There are 17999 articles

  • Japan approves constitution steps

    Japan's parliament has passed a bill that sets out steps for holding a referendum on revising the country's pacifist constitution. The legislation was passed by the parliament's upper house, having cleared the lower house last month. The move marks a victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has made revising the constitution one of his top priorities,.. More

  • Al Qaeda says holding U.S. soldiers in Iraq

    Thousands of American troops searched on Sunday for three U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq after an ambush in which al Qaeda said it seized "crusader" forces, while a suicide bomber killed 50 people in the Kurdish north. A group led by al Qaeda, said in an Internet posting it was holding soldiers who survived an attack south of Baghdad in which the U.S... More

  • Pakistan city shut down by strike

    A strike in the Pakistani city of Karachi has closed shops and cleared transport from the roads after two days of violence left 41 people dead. The strike was called amid some of the worst street battles in recent years, triggered by the suspension of a top judge by President Pervez Musharraf. Authorities have now banned gatherings of more than.. More

  • Spain fears fresh wave of migrants

    Several European countries with Mediterranean coastlines are once again experiencing a wave of illegal immigration. In the last 48 hours, more than 800 people from northwest Africa have landed in Spain and Italy alone. Many of those who make the long and dangerous journey are in poor shape and in need of medical attention.One boat which landed on Spain's.. More

  • 10 die in Russian cafe blast

    Ten people were killed when a blast tore through a cafe at a market in Russia's southern Orenburg region overnight, Russian news agencies reported Monday. "A blast occurred in a cafe next to a local market in the town of Orsk," a spokesman for the emergency situations ministry, Viktor Beltsov, said. "Ten people died as a result," he said, adding that.. More

  • Turkish secularists in new rally

    At least one million Turks have rallied in the city of Izmir to protest against any government plans to undermine Turkish secularism. The major demonstration is the latest since the ruling AK Party nominated Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as its candidate for the country's presidency. Many Turks suspect Mr Gul of having an Islamic agenda, something.. More

  • Bombings leave many dead in Iraq

    At least 45 people have been killed and dozens wounded by a suicide truck bombing in the northern Iraqi town of Makhmur, police said. The bomber crashed his truck into the offices of a leading Kurdish party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, where a meeting was being held at the time. It was the second suicide attack in the mainly Kurdish area in.. More

  • Taliban commander killed in Afghan clash

    Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban's chief military commander, has been killed in southern Afghanistan according to government officials. James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent, was shown a body the authorities said was Dadullah's on Sunday morning. The body was shown to media in the governor's compound in Kandahar. A sheet was removed from the body up.. More

  • US soldiers killed in Iraqi ambush

    Five US soldiers were killed and three went missing when their unit was attacked south of Baghdad, the US military said on Saturday. The attack on a patrol of seven US soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter occured early on Saturday morning. The US military said the attack took place at 4:44am local time near Mahmudiya, about 30km south of the capital. Mahmudi.. More

  • Iran's Ahmadinejad to visit UAE

    Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to visit the United Arab Emirates, the first such visit since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. Relations have been strained by a long-running territorial dispute. Nevertheless the UAE is trying to strike a balance in its relations with Tehran and Washington Pulled in different directions by their.. More

  • Violent clashes hit Pakistan city

    Rival Pakistani political groups have exchanged gunfire in the streets of Karachi, leaving at least 15 dead and more than 50 injured. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, suspended from his job by President Pervez Musharraf, had flown in to address a rally. But the violence meant he was unable to leave the airport. Opposition groups blamed.. More

  • Top Iraqi Shia party changes name

    One of Iraq's two main Shia parties has changed its name to reflect the new political realities in the country. The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), part of the governing coalition, will now be known as the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq. Abd al-Aziz Hakim, announced the change at a press conference to confirm his re-election.. More

  • Cheney warns Iran on Gulf visit

    US Vice-President Dick Cheney has issued a warning to Iran from an aircraft carrier in the Gulf. He said Washington and its allies would keep Tehran both from restricting sea traffic and developing nuclear arms. Mr Cheney, who is touring the Middle East, was speaking from the deck of the USS Stennis as the ship sailed about 150 miles (240 km) from.. More

  • Izmir market bombing injures 15

    Fifteen people were injured, two of them seriously, after a bomb exploded in a market in the western Turkish port of Izmir, police have said. The bomb was planted in a bag and left on a bicycle in the city's Bornova district. Witnesses said no-one was riding the bicycle at the time. Officials said there was no immediate indication of who planted.. More

  • US admits Afghan civilians killed

    US-led forces have admitted civilians were killed in fighting with Taleban earlier this week in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. "There are confirmed reports of civilian casualties; however, it is unknown at this time how many," the coalition said in a statement. It said up to 20 wounded villagers had been treated by coalition forces. Local.. More