Pope Benedict Proclaims First Saints of His Papacy Voice of America
Pope Benedict presided over the first canonization ceremony of his papacy, proclaiming five new saints. During the mass, which also officially closed a three-week long synod of bishops, the pope sent special greetings to Chinese bishops, who were unable to attend the gathering. Saint Peter's Square was crowded with thousands of pilgrims from the different nationalities of the five new saints. The newly proclaimed role models of the Catholic Church included a Chilean Jesuit, two Polish prelates and two Italians, a Capuchin brother and the founder of a religious order.
Pope reaffirms priestly celibacy Daily Telegraph
Pope reaffirms priestly celibacy, makes new saints Reuters.uk
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Full Version: International News and Commentary
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Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank - army Reuters AlertNet
Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man they believed was trying to plant a bomb in the West Bank on Saturday, the army said, the latest in a series of shootings in recent days.
Woman Found Hiding Grenade Under Baby ABC News
Real Disengagement Plan Now at Work Milli Gazette
Reuters - New York Times - Aljazeera.net - The Baltimore Chronicle - all 204 related »
Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man they believed was trying to plant a bomb in the West Bank on Saturday, the army said, the latest in a series of shootings in recent days.
Woman Found Hiding Grenade Under Baby ABC News
Real Disengagement Plan Now at Work Milli Gazette
Reuters - New York Times - Aljazeera.net - The Baltimore Chronicle - all 204 related »
Ad guru claims sexist remarks were blown up Independent Online
Singapore - A British advertising guru who resigned after reportedly telling an audience that women were poor executives because of motherhood said his remarks were blown out of proportion, a Singapore newspaper reported on Sunday.
Sexist adman shown the door Sydney Morning Herald (subscription)
Big flak over 'crap' remark Electric New Paper
CBS News - Economic Times - Winston-Salem Journal - ABC News - all 153 related »
Singapore - A British advertising guru who resigned after reportedly telling an audience that women were poor executives because of motherhood said his remarks were blown out of proportion, a Singapore newspaper reported on Sunday.
Sexist adman shown the door Sydney Morning Herald (subscription)
Big flak over 'crap' remark Electric New Paper
CBS News - Economic Times - Winston-Salem Journal - ABC News - all 153 related »
Arab League Holds Second Day of Talks with Iraqi Leaders Chosun Ilbo
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has held a second day of meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi leaders to help promote reconciliation efforts among Iraq's divided communities.
Arab League chief meets Kurdish leaders Aljazeera.net
Arab League chief extends Iraq visit United Press International
Bahrain News Agency - Arabic News - Daily Times - Xinhua - all 128 related »
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has held a second day of meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi leaders to help promote reconciliation efforts among Iraq's divided communities.
Arab League chief meets Kurdish leaders Aljazeera.net
Arab League chief extends Iraq visit United Press International
Bahrain News Agency - Arabic News - Daily Times - Xinhua - all 128 related »
Islamists and Mujahedeen Secure Victory in Afghan Vote :
More than a month after the elections, nearly all provisional results have finally been released for Afghanistan's Parliament and provincial assemblies, cementing a victory for Islamic conservatives and the jihad fighters involved in the wars of the past two decades.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/war.php#
More than a month after the elections, nearly all provisional results have finally been released for Afghanistan's Parliament and provincial assemblies, cementing a victory for Islamic conservatives and the jihad fighters involved in the wars of the past two decades.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/war.php#
Poland's victorious right vows quick cabinet deal Reuters
Poland's conservatives, buoyed by the presidential victory of their leader Lech Kaczynski, set a Saturday target for forging a government with their pro-business Civic Platform allies. Kaczynski, who combines traditional, Catholic values with scepticism about free-market economics, won the Sunday run-off against the Platform's Donald Tusk on a promise to root out corruption and protect the welfare state. The zloty dipped on Monday, reflecting market concern that Kaczynski's victory tips the balance in favour of a party sceptical about deep fiscal and market reforms. "The chief risk is what compromise will the two parties come to, in particular on fiscal tightening and euro entry," said Marcin Mroz, chief economist with SG Bank in Warsaw. Kaczynski's Law and Justice party, which won last month's general elections, has questioned merits of euro zone membership by the end of this decade and have made numerous costly campaign promises to farmers and heavy industry workers. Their double election victory is a sweet reward for Kaczynski and his twin brother Jaroslaw, the party's chairman, after years of never quite making it to the top in politics. They face a formidable task trying to convince Poland's growing middle class, which overwhelmingly backed Tusk as well as Poland's EU partners irked by the brothers' mild nationalism and anti-gay remarks. The zloty initially dropped by 1 percent against the euro but recovered to just a tad down from Friday levels, as investors were encouraged by signs the two parties could reach a deal. Talks between the two parties, heirs to the pro-democracy Solidarity movement that toppled communism in 1989, have run aground during the presidential campaign but resume in earnest on Monday. The conservative prime minister-designate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said he hoped to conclude the talks by Wednesday and to form the cabinet on Saturday. Civic Platform said on Monday it wanted assurances of tax cuts and that "the public-sector deficit will consistently fall over four years" as the price for joining the conservatives.
GIVING GROUND?
Law and Justice lacks majority in parliament and it promptly signalled it was ready to give ground on economic policy to woo Civic Platform into a deal. Signalling a U-turn from the party's campaign rhetoric which portrayed the Platform as dangerous free-market zealots, Law and Justice officials were at pains to prove on Monday the two parties were not that far apart on the economy. "In economic policy we want to be rational and we want as much free-market as possible," Kaczynski's chief aide Michal Kaminski said. "We favour free-market and lower taxes." Sources said Law and Justice offered a senior Civic Platform's leader Jan Rokita the post of deputy prime minister and the foreign affairs portfolio, a key post in shaping Poland's relations with its European Union partners. Rokita heads his pro-business party's negotiating team and supports deeper European integration. He said the party would not give up on their campaign pledge to lower taxes and cut red tape to spur growth and reduce Poland's 18 percent unemployment, the EU's highest. The debate between the two parties chimes with a wider EU discussion about reforming the European social model. EU leaders meet in Britain this week to seek a compromise between those pushing the bloc towards more liberal economic policies, led by Britain, and those favouring the welfare state. Most analysts say Kaczynski's victory is set to put Poland in the latter camp together with France but Law and Justice's Kaminski said his party was actually closer to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's "Third Way" vision.
Poland's victorious right faces tough cabinet talks Reuters.uk
New Polish Leader to Maintain Ties to US Guardian Unlimited
Eastern European Review - CBC News - Melbourne Herald Sun - Washington Post - all 392 related »
Poland's conservatives, buoyed by the presidential victory of their leader Lech Kaczynski, set a Saturday target for forging a government with their pro-business Civic Platform allies. Kaczynski, who combines traditional, Catholic values with scepticism about free-market economics, won the Sunday run-off against the Platform's Donald Tusk on a promise to root out corruption and protect the welfare state. The zloty dipped on Monday, reflecting market concern that Kaczynski's victory tips the balance in favour of a party sceptical about deep fiscal and market reforms. "The chief risk is what compromise will the two parties come to, in particular on fiscal tightening and euro entry," said Marcin Mroz, chief economist with SG Bank in Warsaw. Kaczynski's Law and Justice party, which won last month's general elections, has questioned merits of euro zone membership by the end of this decade and have made numerous costly campaign promises to farmers and heavy industry workers. Their double election victory is a sweet reward for Kaczynski and his twin brother Jaroslaw, the party's chairman, after years of never quite making it to the top in politics. They face a formidable task trying to convince Poland's growing middle class, which overwhelmingly backed Tusk as well as Poland's EU partners irked by the brothers' mild nationalism and anti-gay remarks. The zloty initially dropped by 1 percent against the euro but recovered to just a tad down from Friday levels, as investors were encouraged by signs the two parties could reach a deal. Talks between the two parties, heirs to the pro-democracy Solidarity movement that toppled communism in 1989, have run aground during the presidential campaign but resume in earnest on Monday. The conservative prime minister-designate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said he hoped to conclude the talks by Wednesday and to form the cabinet on Saturday. Civic Platform said on Monday it wanted assurances of tax cuts and that "the public-sector deficit will consistently fall over four years" as the price for joining the conservatives.
GIVING GROUND?
Law and Justice lacks majority in parliament and it promptly signalled it was ready to give ground on economic policy to woo Civic Platform into a deal. Signalling a U-turn from the party's campaign rhetoric which portrayed the Platform as dangerous free-market zealots, Law and Justice officials were at pains to prove on Monday the two parties were not that far apart on the economy. "In economic policy we want to be rational and we want as much free-market as possible," Kaczynski's chief aide Michal Kaminski said. "We favour free-market and lower taxes." Sources said Law and Justice offered a senior Civic Platform's leader Jan Rokita the post of deputy prime minister and the foreign affairs portfolio, a key post in shaping Poland's relations with its European Union partners. Rokita heads his pro-business party's negotiating team and supports deeper European integration. He said the party would not give up on their campaign pledge to lower taxes and cut red tape to spur growth and reduce Poland's 18 percent unemployment, the EU's highest. The debate between the two parties chimes with a wider EU discussion about reforming the European social model. EU leaders meet in Britain this week to seek a compromise between those pushing the bloc towards more liberal economic policies, led by Britain, and those favouring the welfare state. Most analysts say Kaczynski's victory is set to put Poland in the latter camp together with France but Law and Justice's Kaminski said his party was actually closer to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's "Third Way" vision.
Poland's victorious right faces tough cabinet talks Reuters.uk
New Polish Leader to Maintain Ties to US Guardian Unlimited
Eastern European Review - CBC News - Melbourne Herald Sun - Washington Post - all 392 related »
Kaczynski is elected president in Poland
Lech Kaczynski holding flowers as exit polls of the Polish presidential run-off vote were announced. His victory is likely to lead to a much tougher foreign policy, particularly toward Germany, Russia and the EU.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/poland.php
Lech Kaczynski holding flowers as exit polls of the Polish presidential run-off vote were announced. His victory is likely to lead to a much tougher foreign policy, particularly toward Germany, Russia and the EU.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/poland.php
Dead parrot highlights task of halting flu
Scientists are concerned that the parrot came from South America, a part of the world not known to harbor the deadly strain.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/FLU.php
Scientists are concerned that the parrot came from South America, a part of the world not known to harbor the deadly strain.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/FLU.php
News Analysis: Globalization drives a wedge into EU
The French government has come to view the EU as a threat to its old ways of life.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/business/union1.php
The French government has come to view the EU as a threat to its old ways of life.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/business/union1.php
News Analysis: Leak case puts spotlight back on war rationale
The spotlight is once again on Vice President Dick Cheney, who assumed a critical role in assembling and analyzing the evidence about Iraq's weapons programs.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/war.php
The spotlight is once again on Vice President Dick Cheney, who assumed a critical role in assembling and analyzing the evidence about Iraq's weapons programs.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/war.php
Afghan conservatives gain control
At least half of the 249-seat Wolesi Jirga will be made up of religious figures or former fighters, including four former Taliban commanders.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/afghan.php
At least half of the 249-seat Wolesi Jirga will be made up of religious figures or former fighters, including four former Taliban commanders.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/afghan.php
Democrat says Miers doesn't have votes now
A senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday that if a vote were held now on the embattled nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, she would not be confirmed.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/policy.php
A senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday that if a vote were held now on the embattled nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, she would not be confirmed.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/policy.php
News Analysis: Prosecution of novelist may hurt Turkish goal
Orhan Pamuk has been charged with making a statement that "explicitly insults" the Turkish state, a crime that carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/turkey.php
Orhan Pamuk has been charged with making a statement that "explicitly insults" the Turkish state, a crime that carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/turkey.php
No Letup In Concerns Over China's Military Buildup: US Experts
http://www.spacewar.com/news/china-05zzzzzzzzzzc.html
Washington (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - China is doing little to ease concerns over its rapid military buildup which is threatening American dominance in a wide range of areas, from Asian sea-lanes to outer space, US experts said Friday.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/china-05zzzzzzzzzzc.html
Washington (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - China is doing little to ease concerns over its rapid military buildup which is threatening American dominance in a wide range of areas, from Asian sea-lanes to outer space, US experts said Friday.
US Forces Israel To Freeze Venezuelan F-16 Contract: Ministry
http://www.spacewar.com/news/aerospace-05zzg.html
Jerusalem (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - Pressure from Washington forced Israel to freeze a major contract with Venezuela to upgrade its US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets, the Israeli defence ministry said Friday.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/aerospace-05zzg.html
Jerusalem (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - Pressure from Washington forced Israel to freeze a major contract with Venezuela to upgrade its US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets, the Israeli defence ministry said Friday.
US Seeking World Domination: Iran's Supreme Leader
http://www.spacewar.com/news/iran-05zzzzs.html
Tehran, Oct 21 (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - Iran's supreme leader accused the United States Friday of seeking global domination and vowed that his country would not give into demands to abandon its disputed nuclear programme.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/iran-05zzzzs.html
Tehran, Oct 21 (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - Iran's supreme leader accused the United States Friday of seeking global domination and vowed that his country would not give into demands to abandon its disputed nuclear programme.
Iran denies blocking critics' exports despite complaints
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023113959.vha43vrt.html
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023113959.vha43vrt.html
US Blacklists Eight North Korea Entities Over WMD Proliferation
http://www.spacewar.com/news/korea-05zzzzx.html
Washington (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - The United States blacklisted on Friday eight North Korean entities as proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and froze whatever assets they have under US jurisdiction.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/korea-05zzzzx.html
Washington (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - The United States blacklisted on Friday eight North Korean entities as proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and froze whatever assets they have under US jurisdiction.
US, South Korea To Examine Military Command Shift
http://www.spacewar.com/news/korea-05zzzzy.html
Seoul (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - The United States and South Korea agreed on Friday to accelerate talks on switching the command structure of Korean forces in wartime in what would be a major shift in the half-century-old alliance.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/korea-05zzzzy.html
Seoul (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - The United States and South Korea agreed on Friday to accelerate talks on switching the command structure of Korean forces in wartime in what would be a major shift in the half-century-old alliance.
Analysis: Seoul Seeks Smaller U.S. Role
http://www.spacewar.com/news/korea-05zzzzz.html
http://www.spacewar.com/news/korea-05zzzzz.html
North Korea Demands US Accord It Same Status As Israel
http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-doctrine-05zzp.html
Seoul (AFP) Oct 23, 2005 - North Korea on Sunday demanded the United States grant the communist state the same status as Israel, a US ally suspected of having nuclear arms outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-doctrine-05zzp.html
Seoul (AFP) Oct 23, 2005 - North Korea on Sunday demanded the United States grant the communist state the same status as Israel, a US ally suspected of having nuclear arms outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
US Official Holds Talks On Nuclear Deal With India
http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-civil-05zzzh.html
New Delhi (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - A senior US State Department official met Friday with India's foreign secretary for talks on a nuclear deal between the two nations that breaks precedent on decades of non-proliferation policy.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-civil-05zzzh.html
New Delhi (AFP) Oct 21, 2005 - A senior US State Department official met Friday with India's foreign secretary for talks on a nuclear deal between the two nations that breaks precedent on decades of non-proliferation policy.
US Support For India's Nuclear Programme Is A One-Off: Official
http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-civil-05zzze.html
Paris (AFP) Oct 19, 2005 - Washington's moves to cooperate with India in developing nuclear energy is a one-off situation based on India's "responsible" track record which sets it apart from other aspiring nuclear powers, a senior US official said Wednesday.
http://www.spacewar.com/news/nuclear-civil-05zzze.html
Paris (AFP) Oct 19, 2005 - Washington's moves to cooperate with India in developing nuclear energy is a one-off situation based on India's "responsible" track record which sets it apart from other aspiring nuclear powers, a senior US official said Wednesday.
India, US committed to implementing landmark nuclear deal
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051021153751.6a04lwul.html
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051021153751.6a04lwul.html
Brazil rejects gun sale ban in referendum
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023224134.i0jtjhhh.html
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (AFP) Oct 24, 2005 - Voters overwhelmingly rejected Sunday a measure to ban gun sales in Brazil, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023224134.i0jtjhhh.html
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (AFP) Oct 24, 2005 - Voters overwhelmingly rejected Sunday a measure to ban gun sales in Brazil, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.
Ukrainian defense minister optimistic about NATO membership
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023181106.joox43aw.html
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023181106.joox43aw.html
Israel firing bean bags to disperse protestors: report
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023131228.vz0aph19.html
http://www.spacewar.com/2005/051023131228.vz0aph19.html
Beijing Steps Up Bird Flu Action: UK Wants EU Wild Bird Import Ban
http://www.terradaily.com/news/epidemics-05zzd.html
http://www.terradaily.com/news/epidemics-05zzd.html
Oil Prices Turn Higher Amid Fresh Hurricane Fears
http://www.terradaily.com/news/energy-tech-05zzzzzzzm.html
http://www.terradaily.com/news/energy-tech-05zzzzzzzm.html
India Not To Allow Unchecked Flow Of People Across Kashmir Border
http://www.terradaily.com/news/india-05zzn.html
http://www.terradaily.com/news/india-05zzn.html
'Russia's trying to save the Syrians' Ynetnews
While the Americans are considering which steps to take against Syria in the U.N. Security Council session on Tuesday in which the U.N. report on the murder of Hariri will be presented, a senior diplomatic source in New York tells Ynet that "the toughest nut to crack is Russia, which is trying to save the Syrians". The Russian government is attempting to rescue the Syrians from the potentially devastating consequences of a U.N. report on the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, which has tied senior Syrian officials to the murder, a senior diplomat in New York told Ynet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, "the toughest nut to crack" Photo: AP
Ahead of the U.N. Security Council session on the report, and on which steps to take against Syria, the "toughest nut to crack" has been Russia, which is trying to save the Syrians. Their excuse is that the report is intermediate, and that the final report of the investigation committee must come out before further steps are considered, the diplomat said. Senior American government officials are weighing up which steps to take ahead of Tuesday's Security Council session, in which the German judge leading the investigation team, Detlev Mehlis, will present his report. One of the suggestions which was examined over the weekend in Washington in talks between President Bush, Secretary of State Rice, and U.N. Ambassador John Bolton was the possibility of inviting the foreign minister of the Security Council to Washington, in order to formulate a joint policy on steps to be taken against Syria.
Last minute changes
Shortly before publication, Mehlis removed the names of senior Syrian and Lebanese officials suspected of being involved in the murder of Hariri. Some of the member states of the Security Council are planning on attacking Mehlis for the step. At a press conference over the weekend, Mehlis explained that he took the decision to remove the names because it became known to him that they were leaked to the media. The United States is applying international pressure to ensure that the Council passes a decision calling on Damascus to cooperate with the international community in the investigation. According to various reports, Washington will demand that Damascus turn in senior Syrians involved in the assassination, including Mahar Assad, brother of President Basher Assad. Other suspects include Asaf Shawkat, the president's right-hand man, as well as a number of Syrian intelligence officials. If Syria doesn't respond to the request, the U.S. plans on imposing aggressive international economic sanctions on Damascus, similar to those imposed on Libya following the Lockerbie attack. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on the international community to weigh its next steps regarding Syria in light of the U.N. report, saying that the accusations were extremely serious, and urging the U.N. not to leave the report "on the table." On Monday, Assad dispatched a letter to members of the Security Council addressing the murder. The content of the letter has yet to be revealed.
SYRIA: MASS RALLY TO REBUT UN ACCUSATIONS OVER HARIRI DEATH AKI
UN holds talks on sanctions for Syria Australian
Special Broadcasting Service - CRI - Islamic Republic News Agency - Guardian Unlimited - all 1,780 related »
While the Americans are considering which steps to take against Syria in the U.N. Security Council session on Tuesday in which the U.N. report on the murder of Hariri will be presented, a senior diplomatic source in New York tells Ynet that "the toughest nut to crack is Russia, which is trying to save the Syrians". The Russian government is attempting to rescue the Syrians from the potentially devastating consequences of a U.N. report on the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, which has tied senior Syrian officials to the murder, a senior diplomat in New York told Ynet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, "the toughest nut to crack" Photo: AP
Ahead of the U.N. Security Council session on the report, and on which steps to take against Syria, the "toughest nut to crack" has been Russia, which is trying to save the Syrians. Their excuse is that the report is intermediate, and that the final report of the investigation committee must come out before further steps are considered, the diplomat said. Senior American government officials are weighing up which steps to take ahead of Tuesday's Security Council session, in which the German judge leading the investigation team, Detlev Mehlis, will present his report. One of the suggestions which was examined over the weekend in Washington in talks between President Bush, Secretary of State Rice, and U.N. Ambassador John Bolton was the possibility of inviting the foreign minister of the Security Council to Washington, in order to formulate a joint policy on steps to be taken against Syria.
Last minute changes
Shortly before publication, Mehlis removed the names of senior Syrian and Lebanese officials suspected of being involved in the murder of Hariri. Some of the member states of the Security Council are planning on attacking Mehlis for the step. At a press conference over the weekend, Mehlis explained that he took the decision to remove the names because it became known to him that they were leaked to the media. The United States is applying international pressure to ensure that the Council passes a decision calling on Damascus to cooperate with the international community in the investigation. According to various reports, Washington will demand that Damascus turn in senior Syrians involved in the assassination, including Mahar Assad, brother of President Basher Assad. Other suspects include Asaf Shawkat, the president's right-hand man, as well as a number of Syrian intelligence officials. If Syria doesn't respond to the request, the U.S. plans on imposing aggressive international economic sanctions on Damascus, similar to those imposed on Libya following the Lockerbie attack. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on the international community to weigh its next steps regarding Syria in light of the U.N. report, saying that the accusations were extremely serious, and urging the U.N. not to leave the report "on the table." On Monday, Assad dispatched a letter to members of the Security Council addressing the murder. The content of the letter has yet to be revealed.
SYRIA: MASS RALLY TO REBUT UN ACCUSATIONS OVER HARIRI DEATH AKI
UN holds talks on sanctions for Syria Australian
Special Broadcasting Service - CRI - Islamic Republic News Agency - Guardian Unlimited - all 1,780 related »
Cancun takes stock after Wilma moves on USA Today
Hurricane Wilma slammed Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend with a force even storm veterans here say they've never seen. Residents make their way through debris Sunday to check out the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma in Cancun, Mexico. Authorities Try to Control Cancun Looting Guardian Unlimited
Wilma wrecks famed resorts Calcutta Telegraph
Globe and Mail - Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription) - Mail & Guardian Online - Reuters AlertNet - all 2,888 related »
Hurricane Wilma slammed Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend with a force even storm veterans here say they've never seen. Residents make their way through debris Sunday to check out the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma in Cancun, Mexico. Authorities Try to Control Cancun Looting Guardian Unlimited
Wilma wrecks famed resorts Calcutta Telegraph
Globe and Mail - Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription) - Mail & Guardian Online - Reuters AlertNet - all 2,888 related »
Troubled season for Gaza's greenhouses
Palestinians struggle to restart a thriving settlers' business amid
poor security. By Joshua Mitnick
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p04s01-wome.html?s=hns
Palestinians struggle to restart a thriving settlers' business amid
poor security. By Joshua Mitnick
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p04s01-wome.html?s=hns
Cancun faces tall task of rebuilding
The hurricane wrecked resorts and hotels as Mexico's $11 billion
tourism industry neared its high season. By Danna Harman
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p06s01-woam.html?s=hns
The hurricane wrecked resorts and hotels as Mexico's $11 billion
tourism industry neared its high season. By Danna Harman
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p06s01-woam.html?s=hns
Three different models for a globalized world
Britain, Finland, and France are trying to meet the challenges of
globalization in their own ways. By Peter Ford
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p06s02-woeu.html?s=hns
Britain, Finland, and France are trying to meet the challenges of
globalization in their own ways. By Peter Ford
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p06s02-woeu.html?s=hns
In Aceh, recovery effort rides on roads
Some 948 miles were wrecked by the tsunami, creating recovery
bottlenecks. By Simon Montlake
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p11s01-woap.html?s=hns
Some 948 miles were wrecked by the tsunami, creating recovery
bottlenecks. By Simon Montlake
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1025/p11s01-woap.html?s=hns
Bush nominates new Fed chairman
Ben Bernanke with President Bush after being nominated on Monday as Federal Reserve chairman. Bernanke is considered to be a nonideologue who is widely respected by liberals and conservatives.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/business/fed.php
Ben Bernanke with President Bush after being nominated on Monday as Federal Reserve chairman. Bernanke is considered to be a nonideologue who is widely respected by liberals and conservatives.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/business/fed.php
Foreigners' hotels in Baghdad target of 3 blasts
The blasts caused heavy structural damage to at least one of the buildings, shattering glass throughout the neighborhood.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/Iraq.php
The blasts caused heavy structural damage to at least one of the buildings, shattering glass throughout the neighborhood.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/Iraq.php
Islamic Jihad pledges new attacks after Israelis kill 2
The group fired several rockets from northern Gaza into southern Israel, calling it an "initial response" to the killings.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/mideast.php
The group fired several rockets from northern Gaza into southern Israel, calling it an "initial response" to the killings.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/mideast.php
U.S. widens campaign on North Korean arms
The Bush administration is expanding what it calls "defensive measures" against North Korea, urging nations from China to the former Soviet states to deny overflight rights to aircraft that the U.S. says are carrying weapons technology.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/norkor.php
The Bush administration is expanding what it calls "defensive measures" against North Korea, urging nations from China to the former Soviet states to deny overflight rights to aircraft that the U.S. says are carrying weapons technology.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/norkor.php
News Analysis: Kaczynski pledges to unite Poles
For some, the election exposed a deeply divided Poland, torn geographically between east and west, torn economically between those who have gained or lost from the past 15 years of reform.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/poland.php
For some, the election exposed a deeply divided Poland, torn geographically between east and west, torn economically between those who have gained or lost from the past 15 years of reform.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/poland.php
Wilma roughs up Cuba and Florida
As it made its away across Florida, the hurricane flattened trees, tore off screens, broke water mains, littered the streets with signs and power lines, and turned debris into missiles.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/wilma.php
As it made its away across Florida, the hurricane flattened trees, tore off screens, broke water mains, littered the streets with signs and power lines, and turned debris into missiles.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/wilma.php
U.S. presses Damascus over murder of Hariri
The U.S. demanded immediate cooperation from Damascus from Damascus in the continuing inquiry and began working with other Security Council members on a resolution to raise the pressure on Syria.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/lebanon.php
The U.S. demanded immediate cooperation from Damascus from Damascus in the continuing inquiry and began working with other Security Council members on a resolution to raise the pressure on Syria.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/lebanon.php
2 nations get warning on EU membership
Romania and Bulgaria on Tuesday will receive a blunt warning that their entry into the EU could be delayed by up to a year unless they rein in corruption.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/union.php
Romania and Bulgaria on Tuesday will receive a blunt warning that their entry into the EU could be delayed by up to a year unless they rein in corruption.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/news/union.php
Yahoo in China: Rising tide of anger
Yahoo has suffered a good deal of opprobrium since it was revealed last month that the company's Hong Kong division surrendered information on a Chinese citizen.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/business/yahoo.php
Yahoo has suffered a good deal of opprobrium since it was revealed last month that the company's Hong Kong division surrendered information on a Chinese citizen.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/business/yahoo.php
Don't let oil harm global prosperity
Oil producers, consumers and policy makers share the responsibility to ensure that markets operate efficiently in allocating our most crucial natural resource.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/opinion/edrato.php
Oil producers, consumers and policy makers share the responsibility to ensure that markets operate efficiently in allocating our most crucial natural resource.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/opinion/edrato.php
Koizumi's dangerous promise
Tokyo's readiness to to stoke tensions by ignoring the concerns of its neighbors undermine its efforts to play a leading role in the region.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/opinion/edbrad.php
Tokyo's readiness to to stoke tensions by ignoring the concerns of its neighbors undermine its efforts to play a leading role in the region.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/opinion/edbrad.php
Europe needs to embrace reform
The European Union's heads of state and government need to make the right choices in response to globalization — the main challenge for Europe in the years ahead.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/opinion/edanders.php
The European Union's heads of state and government need to make the right choices in response to globalization — the main challenge for Europe in the years ahead.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/24/opinion/edanders.php
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?Stor...24-095212-4214r
Politics & Policies: Regime change contagion
By Claude Salhani
UPI International Editor
Published October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON -- There is something circulating in Washington these days that is far more contagious than avian flu: it's called regime change.
Since President George W. Bush first addressed the issue of regime change by introducing it in Iraq, courtesy of the U.S. military, the syndrome has become quite contagious. The notion of regime change has affected more than the neo-conservatives who would like to see a repeat performance of the Iraq scenario play itself out (minus, of course, the insurgency, the roadside bombs and the prolongation of the conflict) in Iran, Syria and other countries where the concept of free elections remains an abnormality.
The idea has now ingrained itself among a certain segment of Washington's expatriate community. While dining with a group of friends in a trendy and popular watering hole in Georgetown last week, regime change was the prominent item of the day.
On this particular evening, even my three dinner companions were heavy into the regime change frenzy. Two of them want to bring about regime change in Iran. He is a former official who served in the Reagan administration. She is a former spy who worked undercover in Eastern Europe back when that part of the world was behind the Iron Curtain. Neither of them is Iranian. In fact they are both very red, white and blue.
What motivates them? Their belief that threats emanating from the Islamic republic is of grave concern to the security of the United States and should merit the immediate attention of the Bush administration. They feel so strongly about the issue that they have devoted much of their free time and resources to their adopted cause.
The third dinner guest was a journalist whose target is broader that just Iran. He works for a satellite television network promoting the idea of democracy and regime change across the entire Middle East. The very name of the media he works for reflects the U.S. vision of "freedom" that all nations should enjoy.
I was there to meet a contact that I hoped could shed some light on what, specifically, was going on in another Middle East country high on the U.S. regime change menu. Particularly after the publication of a U.N. report into the assassination of a former prime minister of a neighboring country, and the Bush administration raising the pressure, accusing that country of complicity in the crime, as well as aiding and abetting insurgents making their way to Iraq.
As the evening progressed, the place began to fill up rapidly. The crowd was mostly young, ethno-chic with a touch of exotic. About a half-dozen languages and even more distinctive accents could be heard above the music -- itself mostly foreign. English was spoken with Farsi, Turkish and heavy Arabic accents. In turn, Arabic was spoken with a plethora of dialects -- from North African to the Middle East -- from Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, and other countries.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was reminiscent of scenes right out of "Casablanca," the classic movie starring Humphrey Bogart in which émigrés escaping Nazi-occupied Europe congregated nightly at Rick's Café Americain, biding their time while plotting regime change in their native lands, then under German occupation.
I mentioned the couple "working" on Iran. But there were others. There was the handsome young Libyan who is just as hopeful to bring about a change of regime in his native land. Unlike a number of American politicians who visited Libya in recent months, he is not buying into Moammar Gadhafi's sudden change of heart and mind for one minute. He knows better, having lived under the Libyan strongman's dictatorial whims, before escaping to a better life for himself in the United States, or "in America," as the émigrés in "Casablanca" would say. But the fact that he found his way to America does not mean he forgot about Libya. Quite the contrary, he too, devotes much time and energy in bringing Gadhafi's shortcomings -- and his impediment to democracy -- to the attention of the U.S. government and the U.S. media.
Then there was the slightly older gentleman from Egypt, with white hair and the looks of a sage. He also finds the notion of regime change very appealing. Much like the others, he too, would like to see a different regime come about in Cairo. This gentleman knows well the inner workings of the Egyptian government having at one time, many years ago now, been involved in government when Anwar Sadat was president. Now, after 24 years of Hosni Mubarak's unabated presidency, and with no end in sight, he is more than glad to discuss regime change in Egypt.
Yes, regime change is definitely on the menu this time of year in Washington, but with one important caveat. The changes in their countries should not come about as a result of U.S. military intervention, but as a result of political pressure and comprehensive diplomacy.
Politics & Policies: Regime change contagion
By Claude Salhani
UPI International Editor
Published October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON -- There is something circulating in Washington these days that is far more contagious than avian flu: it's called regime change.
Since President George W. Bush first addressed the issue of regime change by introducing it in Iraq, courtesy of the U.S. military, the syndrome has become quite contagious. The notion of regime change has affected more than the neo-conservatives who would like to see a repeat performance of the Iraq scenario play itself out (minus, of course, the insurgency, the roadside bombs and the prolongation of the conflict) in Iran, Syria and other countries where the concept of free elections remains an abnormality.
The idea has now ingrained itself among a certain segment of Washington's expatriate community. While dining with a group of friends in a trendy and popular watering hole in Georgetown last week, regime change was the prominent item of the day.
On this particular evening, even my three dinner companions were heavy into the regime change frenzy. Two of them want to bring about regime change in Iran. He is a former official who served in the Reagan administration. She is a former spy who worked undercover in Eastern Europe back when that part of the world was behind the Iron Curtain. Neither of them is Iranian. In fact they are both very red, white and blue.
What motivates them? Their belief that threats emanating from the Islamic republic is of grave concern to the security of the United States and should merit the immediate attention of the Bush administration. They feel so strongly about the issue that they have devoted much of their free time and resources to their adopted cause.
The third dinner guest was a journalist whose target is broader that just Iran. He works for a satellite television network promoting the idea of democracy and regime change across the entire Middle East. The very name of the media he works for reflects the U.S. vision of "freedom" that all nations should enjoy.
I was there to meet a contact that I hoped could shed some light on what, specifically, was going on in another Middle East country high on the U.S. regime change menu. Particularly after the publication of a U.N. report into the assassination of a former prime minister of a neighboring country, and the Bush administration raising the pressure, accusing that country of complicity in the crime, as well as aiding and abetting insurgents making their way to Iraq.
As the evening progressed, the place began to fill up rapidly. The crowd was mostly young, ethno-chic with a touch of exotic. About a half-dozen languages and even more distinctive accents could be heard above the music -- itself mostly foreign. English was spoken with Farsi, Turkish and heavy Arabic accents. In turn, Arabic was spoken with a plethora of dialects -- from North African to the Middle East -- from Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, and other countries.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was reminiscent of scenes right out of "Casablanca," the classic movie starring Humphrey Bogart in which émigrés escaping Nazi-occupied Europe congregated nightly at Rick's Café Americain, biding their time while plotting regime change in their native lands, then under German occupation.
I mentioned the couple "working" on Iran. But there were others. There was the handsome young Libyan who is just as hopeful to bring about a change of regime in his native land. Unlike a number of American politicians who visited Libya in recent months, he is not buying into Moammar Gadhafi's sudden change of heart and mind for one minute. He knows better, having lived under the Libyan strongman's dictatorial whims, before escaping to a better life for himself in the United States, or "in America," as the émigrés in "Casablanca" would say. But the fact that he found his way to America does not mean he forgot about Libya. Quite the contrary, he too, devotes much time and energy in bringing Gadhafi's shortcomings -- and his impediment to democracy -- to the attention of the U.S. government and the U.S. media.
Then there was the slightly older gentleman from Egypt, with white hair and the looks of a sage. He also finds the notion of regime change very appealing. Much like the others, he too, would like to see a different regime come about in Cairo. This gentleman knows well the inner workings of the Egyptian government having at one time, many years ago now, been involved in government when Anwar Sadat was president. Now, after 24 years of Hosni Mubarak's unabated presidency, and with no end in sight, he is more than glad to discuss regime change in Egypt.
Yes, regime change is definitely on the menu this time of year in Washington, but with one important caveat. The changes in their countries should not come about as a result of U.S. military intervention, but as a result of political pressure and comprehensive diplomacy.
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?Stor...24-020339-3644r
Shockwaves in Syria
By Claude Salhani
UPI International Editor
Published October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The repercussions of the U.N. report on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are causing shockwaves in Beirut and Damascus -- but mainly Damascus.
"Assad is trapped," said a high-ranking Western diplomat in Washington, commenting on the 56-page report drafted by Detlev Mehlis, the U.N.'s German prosecutor investigating the assassination of Hariri.
The Western diplomat was referring to the political corner into which Syria's President Bashar Assad seemed to have painted himself in over the killing of the former Lebanese politician. The Syrian president, foreign diplomats believe, does not have much of a choice regarding the next step in the investigation. Mehlis requested greater cooperation from Syria, which he accused of holding back.
"When the commission attempted to get the cooperation of the Syrian government in pursuing these lines of the investigation, the commission was met with cooperation in form, not substance," states the Mehlis report.
"The commission has concluded that the government of Syria's lack of substantive cooperation with the commission has impeded the investigation and made it difficult to follow leads established by the evidence collected from a variety of sources. If the investigation is to be completed, it is essential that the government of Syria fully cooperate with the investigating authorities, including by allowing for interviews to be held outside Syria and for interviewees not to be accompanied by Syrian officials," added the Mehlis report.
Either Assad cooperates with the inquiry or he refuses. If he refuses, said the Western diplomat, it means Syria is behind the plot.
But some Western sources believe Assad is not entirely in control of the situation in Damascus and his hands may be tied.
"Bashar controls less than his father did," said a Western diplomat who asked not to be identified by name.
The same source said one gets the feeling that "no one is in charge."
The very fact Hariri was assassinated is proof of the regime's weakness. What was accomplished by the killing of Hariri was exactly the opposite of what was wished for by Damascus - greater control over Lebanon.
At this point, both the European Union and the United States hope to avoid reaching the point where sanctions have to be imposed upon Syria to get it to cooperate. There is still hope among Western powers they can maintain unity in the Security Council when it comes to putting pressure on Damascus, and count on all votes, including Algeria, Russia and China. They also hope to garner support of Arab states, such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
As to exactly what is going on in Damascus, "nobody knows" Western diplomats say. The great fear among not only European diplomats, but also the Turks and the Israelis is if Bashar were to be pushed out of power, no one knows who would be his likely replacement. Bashar, said a Turkish journalist, is a known entity. "At least we know what we are dealing with."
Europeans, Turks and Israelis - believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is the only political group in Syria currently organized enough to be in a position to replace the Baath.
Syria responded to the accusations through its ambassador in Washington.
"Syria is astounded, dismayed and disappointed," by the U.N. report, said Imad Mustapha.
"I am flabbergasted by the illogical findings reached by Detlev Mehlis," Mustapha told a press conference Friday, shortly after the report was published.
After nearly six months, Mehlis and his team of 100 investigators handed a 54-page report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Thursday, in which they place much of the blame for the killing of the former Lebanese prime minister on Syrian intelligence officers, and their Lebanese allies.
The Syrian ambassador claimed much of the report was based on testaments taken from "shady characters. From people who hate Syria."
Mustapha accused the report of "flagrant bias against Syria."
Going forward Western sources believe an international tribunal should be formed to judge those accused in Hariri's assassination. Seeing that it remains highly unlikely that high-ranking Syrian officials will reply to a summons from a Lebanese court, one diplomat suggested forming a tribunal similar to the one set up for Lockerbie, when Libyan suspects blew up an American airliner over the Scottish town. When Libya refused to hand over its nationals to a Scottish court, a compromise was reached with the Scottish judges holding court in The Hague. A similar scenario could be put into place to judge the Hariri case.
Shockwaves in Syria
By Claude Salhani
UPI International Editor
Published October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The repercussions of the U.N. report on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are causing shockwaves in Beirut and Damascus -- but mainly Damascus.
"Assad is trapped," said a high-ranking Western diplomat in Washington, commenting on the 56-page report drafted by Detlev Mehlis, the U.N.'s German prosecutor investigating the assassination of Hariri.
The Western diplomat was referring to the political corner into which Syria's President Bashar Assad seemed to have painted himself in over the killing of the former Lebanese politician. The Syrian president, foreign diplomats believe, does not have much of a choice regarding the next step in the investigation. Mehlis requested greater cooperation from Syria, which he accused of holding back.
"When the commission attempted to get the cooperation of the Syrian government in pursuing these lines of the investigation, the commission was met with cooperation in form, not substance," states the Mehlis report.
"The commission has concluded that the government of Syria's lack of substantive cooperation with the commission has impeded the investigation and made it difficult to follow leads established by the evidence collected from a variety of sources. If the investigation is to be completed, it is essential that the government of Syria fully cooperate with the investigating authorities, including by allowing for interviews to be held outside Syria and for interviewees not to be accompanied by Syrian officials," added the Mehlis report.
Either Assad cooperates with the inquiry or he refuses. If he refuses, said the Western diplomat, it means Syria is behind the plot.
But some Western sources believe Assad is not entirely in control of the situation in Damascus and his hands may be tied.
"Bashar controls less than his father did," said a Western diplomat who asked not to be identified by name.
The same source said one gets the feeling that "no one is in charge."
The very fact Hariri was assassinated is proof of the regime's weakness. What was accomplished by the killing of Hariri was exactly the opposite of what was wished for by Damascus - greater control over Lebanon.
At this point, both the European Union and the United States hope to avoid reaching the point where sanctions have to be imposed upon Syria to get it to cooperate. There is still hope among Western powers they can maintain unity in the Security Council when it comes to putting pressure on Damascus, and count on all votes, including Algeria, Russia and China. They also hope to garner support of Arab states, such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
As to exactly what is going on in Damascus, "nobody knows" Western diplomats say. The great fear among not only European diplomats, but also the Turks and the Israelis is if Bashar were to be pushed out of power, no one knows who would be his likely replacement. Bashar, said a Turkish journalist, is a known entity. "At least we know what we are dealing with."
Europeans, Turks and Israelis - believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is the only political group in Syria currently organized enough to be in a position to replace the Baath.
Syria responded to the accusations through its ambassador in Washington.
"Syria is astounded, dismayed and disappointed," by the U.N. report, said Imad Mustapha.
"I am flabbergasted by the illogical findings reached by Detlev Mehlis," Mustapha told a press conference Friday, shortly after the report was published.
After nearly six months, Mehlis and his team of 100 investigators handed a 54-page report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Thursday, in which they place much of the blame for the killing of the former Lebanese prime minister on Syrian intelligence officers, and their Lebanese allies.
The Syrian ambassador claimed much of the report was based on testaments taken from "shady characters. From people who hate Syria."
Mustapha accused the report of "flagrant bias against Syria."
Going forward Western sources believe an international tribunal should be formed to judge those accused in Hariri's assassination. Seeing that it remains highly unlikely that high-ranking Syrian officials will reply to a summons from a Lebanese court, one diplomat suggested forming a tribunal similar to the one set up for Lockerbie, when Libyan suspects blew up an American airliner over the Scottish town. When Libya refused to hand over its nationals to a Scottish court, a compromise was reached with the Scottish judges holding court in The Hague. A similar scenario could be put into place to judge the Hariri case.
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