completely shattered after the country's interim leader announced election delays and that he would boycott a leaders' forum this week. Helen Clark signalled Frank Bainimarama could have bigger problems to worry about. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Lost whale calf put down amid protests Not even a whale whisperer could save Colin, the baby humpback which has spent the week nuzzling up to yachts in a Sydney waterway in a desperate search for its mother. Martina - you are absolutely out of your depth here. More... Aug-22-2008 -- MISC Says There's `Casualty' Among Crew of Hijacked Tanker Ship Kuala Lumpur - Pirates hijacked two more vessels, an Iranian bulk carrier and a Japanese-operated tanker, off the coast of Somalia on Thursday. Last week the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center said that intelligence sources had revealed that there are now "two suspicious trawlers in the Gulf of Aden believed to be pirate mother vessels looking to attack ships with the intent to hijack." More... Aug-22-2008 -- Troop numbers in Afghanistan on 'growth trajectory': Army commander Gordon Brown is in Afghanistan on a surprise visit to British troops, en route to the Olympics in Beijing. More than 70,000 foreign troops, including British soldiers, are engaged in a bitter struggle to put down a Taliban insurgency that is now entrenched in the south and east and beginning to encroach on formerly safe areas close to the capital, Kabul. More... Aug-22-2008 -- China keeps pro-Tibet websites blocked Critics do not have to sort out the long-term consequences of a gesture which may have played well on the day. Kristof suggested that Dalai could enter and leave Tibet freely, restrict immigration to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, allow pre-school children to enter monasteries, strengthen Tibetan language promotion and phase in more Tibetan officials and so on. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Al-Qaeda 'claims Algeria bombs' BOUIRA, Algeria, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Two car bombs in Algeria killed at least 11 people on Wednesday, the day after an attack that left 43 dead at a military academy, Algerian press agency APS said quoting the Interior Ministry. Reuters reported that the attacks targeted a military commander inside an Army barracks as well as Canadians working for a water project. More... Aug-22-2008 -- UPDATE 1-Tata Motors says violence may see it move Nano plant Kolkata, August 21 Amid the rising clamour over the controversial Tata Motors' small car factory in Singur, West Bengal Commerce and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen met the chairman of the company, Ratan Tata, at a city hotel on Thursday night. "We want the Tata Motors plant to come up on 600 acres. More... Aug-22-2008 -- 'Massive failure' over data loss A spokeswoman for Britain's Home Office, responsible for managing the country's prisons, said a contractor mislaid a memory stick containing the names and dates of birth of 84,000 inmates England and Wales' entire prison population. Police were then called in to try to locate it. More... Aug-22-2008 -- Sri Lanka fighting kills 24 rebels, 4 soldiers COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's air force assaulted Tamil Tiger rebels for a third straight day on Friday, hitting a supply base in the separatist group's de facto capital and bunkers elsewhere, the military said. The many exhortations to the government from various quarters that there is no military solution to the 'national question' have fallen on deaf ears. More... Thursday Aug-21-2008 -- Authorities Investigate Cause of Deadly Spanish Airline Crash A Spanair SA MD-82 jetliner crashed yesterday (14:45 hours local time) into the runway at Madrid's Barajas International airport and bursted into flames, during take off. Spanish newspaper El Pais first reported that an engine on the plane's left-hand side caught fire as it was taking off. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Pakistan presidential race begins Lahore's blast occurred only days after 13 people were killed by a bus bombing in Peshawar, a frontier town near Afghanistan increasingly targeted by the Taliban and aligned militant groups. "There is no deadline given by us," education minister Ahsan Iqbal, a leading member of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N, told AFP when asked about reports that it had given Bhutto's party an ultimatum during the talks. More... Aug-21-2008 -- 3 NATO Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) — U.S. President George W. Bush offered his condolences to the families of French soldiers killed and wounded in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan, the White House said Tuesday. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says the peace talks are part of a strategy to halt terrorist attacks that killed more than 2,000 people in Pakistan last year. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Despite Yielding Ground, Russia Takes Critical Spots A Georgian official said the Russian soldiers had not withdrawn but had instead redeployed in the area. THE YOUNG Georgian soldier spat the words out like a bad taste. More... Aug-21-2008 -- US and Poland sign missile defense deal The deal is seen as certain to aggravate tensions between Russia and the West already strained by Moscow's military intervention in Georgia. Talks on locating part of the planned missile-defense shield in Poland made headway after Russia's attacks on Georgia highlighted the vulnerability of former Soviet republics and satellite states in eastern Europe. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Nuclear exporters to discuss India trade ban India's quest for foreign supplies for its nuclear power programme entered a new stage on Thursday, as nuclear-exporting countries gathered in Vienna to discuss an exemption from their rules to allow trade with India, dpa reported. Even China, no friend of the deal, is unlikely to put up a big opposition. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Two Car Bomb Attacks Kill 11 in Algerian Town BOUIRA, Algeria, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Two car bombs in Algeria killed at least 11 people on Wednesday, the day after an attack that left 43 dead at a military academy, Algerian press agency APS said quoting the Interior Ministry. Analyst Anis Rahmani said the killing of large numbers of civilians in the recent bombings was reminiscent of the country's worst massacres in the 1990s, blamed on the now disbanded Algerian Islamic Group (GIA). More... Aug-21-2008 -- Zimbabwe: Parly to Open Next Tuesday The Zimbabwean parliament will meet next week although there is still no agreement between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition leader. Mbeki, speaking of the findings of a regional security meeting on Zimbabwe, said after the summit on Sunday that parliament may have to convene as talks continued. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Students march for freedom in Indian Kashmir The agitation started with the decision of the former governor of the state, Srinivas Kumar Sinha, to hand over 40 hectares of state-owned land to the trustees of the Hindu Sri Amarnath Shrine. "I reckon we should hold a referendum in the Valley. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Rice in surprise visit to Baghdad "Ultimately the prime minister has to make the call on moving forward," Rice said. Iraqi officials said the draft has been sent to the U.S. and Iraqi governments for approval. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Russia Moves Missiles From Georgia, Steps Up Pullout (Update1) NATO headquarters said Russia hadn't informed it of the change. Nato ? I doubt the Russians care about that. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Leaders threaten to isolate Fiji The Pacific Islands Forum leaders' summit was to be formally opened later Tuesday in the tiny Pacific island nation of Niue but Fiji was on the agenda of a series of bilateral meetings between 15 other forum members earlier in the day. The ousted Fijian prime minister Laisenia Qarase has accused Commodore Bainimarama of cowardice." More... Aug-21-2008 -- From Russia with love? Russia knows that there is almost no appetite in the west for a return to Cold War days. As in Ian Fleming's From Russia with Love, smooth talk and sophisticated mannerisms only hid plots and counterplots. More... Aug-21-2008 -- UPDATE 1-Two vessels seized by pirates off Somalia-IMB KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Pirates hijacked two more vessels, an Iranian bulk carrier and a Japanese-operated tanker, on Thursday off the coast of Somalia in some of the world's most dangerous waters, the International Maritime Bureau said. A Malaysian oil tanker carrying 39 crew members has been hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen, a maritime watchdog group said. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Xbox 360 sold out in Japan The reason for the Xbox 360 beating the PS3 console briefly in system sales is a game title: Namco Bandai's "Tales of Vesperia". Japanese Role Playing Games (JRPG) are huge news in Japan, so Microsoft should stick to making more games that appeal to the Japanese market. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Police: Attacks at Pakistan arms factory kill 15 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Two explosions at a government-run arms factory near the Pakistani capital on Thursday left several people dead and wounded many more, police said. The blasts occurred simultaneously at two gates outside the military facility in the town of Wah. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Presidents: Russia, Syria to build strategic relations JERUSALEM - Israeli security officials have confirmed fears in Jerusalem that Russia may spark a Cold War-like military buildup in the Middle East by sending warships and advanced weaponry to foe Syria. Al-Assad cited the conflict, in which Moscow has accused Georgia of being supplied by Israeli-made arms, as an impetus for strengthening military cooperation with Moscow, including in opposition to U.S. plans to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Australian officials to euthanize baby whale However experts say it is not physically possible to look after the calf and very little can be done .And NSW Premier Morris Iemma says the outlook for the abandoned baby is "bleak". The decision was made at a meeting of NSW Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) workers, scientists and representatives of other agencies after the calf's deteriorating. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Big jump in top GCSE exam grades There were more sharp falls in the numbers taking difficult subjects such as French and German, while so-called "soft" options including media studies continued to rise. Council education bosses will be hoping that individual school improvements will see the overall percentage of pupils achieving that standard will increase. More... Aug-21-2008 -- Russia military: no plans to boost Black Sea Fleet Ukrainian officials claimed that the restrictions were not a direct result of the Russian military intervention in Georgia. "The radars and weapons will be replaced by new and better ones." More... Wednesday Aug-20-2008 -- Bombings in Algeria Kill 11 ALGIERS (Reuters) - Two car bombs in Algeria killed at least 11 people on Wednesday, the day after an attack that left 43 dead at a military academy, the Algerian press agency APS said quoting the Interior Ministry. ALGIERS (Reuters) - The founder of Algeria's largest Islamist rebel group called on al Qaeda-linked militants to lay down their arms on Tuesday after a bomb killed dozens of people at a military academy. More... Aug-20-2008 -- NATO accuses Russia of not honoring agreed cease-fire with Georgia "There can be no business as usual with Russia under present circumstances,'' Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters. Responding to criticisms that unflinching U.S. support for Georgia may have emboldened Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to make the misstep of a military move into South Ossetia, a generally pro-Russian province that has been pushing for independence since the early 1990s, Burns said that the charges were unfounded. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Musharraf resigns: Pakistanis react Talks between leaders of Pakistani ruling coalition on the restoration of judges deposed by former president Pervez Musharraf remained inconclusive for the second day today as the future of the fractious alliance hangs in the balance. Musharrafs departure from the political scene could open the way for new political turf wars, including between the two leading coalition partners, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. More... Aug-20-2008 -- US and Poland to sign missile deal in Warsaw U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski inked the accord at an official ceremony in Warsaw. Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Sarkozy visits Kabul after French soldiers killed CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) — U.S. President George W. Bush offered his condolences to the families of French soldiers killed and wounded in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan, the White House said Tuesday. The ceasefire is unlikely to last. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Zimbabwe's MDC Won't Support Any Mugabe-Appointed Cabinet "It is about power-sharing," President Mbeki said, adding that the major issues that the three principals had been discussing over the past four days had to do with the formation of a Government of National Unity such as allocation of Cabinet portfolios. The diamond-rich country is the host to the SADC headquarters and by boycotting the summit it would ratchet pressure on the regional group to deal more decisively with Harare. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Taliban claim credit for Pakistan blast Police said a suspected sectarian suicide bombing in Pakistan's volatile northwest killed 25 people and wounded more than 30 others. PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — The death toll from a suicide blast in northwest Pakistan has risen to 30 following the deaths of seven more people in hospital overnight, police said Wednesday. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Philippines: peace deal to be renegotiated Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said Wednesday that the Moro rebels' frustration with the peace talks with the government was no justification for the attacks they launched in parts of Mindanao in the past two weeks. The MILF has been waging a 30-year guerrilla campaign for a separate Islamic state in the south of the largely-Christian Philippines - a conflict that has killed over 120,000 people. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Food aid sent in to suffering Georgian area Russian soldiers also seized Georgians in Poti — the country's key oil port city — and commandeered four U.S. Humvees that had been used in U.S. -Georgian military exercises. The Kremlin has made it clear it wants the Russian ships to remain in Sevastopol even when the current lease agreement expires in 2017. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Moscow's Allies Tread Carefully One of the root causes of this invasion by Russia it is said is that Putin did not like being referred to as Lilli-Putin "There are no military installations in the city of Tskhinval, none at all. America is hypocritical?? Does that make what Russia is doing any more right. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Zambia mourns its president; funeral not yet set Rupiah Banda, the country's vice-president, told state media on Tuesday that Mwanawasa had died and that seven days of national mourning had been declared. President Mwanawasa was almost alone amongst African Heads of State willing to criticise Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who has run down a neighbouring country into economic collapse. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Obama Tells McCain Not to Question His Patriotism UNITED STATES: BARACK OBAMA has told John McCain to stop questioning his patriotism and has accused the Republican of showing poor judgment in supporting the United States invasion of Iraq instead of focusing on the war in Afghanistan. What would be the point of Obama 'wanting Iraq to fail' ??? the sound bite? that is just stupid. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Palestinian reconciliation on agenda of Hamas-Jordan talks The plan, which was presented by Israel to the United States, suggests that the future Palestinian state will be disarmed and it will have no air or ground forces or any heavy weapons, the daily reported. An Israeli Army spokesman pointed out that the rocket fell in a field near the borders with Gaza and did not cause any injuries or damages. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Georgia's Nato membership on track, says David Miliband President Bush, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel have taken the lead with only brief statements from Mr Brown and Mr Miliband. Mr Miliband was speaking in Tbilisi after talks with the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Russia warns Ukraine not to interfere at navy base "The president's decrees on the Black Sea fleet will, of course, be implemented on the territory of Ukraine," said Ukrainian Chief of Staff Serhiy Kyrychenko, according to the Unian news agency. Russia's military on Sunday said it had sunk one Georgian naval vessel, while on Tuesday Georgia said Russia had sunk three Georgian coastguard ships. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Raid on governor's office in Iraq's Diyala province sparks outrage BAGHDAD, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sunni Arab parties in Iraq Tuesday condemned overnight raids on provincial government offices in the volatile province of Diyala which killed the governor's secretary and detained some Sunni leaders. Sunni Arab parties in Iraq condemned the assault. More... Aug-20-2008 -- India's Nuclear Deal With US Faces Test NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday said that it expected the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to grant an exemption without any change to the draft circulated to its members by the U.S. The NSG is meeting in Vienna on Thursday to discuss the waiver for India. Sources said it would be ridiculous to demand comprehensive safeguards from India when 35 countries in the IAEA board of governors just approved an India-specific safeguards agreement which is completely different. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Pacific leaders open summit after Fiji boycott The Pacific Islands Forum leaders' summit was to be formally opened later Tuesday in the tiny Pacific island nation of Niue but Fiji was on the agenda of a series of bilateral meetings between 15 other forum members earlier in the day. "Fiji is a very influential country in the Pacific and by boycotting the meeting we are taking a step backwards," Qarase, a former prime minister, told the Fijilive news website. More... Aug-20-2008 -- Palestinian prisoners to be released Friday GAZA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior Hamas leader on Tuesday hinted that his movement will exchange an Israeli soldier for only the Islamic movement's prisoners. The fate of the roughly 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails is highly emotional, as many Palestinians either know someone in prison or have served time themselves. More... Tuesday Aug-19-2008 -- Pakistani coalition focuses on security, economy Musharraf resigns as Pakistan president ISLAMABAD (Agencies) -- Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf quit office on Monday to avoid impeachment charges, nearly nine years after the military leader took power in a coup. Our reporter Claire Mackey says the coalition government in Pakistan is considering who should become the next president of the troubled country. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Taliban Suicide Bombers Attack US Base in Afghanistan A French soldier of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) stands guard at the site of a bomb blast targeting convoy of Afghanistan's Education Minister Mohamad Hanif Atmar, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 16 August 2008. The attack late Monday against Camp Salerno, a U.S. military base in Khost province, came hours after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-filled vehicle outside the same base, killing 10 civilians and wounding 13. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Russia, Georgia Exchange Prisoners of War Russian troops remained in control of two key Georgian cities despite pledges of a withdrawal. Saakashvili asserted that the goal of Russia's military offensive was "the destruction of Georgia's free soul." More... Aug-19-2008 -- In Musharraf's Wake, US Faces Political Disarray WASHINGTON (AFP) — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged Monday to continue working with the Pakistan government and thanked outgoing President Pervez Musharraf for aiding the fight against Al-Qaeda. Will a new, civilian government be any more helpful? There's no doubt that Mr. Musharraf's departure after nearly nine years of supreme power complicates things. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Pakistan hospital bomb kills 23 At least 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a hospital in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, police say. Provincial police spokesman Riaz Ahmed said the dead included civilians from the crowd of Shiites and policemen who went to the hospital to provide security. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Eastern Europe gets jittery over Russia Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Talks on locating part of a planned U.S. missile-defense shield on Polish territory resumed in Warsaw today amid renewed demands from Poland for increased security guarantees in the wake of the Georgian conflict. Warsaw has been lobbying Washington to provide a THAAD or Patriot-type air defense system in exchange for a Polish green light to hosting the silos. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Mush resignation will not lead to power vacuum in Pak: Rice A stony-faced 65-year-old Musharraf announced his decision to step down in an hour-long emotional address to the nation, which was televised internationally. Musharraf'''s departure from Pakistani politics, in fact, could have an impact far beyond South Asia. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Zimbabwe inflation tops 11 mln pct as talks drag Sibotshiwe declined to give specific details of how the power-sharing agreement would work, but appeared to dismiss claims that Mugabe would retain control of the military as commander-in-chief under the deal. University of Zimbabwe political scientist and a Mugabe critic, John Makumbe, said SADC should step up pressure on Mugabe to cede executive powers to Tsvangirai because of the opposition leader's victory during the first round of the March elections. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Pakistan's Musharraf, ever the soldier, loses this battle WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered "deep gratitude" Monday for resigning Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's original decision to join the U.S. -led fight against extremists, but she was careful to signal strong support for the civilian government that pushed Musharraf aside. "The political future of President Musharraf is a matter to be decided by the Pakistani people, through normal constitutional channels. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Troops deploy in Philippine south MUSLIM separatist rebels went on a rampage in the southern Philippines yesterday, killing at least 29 people, burning homes and looting businesses in five towns before government troops repulsed them. The MILF signed a ceasefire pact with Manila in 2003, but the peace talks are now in danger of collapsing after rebel forces laid siege to Christian towns on Monday, killing 38 people. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Russia military actions a 'dangerous game': Rice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia must honor its pledge to start withdrawing its troops from Georgia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday, saying Moscow had broken earlier promises to pull out. Ms Rice says Russia is keeping to the cease-fire. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Tiny island country gearing up for summit SUVA (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand criticised Fiji's self-appointed prime minister Frank Bainimarama on Tuesday for boycotting a summit of South Pacific leaders, saying the military coup leader should turn up and "take his medicine". Cath Hart in Auckland KEVIN Rudd says the "traducement of democracy in Fiji" will be the core issue discussed by leaders at the Pacific Island Forum tonight. More... Aug-19-2008 -- US: Iranian launch of dummy satellite failed, but still worrying Sunday's launch raised concerns in Washington that the rocket technology could be diverted to military use. The satellite Safir-e Omid, meaning Ambassador of Peace, is part of Iran's developing space program, Iranian news agency IRNA reported Monday. More... Aug-19-2008 -- Sudan's Bashir meets Turkey's president Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, whose government has been blamed for the tragedy in Sudan's Darfur region, is among participants in the summit and was due to arrive in ''stanbul later on Monday after Today's Zaman went to press. 'I don't think Turkey was right in inviting Bashir,' said Oz