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  • Japan Soldiers Begin Iraq Mission

    The first troops from a contingent of Japanese forces sent to Iraq have crossed the border from Kuwait. The group of several dozen are the first Japanese soldiers to be deployed in a combat zone since World War II. Their mission is purely humanitarian, but critics in Japan have argued that their deployment is a violation of the country's pacifist.. More

  • Renewing Ties: London and Rome Hold Talks with Libya

    Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has become the first European leader to visit Libya since Tripoli's shock decision in December to give up weapons of mass destruction. It is a sign that Libya is returning to respectability after decades as a pariah on the world stage. However thorny bilateral issues with Rome remain - notably the question.. More

  • Plane Crashes in UAE - 40 Dead

    Dozens of people have been killed after an Iranian plane crashed in the United Arab Emirates. Government sources say around 40, mainly migrant workers, were onboard the aircraft, 38 died on impact, another two died in hospital. There are reports of survivors, but so far they are unconfirmed. The plane came down near Sharjah airport in the Gulf State.. More

  • Many Killed in Iraq Blast

    Up to 50 people are feared dead and dozens wounded after a car bomb ripped through a police station south of Baghdad. A Reuters reporter counted at least 20 bodies outside a hospital in the small town of Iskandariya, 40km from the capital. A doctor at the hospital said the toll could be closer to 50. The Iskandariya hospital's director, Razaq Janabi,.. More

  • French Parliament Expected to Adopt Anti-Headscarf Bill

    France’s lower house of parliament was expected on Tuesday to adopt a controversial bill that would ban Muslim headscarves and other religious ornamentation in state schools despite opposition from minorities and some international rights groups. The National Assembly was due to hold its vote on the government-sponsored bill at 4:15 pm (1515 GMT).. More

  • Qurei Calls for Action on Barrier

    Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has called for an urgent international meeting to discuss the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank. Speaking in Ireland at the start of a European tour, he urged the "quartet" of peace sponsors - the EU, UN, US and Russia - to meet as soon as possible. Mr Qurei said the barrier threatened a key aim of.. More

  • Iraq's Sunnis Want Election Delay

    Iraq's Sunni Muslims plan to resist Shia demands for early elections, weakened by a leadership vacuum and internal disarray. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Sunni tribal leader Shaikh Abd al-Wahab al-Zawbaai rejected the election demand made by Grand Ayat Allah Ali al-Sistani – labelling it an unrealistic option. "We see the conditions now.. More

  • Two US Soldiers Killed, Six Wounded in Iraq

    Two US soldiers were killed and six wounded in an accidental explosion in northern Iraq. The blast occurred at Sinjar, 120 kilometres (74 miles) west of the main northern city of Mosul, while the troops were involved in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), a US spokesman said Monday. Meanwhile, the US army distributed a new poster offering a total.. More

  • Victorious Kerry Rounds on Bush

    Senator John Kerry has taken a commanding lead in the latest US state caucus to choose a Democratic challenger to President George W Bush. With a quarter of ballots counted in Maine, Mr Kerry had 48% of the vote, far ahead of the five other candidates. On Saturday, the senator scooped Washington and Michigan states, winning nine out of 11 contests.. More

  • Quraya: I will Meet Sharon

    Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya plans to hold his first ever meeting with his Israeli counterpart despite strong misgivings among his countrymen. The PM told journalists after talks with Egyptian President Husni Mubarak on Sunday that he was certain "there will be a meeting … before the end of February." Quraya named head of office Hasan.. More

  • Blix: Iraq Evidence 'Dramatized'

    Prime Minister Tony Blair's government "dramatized" some of its prewar evidence about the threat posed by Iraq, former chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said. On the BBC's "Breakfast with Frost" program Sunday, Blix said it was unclear what was meant by the claim in a September 2002 intelligence dossier that Iraq could deploy some weapons of.. More

  • UN Team Returns to Iraq

    Amid continuing violence, UN experts have arrived in Baghdad to investigate whether Iraq is ready for elections to choose a post-occupation government. In a statement read at UN headquarters on Saturday, the world body's secretary general, Kofi Annan, said the team had arrived in the Iraqi capital. "I am very pleased to announce that my fact-finding.. More

  • Kerry Wins Washington and Michigan

    Democratic front-runner John Kerry remains just that after rolling home to decisive wins in both Michigan and Washington last night. Kerry, a Massachusetts senator and decorated Vietnam veteran cruised to easy victories in the two biggest states to vote for who will challenge George Bush for the presidency. "We would like to say a very special thank.. More

  • Islamic Jihad Vows Revenge after Israel Kills Activist, Boy in Copter Attack

    The bodyguard of Islamic Jihad leader in the Gaza Strip, Abdullah Shami, was killed Saturday when an Israeli helicopter launched a missile into a car in Gaza City, witnesses said. At least 10 people, including a 14-year old boy, were injured in the attack, witnesses and doctors said. The boy died later of his wounds, Palestinian sources said. Witnesses.. More

  • Police Fire Warning Shots in Albania Protest

    There has been tension in Albania's capital, with thousands of opposition supporters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Fatos Nano. Security forces fired live shots into the air as a crowd apparently tried to break into government buildings in Tirana. Officials say the police only fired warning shots and no one was hurt. The protestors.. More