There are 17999 articles

  • Palestinian human shield blocks Israeli air raid

    The Israeli military abandoned a planned air strike on the home of a Palestinian fighter in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians formed a human shield around the building. Hundreds of people surrounded the home of Weil Baroud, a commander of the Popular Resistance Committees in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, after he was told by the Israeli army.. More

  • Voting begins in Mauritania

    Mauritanians have begun voting in the country's first elections since a military government was overthrown in 2005. About one million people in the poverty stricken Islamic republic are eligible to vote for 95 members of the national parliament's lower house and 219 local government councillors. The leader of Mauritania has said his country's elections.. More

  • Blair accepts 'disaster' in Iraq

    Tony Blair has publicly agreed with the opinion that the violence in Iraq since the 2003 invasion has been a disaster. The UK prime minister was responding to a question by Sir David Frost in an interview on the new al-Jazeera English-language Arabic TV channel. The Liberal Democrats said Mr Blair had finally accepted the enormity of his decision.. More

  • Palestinian dies in Israeli raid

    Israeli troops in the West Bank say they killed a Palestinian militant. An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops had spotted an armed gunman in al-Ein camp near Nablus and opened fire. Earlier, the Israeli air force also hit the homes of several senior Palestinian militants in Gaza, wounding at least one person. On Wednesday, a wave of militant.. More

  • Dutch Muslims condemn burqa ban

    Muslims in the Netherlands have criticized a government proposal to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa or veil in public places. Dutch Muslim groups say a ban would make the country's one million Muslims feel victimized and alienated. The Dutch cabinet said burqas - a full body covering that also obscures the face - disturb public order and.. More

  • Israel dismisses new peace plan

    Israel has dismissed a Middle East peace plan put forward by Spain, France and Italy. The plan calls for a ceasefire and increased international intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. An Israeli official said parts of the plan were being discussed, but it was not being taken seriously as it was not co-coordinated with the EU or Israel... More

  • Somali Islamists ban popular drug

    The Islamist group which controls much of southern Somalia has banned the popular stimulant khat, a day after protests in which one person died. Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said khat was a bad influence. Many Somali men, especially gunmen, spend hours chewing it each day. He also warned squatters to vacate public buildings they have.. More

  • Sudan 'agrees' Darfur peace force

    Sudan says it welcomes the United Nations' support for the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur but denies the UN will take command. Sudan has always rejected plans to replace the AU force with a larger, stronger UN mission. On Thursday, UN chief Kofi Annan had said a compromise had been reached for a hybrid UN-AU force, to break the deadlock.. More

  • US marine gets 18 months for Iraqi killing

    A US marine involved in the death of an Iraqi civilian has been jailed for 18 months after admitting being involved in the killing. John Jodka, a private, apologised to the family of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52, after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice during a hearing at the marines' Camp Pendleton base. Prosecutors.. More

  • Mubarak meets Palestinian leader

    Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Hosni Mubarak, his Egyptian counterpart, have discussed the proposed new Palestinian government and possible peace talks with Israel. Mubarak said that he hoped that the unity government would speak with one voice and represent the Palestinian position by leading to the activation of the peace process. The.. More

  • Kabila holds DR Congo presidency

    Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has beaten rival Jean-Pierre Bemba in the presidential election, according to provisional results. Kabila took 58 per cent of the vote, against 42 per cent for Bemba, with all votes counted. Bemba's coalition has already rejected partial results showing a win for Kabila. Democratic Republic.. More

  • Palestinian rocket kills Israeli

    One Israeli has been killed and another wounded by a rocket fired from Gaza. Medical officials said the elderly woman was killed in the Israeli town of Sderot on Wednesday morning. It is the first time since July 2005 that crude Palestinian rockets have killed an Israeli in the towns and villages that border the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad, the armed.. More

  • Iraq ministry hostages 'released'

    Most of the hostages seized from a higher education ministry building in Baghdad have been freed by security forces, state television Iraqiya has said. The hostages were freed late on Tuesday night, Iraqiya said. The forces found thehostages when they raided several houses in Baghdad, it quoted an interior ministry spokesman as sayingin the early.. More

  • Rice cool on talks with Iran and Syria

    Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has played down the idea of direct talks with Iran and Syria, saying that neither appeared interested in helping to stabilise Iraq or the Middle East. Tony Blair, the British prime minister, and James Baker, the co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan US panel, had suggested talks with the two nations.. More

  • Bush against phased Iraq pullout

    The US president has renewed his objection to any timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq after discussing the situation there with a bipartisan commission. George Bush met the Iraq Study Group on Monday and promised to work with the incoming Democratic majority towards "common objectives". But when asked about proposals by Carl Levin,.. More