Investigators find radiation on BA aircraft in poisoned spy case
By Paul King,WNS UK Bureau Chief
LONDON - Investigators looking into the events surrounding the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko found traces of radiation on two British Airways aircraft on Wednesday. Meanwhile, an Italian academic mentioned as a suspect in Litvinenko's death was reportedly given the all-clear from possible radiation contamination. British Airways said that "very low traces of a radioactive substance" had been found on two of its three aircraft which were taken out of service to "enable forensic examination to be carried out".
In a separate statement, the Home Office (interior ministry) said investigators have "started tests on two aircraft at Heathrow Airport and are making arrangements for a third plane to be tested." BA published on its website a list of the Boeing 767 flights concerned, covering incoming and outgoing flights throughout November from London Heathrow to Moscow, Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Athens, Larnaca, Stockholm and Vienna. Large quantities of the radioactive substance polonium 210 were found in the Russian defector's urine. Traces of it have also been discovered at a central London sushi bar where he met with the Italian academic Mario Scaramella and a central London hotel where the ex-secret serviceman met two Russian contacts on November 1. The substance has also been found at Litvinenko's north London home, at the office of exiled Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky - an acquaintance of Litvinenko - and a security company. Two other locations are being searched.
Britain's domestic Press Association news agency said it understood a number of Litvinenko's friends and family had also been tested, including Berezovsky, but they are said to be in "perfect health". Public health officials have so far sent eight people for precautionary tests at a special clinic. Forty-nine staff at the two hospitals where Litvinenko was treated have also had to provide urine for testing. The results are expected next week. None has been referred to the clinic and there was no risk of contamination at the hospitals, the Health Protection Agency added.
Pope calls for Christian-Muslim dialogue
By Christopher Luke,WNS Turkey Correspondent
ANKARA - Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday began his visit to Turkey with a message urging "dialogue" between Christians and Muslims as he moved to ease anger over his perceived criticism of Islam. "The best way forward is via authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims, based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another better, respecting differences and recognizing what we have in common," he said in an address at the Directorate of Religious Affairs. Introducing the pope, Turkey's chief Islamic cleric, Ali Bardakoglu, leader of the directorate, made an apparent reference to the pope's September remarks that linked violence and the Prophet Muhammed.
In his speech, Benedict quoted two previous pontiffs, including his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who referred to the "spiritual bonds" between Christianity and Islam in a 1979 speech in Ankara. He also quoted Pope Gregory VII, an 11th-century pontiff who talked about the charity that Christians and Muslims owe each other "because we believe in one God, albeit in a different manner." On his arrival at Ankara airport for a four-day visit, the pope told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "I really wanted to come to Turkey because Turkey has become a bridge ... between the religions."I want to reiterate the solidarity between the cultures," the pope said. "This is our duty." In his first official act, Benedict visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. In a guest book, he wrote that Turkey is "a meeting point of different religions and cultures and a bridge between Asia and Europe."
Later Tuesday, while addressing Turkey's diplomatic corps, the pope heralded the country's role in the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. He also touched on the importance of religious freedom, saying members of all religions should enjoy the same rights and recognition in their home countries. "Our world must come to realize that all people are linked by profound solidarity with one another, and they must be encouraged to assert their historical and cultural differences not for the sake of confrontation, but in order to foster mutual respect," he said. Benedict arrived in the Turkish capital earlier Tuesday under tight security. Police lined the highway leading to Ankara from the airport, where Turkish and Vatican flags waved in a light breeze, The Associated Press said.
Snipers climbed atop buildings and hilltops. In wooded areas along the route, soldiers in camouflage fatigues set up observation points and sniffer dogs passed along bridges. Dozens of Turks demonstrated outside the Religious Affairs Ministry, about 40 kilometers from the airport, the AP reported. More than 20,000 Turks gathered Sunday in Istanbul in protest of the papal visit, according to Reuters. The Turkish prime minister waited until the day before Benedict's arrival to announce that he would make time to greet the pope before leaving for a NATO summit in Latvia. Before leaving for the airport, Erdogan said he hoped Turks would be courteous and "show hospitality" to the pontiff.
Bush kicks off high-stakes foreign policy tour
By Sam Mackintosh,WNS Europe Bureau Chief
TALLINN - US President George W. Bush arrived in Estonia on Monday on the first stop of a European and Middle Eastern tour for crunch talks on his two biggest foreign policy headaches: Afghanistan and Iraq. After touching down late Monday evening, Bush was due for talks with Estonian officials Tuesday morning before leaving for neighbouring Latvia for the main event on his Baltic mini-tour: a summit with fellow NATO leaders. From the US point of view at least, the main topic of the NATO summit was to be Afghanistan and Bush's efforts to get NATO countries to do more to stamp out a tenacious Taliban insurgency in the south and east of the country. Currently British, Dutch and Canadian troops have been bearing the brunt of the fighting, and the US is keen to convince other alliance powers to contribute more. Efforts to bring lasting peace to the ravaged country -- where President Hamid Karzai can barely set foot out of Kabul -- are being stymied by a lack of equipment and the reluctance of countries like Germany and Spain to relax caveats, or conditions on how their troops operate. "If NATO is to be successful and to continue to complete this mission, obviously it will need enough troops and the right kind of troops to be able to do the mission. It will need troops in the right places," said Judy Ansley, Senior Director for European Affairs on Bush's national security council.
Powerful US Senator Dick Lugar, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also challenged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to prove itself. "Afghanistan has become a test case for whether we can overcome the growing discrepancy between NATO's expanding missions and its lagging capabilities," Lugar said in a speech in Riga on Monday. "Unfortunately, NATO capitals are making the military mission even more difficult by placing national caveats on the use of their forces," added the Republican lawmaker. From Riga, Air Force One heads on Wednesday to Jordan for talks on an even greater headache: Iraq. The trip was added to Bush's itinerary after one of the bloodiest weeks in the three and a half years since the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein. On Thursday close to 300 people were killed across Iraq, most of them in a series of bombings in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City neighbourhood. That provoked retribution killings against dozens of Sunnis which US forces were powerless to stop, heightening worries of an imminent all-out civil war. The US president was due to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki - defying threats by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to pull out of a fractious government coalition if such a meeting went ahead.
Just before Bush arrived here, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley acknowledged that the conflict in Iraq had reached a "new phase", but he refused to concede that it had descended into full-blown civil war. Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is hosting the Bush-Maliki meeting, has put pressure on Bush to redouble peace efforts across the Middle East, warning that the violence in Iraq is but one of three brewing civil wars. "The difficulty that we're tackling with here is ... the strong potential of three civil wars in the region, whether it's the Palestinians, that of Lebanon or of Iraq," he told ABC television on Sunday.
In Estonia, meanwhile, the concerns of the locals were more mundane. Suffocating security measures in place for Bush's stop-over here left many wishing his landmark visit was already over. "We've been told to carry our passports with us, otherwise we might not be allowed to go home," grumbled Marju, a pensioner, as she walked her dog between the concrete barriers and bollards near the hotel where Bush is staying.
Last-ditch talks with Turkey over Cyprus fail
By Kathy Sweenie,WNS Finland Correspondent
TAMPERE - Last-ditch talks in Finland between the European Union and Turkey aimed at averting an EU crisis with Ankara over the Cyprus issue have failed, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said. "An agreement could not be reached," Tuomioja, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters following talks held separately with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, and Cyprus, George Lillikas, in Tampere, in southern Finland. "There will be consequences" for Turkey's accession talks, Tuomioja said on Monday, adding: "Business as usual cannot continue."
The presidency said in a statement it would "immediately" begin discussions with the Commission on whether to suspend Turkey's EU accession negotiations. EU foreign ministers are expected to take a decision on the matter when they meet on December 11. Under a customs union agreement with the European Union, Turkey must open its ports and airports to Cyprus, whose Greek-Cypriot administration it does not recognise. Ankara refuses to do so until the 25-nation bloc keeps its promise to ease the international isolation of the island's breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised only by Ankara.
Finland, which holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, has been trying to resolve the stalemate since September with a proposal that includes Turkey opening its ports and the EU trading directly with the self-proclaimed TRNC. The Finnish side has given Turkey until December 6 to abide by its commitments or risk at least partial suspension of its EU adhesion process which began in October 2005 but has slowed in recent months. Many EU watchers say a possible sanction would be the freezing of some of the 35 accession chapters which all EU candidate nations must satisfactorily complete before being allowed into the club. Cyprus has opposed this idea, saying it would have no effect as other chapters, on sectors unrelated to customs or trade, could be opened instead.
Palestinians, Israel agree to Gaza cease-fire
By Shawn Arnold,WNS Jerusalem Correspondent
JERUSALEM - A total cease-fire in Gaza began at 6 am local time Sunday after Israelis and Palestinian factions agreed on a proposal, authorities said Sunday. All Palestinian factions have agreed to stop firing rockets into Israel under a cease-fire agreement, according to Nabil Abu Rdaina, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government has agreed to withdraw troops from Gaza and cease military operations, said Miri Eisin, government spokeswoman."We think that there's the possibility of hope here," she said. "What we hope is that the violence itself will stop, and we'll be able to see a little bit of peace and quiet in and around the Gaza Strip."The agreement covers only Gaza, she said, and not the West Bank. Just before the cease-fire took effect, militants fired three rockets into Israel, according to Israel Defense Forces. No one was injured, but a building was damaged. Abbas called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to offer the cease-fire.
In the United States, a White House spokesman called the cease-fire a "a positive step forward." "We welcome the announcement," said spokesman Alex Conant. "We hope it leads to less violence for the Israeli and Palestinian people."Rdaina said, "We hope that this will be a good start to stop all the activities and to withdraw from Gaza as well from the Israeli troops." The firing of rockets into Israel has recently prompted Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Three such airstrikes occurred Saturday and early Sunday.
In one of the recent strikes, two people were killed -- one a member of the Palestinian National Guard and the second a militant from the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigade, the military wing of Hamas, according to Palestinian security sources. In another strike, a Palestinian militant was killed and three others wounded, one critically, when a minibus was targeted east of Gaza City, Palestinian sources said. Hamas confirmed those in the bus were part of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigade. A third airstrike targeted a car near al-Azhar University in Gaza City, security sources said. The Israel Defense Forces said it conducted an aerial attack on a Hamas terror cell in the Sajaiya neighbourhood. It didn't provide casualty figures. The IDF said the cell was part of the group's weapons production division.
Radiation tests after spy death
By Paula White,WNS UK Senior Correspondent
LONDON - Tests are to be carried out on people who may have come into contact with Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko. His death has been linked to the presence of a "major dose" of radioactive polonium-210 in his body. Radioactive traces were found at a London hotel and sushi bar he visited on 1 November. UK civil contingencies committee, Cobra, has met to discuss the case, and Met Police say it is one of the most difficult inquiries they have handled. They say the case is so difficult partly because of the more than two-week gap between the day former KGB agent Litvinenko is thought to have been poisoned and police beginning their investigation on 16 November. They have been examining two meetings Mr Litvinenko had on 1 November - one at the Millennium Hotel with a former KGB agent and another man, and a rendezvous at the Itsu sushi restaurant in London's Piccadilly. Mr Litvinenko fell ill later that day.
Anyone who was in the Itsu restaurant, or who was in the Pine Bar of the Millennium Hotel on 1 November has been urged to contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647. An HPA spokeswoman said: "We expect that we are going to do [urine] tests and we expect that they are going to be negative and we have no reason to think customers are at risk." Police have been searching the sushi bar and a bedroom at the Millennium Hotel, but investigations at Itsu are now complete and the premises are being decontaminated.
Meanwhile, chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has issued advice to GPs and hospitals on the risks and clinical implications of exposure to Polonium-210. Officers are also interviewing witnesses in an attempt to find out who Mr Litvinenko met around the time he fell ill. CCTV footage is also be scrutinised. Tests are being carried out at the two London hospitals where Mr Litvinenko had been treated, University College and the Barnet General, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said. "We want to reassure the public that the risk of having been exposed to this substance remains low, the HPA said. "It can only represent a radiation hazard if it is taken into the body - by breathing it in, by taking it into the mouth, or if it gets into a wound. It is not a radiological hazard as long as it remains outside the body." A post-mortem examination on Mr Litvinenko has not yet been held. The delay is believed to be over concerns about the health implications for those present at the examination. Police searches are taking place at Mr Litvinenko's house in Muswell Hill, north London, where radioactive traces were discovered, and other places he had been.
Ex-Russian spy dies in hospital
By Sam Mackintosh,WNS Europe Bureau Chief
LONDON - Alexander Litvinenko, the ex-Russian spy who said he was the victim of a poisoning, has died in hospital. Mr Litvinenko, 43, died on Thursday evening and the cause of his condition is still being investigated, said University College Hospital, London. Scotland Yard said officers were now investigating "an unexplained death". Friends say the former KGB agent was poisoned three weeks ago because of his criticism of the Russian government. The Kremlin has denied any involvement. Alex Goldfarb, speaking on behalf of Mr Litvinenko's family outside the hospital, said: "We are all shocked and horrified at this terrible crime. Tonight is a night of mourning." He added that his friend had died with "a clear conscience, a clear heart and with dignity".
Mr Litvinenko, who defected to the UK in 2000 and was later granted asylum after claiming persecution and took citizenship, fell ill on November 1 after a series of meetings in central London. He was initially admitted to Barnet General Hospital, north London, hours later before being transferred to University College Hospital on 17 November as his condition worsened. His condition deteriorated further when he suffered a heart attack overnight on Wednesday and he died in intensive care. Hospital spokesman Jim Down said: "Every avenue was explored to establish the cause of [Mr Litvinenko's] condition and the matter is now an ongoing investigation being dealt with by detectives from New Scotland Yard. "Because of this we will not be commenting any further on this matter. Our thoughts are with Mr Litvinenko's family."
Mr Litvinenko had recently been investigating the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, another critic of the Putin government. In an interview with Friday's Times newspaper, film-maker Andrei Nekrasov said he had spoken to Mr Litvinenko, a close friend, hours before he fell unconscious for the last time. He said Mr Litvinenko told him: "I want to survive, just to show them. The bastards got me but they won't get everybody."
UN agrees to probe Lebanon murder
By Laura Puma,WNS UN Correspondent
NEW YORK - The UN Security Council has agreed to a request from Lebanon to help investigate the murder of leading anti-Syrian politician Pierre Gemayel. The council's current president said the decision was taken quickly and needed no discussion. The UN commission already looking into the murder of ex-Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in 2005 will take on the probe. Many in Lebanon accuse Syria of involvement in Mr Gemayel's death but Damascus rejects the claims. Mr Gemayel, Lebanon's industry minister, was shot in broad daylight in his car in a Christian area of Beirut on Tuesday. Crowds have gathered in Mr Gemayel's village for his funeral on Thursday.
Earlier on Wednesday US President George W Bush called Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to pledge support for Lebanon's independence from what he called the "encroachments of Iran and Syria". The Security Council's announcement came shortly after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed his concern over events in Lebanon and said he had spoken to Mr Siniora. Mr Gemayel's killing has created a political crisis in Lebanon - the death or resignation of two more cabinet ministers would bring down the government. The Security Council's quick decision followed calls from US Ambassador John Bolton for rapid action "while the crime scene evidence is still fresh". The UN inquiry already in place, led by Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, is also looking into another 15 apparently politically motivated attacks, including Mr Hariri's death.
In his telephone call to Mr Siniora, Mr Bush reiterated the "unwavering commitment of the United States to help build Lebanese democracy," an official at the White House said. Mr Bush has not specifically blamed Iran or Syria for Mr Gemayel's murder but he has called for a full investigation to identify "those people and those forces" behind the killing. Lebanon is holding three days of official mourning for Mr Gemayel. A huge crowd of mourners accompanied Mr Gemayel's coffin as it arrived in his home village of Bikfaya, east of Beirut, on Wednesday. Mr Gemayel's supporters have called for a mass turnout at his funeral, and there is a large military presence both in the village and in Beirut.
Crowds mourn Lebanon politician
By Marks Cannon,WNS Lebanon Correspondent
BEIRUT - Large crowds have greeted the coffin of assassinated Lebanese Maronite Christian politician Pierre Gemayel after its arrival in his home village. Supporters carried the coffin through the village of Bikfaya, east of Beirut, at the start of three days of mourning. There is tight security in the village and across the country ahead of the politician's funeral on Thursday. Mr Gemayel, the industry minister and a leading anti-Syrian figure, was shot in his car in a Christian area of Beirut. Many people in Lebanon blame Syria for the killing, although Damascus has denied any involvement and condemned the assassination.
Mr Gemayel, 34, was the fifth anti-Syrian Lebanese politician to be killed in the past two years. His killing on Tuesday came at a time of crisis in Lebanese politics. Last week, Lebanon's cabinet endorsed plans to set up a tribunal to try those suspected of killing former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri despite the resignations of six pro-Syrian ministers opposed to it. A UN report recently implicated Damascus in the killing of Hariri by a truck bomb in Beirut in February 2005. Syria denies the charges. The Security Council approved the plans for the tribunal on Tuesday. The Lebanese government will now be asked to approve it formally. Bells tolled and a huge crowd of mourners accompanied Mr Gemayel's coffin to the mountain village of Bikfaya. There was sombre applause from the crowd as the body passed. Women threw rice from balconies onto the coffin, which was draped in the striped flag of his Phalange party, and there were occasional bursts of guns fired into the air.
As a priest said prayers at the Gemayel family home, the minister's friends and family wept over his coffin. Mourners filed past, offering condolences to his father, former President Amin Gemayel. "It's an indescribable feeling," mourner Fadi Jalakh, 27, told Reuters news agency. "Those who killed him don't want the Lebanese to unite. Anything after this is going to make things worse." Mr Gemayel's supporters have called for a mass turnout at his funeral, and there is a large military presence both in the village and in Beirut. Independence Day celebrations that were due to take place on Wednesday have been cancelled throughout the country.
Iraq and Syria restore relations
By Jessica Floppins,WNS Middle East Bureau Chief
DUBAI - Syria and Iraq are to restore diplomatic relations, after a break of more than 20 years. Agreement on restoring all diplomatic ties was announced in Baghdad by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallim. Correspondents say Iraq hopes the move will help to stem a flow of militants across the border with Syria. Relations were severed in 1982, during Saddam Hussein's rule and soon after the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war. Syria and Iraq were governed by competing branches of the pan-Arab Baathist movement, and ties have been largely antagonistic. Mr Muallim, who has been in Baghdad since Sunday, is the highest-ranking Syrian official to visit Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
The agreement came as US forces launched a raid on Baghdad's Shia district of Sadr City. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday the US was trapped in Iraq and had to find the right time to leave without causing even greater chaos. "The US is in a way trapped in Iraq, trapped in the sense that it cannot stay and it cannot leave," he said. "The timing of its departure will have to be optimal," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh hailed the agreement with Syria as historic. "The latest talks between the Syrian and Iraqi side have been crowned by declaring a new era with the participation of the Syrian brothers in working on the security and stability with Iraq," he told the Associated Press news agency. Mr Zebari said the two sides had also agreed to cooperate on security issues. They also agreed to allow US forces to stay in the country until they were no longer needed.
White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the US had always encouraged Iraq's neighbours to assist its government. "Syria needs to now demonstrate that it is committed to constructive engagement and fostering an Iraq that can govern, sustain and defend itself," he told AFP news agency. The move comes as efforts to involve Iran and Syria in stabilising Iraq appeared to be gaining momentum. Earlier, the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, accepted an invitation to go to Iran on Saturday. There are reports that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, may also go to Iran, but there has been no confirmation from Damascus.
Protests as Bush visits Indonesia
By Hadi Abdullah,WNS Indonesia Bureau Chief
JARKATA - US President George W Bush has made a brief but controversial visit to Indonesia for talks with his opposite number, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two men met in the Javan city of Bogor and discussed security, trade and health issues. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Bogor to complain about US foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, though no violence was reported. Mr Bush said the protests were a sign that Indonesia had "a healthy society". US foreign policy provokes deep anger among some groups in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. But the country is a key regional ally for the US in the fight against terrorism, and ties between the two governments have strengthened in recent years.
Mr Bush met Mr Yudhoyono in a secluded presidential palace in Bogor, a former capital about 60km (40 miles) south of Jakarta. Nearly 20,000 troops were deployed to deter protesters, some of which carried banners calling Mr Bush a "terrorist". On Sunday, demonstrators gathered in Jakarta to stage the latest in weeks of anti-US protests. Most of the protesters simply wanted to voice their opposition to US policy in the Middle East and to the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Speakers also criticised Mr Yudhoyono for inviting Mr Bush, and for the cost of the security arrangements for the visit. The leader of one militant Muslim group, the Islamic Defenders Front, said it was permissible under Islamic law to kill Mr Bush. Habib Rizieq said Mr Bush should die because he had "committed crimes against humanity", reports said.
Mr Bush arrived in Indonesia from Vietnam, where he attended the Apec summit at the weekend. In contrast to the protests in Indonesia, the US president was greeted by cheering crowds as he visited Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, on Monday morning.
APEC vows to salvage trade talks
By Tay Jia Hao,WNS Southeast Asia Bureau Chief
HANOI - Leaders of some of the world's fastest-growing economies were expected to wrap up a Pacific Rim summit Sunday with a formal pledge to kick-start stalled global trade talks and a call for North Korea to take concrete steps to give up its nuclear weapons program.The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's 21 members, who represent more than half the world's economy, on Saturday demanded quick action to salvage the so-called Doha round of World Trade Organization talks. The negotiations, aimed at slashing trade barriers in order to boost global growth and alleviate poverty, fell apart in July in a dispute over agricultural subsidies between the United States and Europe.
"We are ready to break the current deadlock: each of us is committed to moving beyond our current positions in key areas," said the leaders, whose nations account for nearly half of all world trade. They promised to make deeper reductions in farm subsidies, widen market access for agricultural goods and cut tariffs. Despite APEC's predominantly economic focus, this year's conference has been dominated by concerns over a nuclear North Korea. The United States and its partners in dealing with North Korea have been jockeying in recent days to coordinate their stances ahead of the expected resumption of six-nation talks with the North next month. The talks involve the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.
APEC, formed in 1989 as an economic forum, has seen its agenda rapidly expand to all regional concerns -- with North Korea the dominant theme this year. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Saturday with Chinese President Hu Jintao and discussed how to keep pressure on the North. That was followed by an Abe-Bush summit, a three-way Japan-U.S.-South Korea meeting, and talks between Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bush is to meet with Hu and Putin on Sunday. The increasing emphasis on security at APEC irked some leaders."APEC should return to its original purpose as an instrument for promoting economic growth through fostering freer and fairer flow of trade," said Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Bush seeks Seoul's help at APEC
By Judy Harry,WNS Indo-China CorrespondentHANOI - President George W. Bush won South Korea's agreement on Saturday to fully implement U.N. sanctions against North Korea but failed to convince Seoul to join a U.S. plan to intercept North Korean ships suspected of carrying arms.Bush met Roh on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the first of a series of bilateral meetings as he seeks to bolster the fragile international coalition pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.He was to later meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then they were to have a three-way meeting with Roh. Bush was also meeting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as part of an effort to assure the United States will remain engaged in Asia.
After North Korea's Oct. 9 nuclear test, the U.N. Security Council banned trade of goods and transfer of funds to the North that could aid its arms programs. Washington has been pressing Seoul and other governments to take a tough stand toward Pyongyang."We agreed on the principle that North Korea should dismantle its nuclear weapons and its nuclear program. We also agreed that our two countries fully support the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718, and our two countries will implement this resolution in a faithful manner," Roh said.But Roh stopped short of complete support for the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative aimed at intercepting North Korean ships, fearing it would lead to armed clashes.
"Although the Republic of Korea is not taking part in the full scope of the PSI, we support principles and goals of the PSI and will fully cooperate in preventing WMD (weapons of mass destruction) materials in the North Korea region," Roh told reporters as Bush sat nearby. Bush, who considers the possibility that North Korea may export nuclear materials and technology as a grave threat, said he and Roh agreed on "our mutual desire to effectively enforce the will of the world."South Korea has said it would not pull the plug on two projects, a mountain resort and a factory park, run by South Korean companies in North Korea that have been criticized for providing cold cash to the North's leaders. US officials were pleased with what they heard from Roh.
APEC Summit to push trade talks
By Tay Jia Hao,
WNS Southeast Asia Bureau Chief
HANOI - Asia-Pacific leaders are to pledge to tackle a deadlock in global trade talks at a key regional summit in Vietnam. In a draft statement circulated before the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum, the leaders say they will take the lead by making concessions. World Trade Organization (WTO) talks collapsed in July after countries failed to reach agreement on subsidies. The North Korean nuclear crisis is set to dominate bilateral meetings between US President George W Bush and others. Mr Bush may also use the summit to try to gather support for a free trade zone between the organisation's 21 members. Correspondents say the proposal is seen as an insurance policy in case efforts to revive world trade talks fail.
The global WTO talks were meant to boost free trade for the benefit of developing countries. But an inability by the US and Europe to agree over how to reduce agricultural subsidies caused the talks to stall in the so-called Doha round. According to the draft statement, the 21 Apec leaders will say: "We are ready to break the current deadlock: each of us is committed to move beyond our current positions in key areas of the Doha round." This will mean opening up agriculture markets and "making deeper reductions in trade-distorting farm support by major players", it says. The leaders will pledge to "remain personally involved" in pushing negotiations forward and trying to secure a breakthrough.
Apec's trade and foreign ministers agreed to press their leaders to issue a statement on trade in the course of the two-day conference. "Only an ambitious Doha agreement with real market access can achieve the economic growth and development goals that this world has set," Mr Bush said in Singapore before heading to Hanoi.
Al-Jazeera English hits airwaves to take on Western giants
By Jessica Floppins,WNS Middle East Bureau Chief
DUBAI - Al-Jazeera's English-language news channel has hit the airwaves with a heavyweight cast of presenters and the ambition to compete with Western broadcasting giants. Al-Jazeera English, sister channel of Qatar's Arabic television Al-Jazeera, said its launch on Wednesday ushered in "a new era in international news" as it began broadcasts at 1200 GMT with a news bulletin featuring reports from Gaza, Sudan's Darfur region and Tehran. Anchors Shiulie Ghosh and Sami Zeidan stood in the ultra-sophisticated studios at Doha headquarters as the channel flashed "breaking news" about a tsunami warning in Japan.
In an apparent attempt to immediately establish its credentials as a balanced network, Al-Jazeera English showed a snippet of an interview with Hamas political supremo Khaled Meshaal and said it would later air an interview with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres. At least two Israeli journalists are among staff covering Israel. Al-Jazeera English, which has broadcasting centres in Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington as well as Doha, has said it hopes to reach a potential audience of 80 million viewers by cable and satellite, mostly in Asia, Africa and Europe. But the channel said on Tuesday it would not be available on cable in the United States for at least a year as "there is no free space for us on the US cable network", according to the channel's commercial director Lindsey Oliver.
Al-Jazeera English, which will have to compete with such household names as CNN and the BBC, has recruited big name Western journalists, including BBC veteran Sir David Frost. It will initially have 12 hours of live programming, which it plans to boost to 24 hours on January 1. Al-Jazeera English, whose launch was delayed from its original date of late 2005, has 20 bureaux other than its main broadcasting centres. It will also benefit from access to the facilities of Arabic Al-Jazeera, which became a household name through its exclusive reporting of the US-led war in Afghanistan in late 2001 as well as the airing of videotapes of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Frost told London's Guardian newspaper in remarks published Wednesday that he made sure the station had no Al-Qaeda links before signing up. The 67-year-old British broadcaster will anchor a current affairs program called "Frost Over The World", and will welcome British Prime Minister Tony Blair as one of his first guests on Friday. "We are here to build on the heritage of the achievements of the Arabic channel. We are working very closely ... but really we have ... different agendas" given that the new channel has an English-speaking audience, said managing director Nigel Parsons, a Briton.
Mass kidnapping in Baghdad sparks police chief arrests
By Shirley Blair,WNS Baghdad Correspondent
BAGHDAD - Armed men in military-style uniforms have kidnapped around 100 people from a ministry in the Iraqi capital, prompting the authorities to arrest five police commanders. Interior ministry spokesman Major General Abdel Karim Khalaf told AFP the five men "should be held responsible" for the mass kidnappings, while state television said a special committee has been set up to find the kidnap victims.
The brazen kidnapping in broad daylight at the higher education ministry's scientific research department was one of the largest such operations in violence-plagued Baghdad. "A large force arrived with many vehicles with tinted windows claiming to be police commandos and they clashed with the guards and then entered the building and snatched all the employees and some visitors," said Higher Education Minister Abed Dhiab al-Ujaili. The ministry, which is controlled by the Sunni Arab parliamentary bloc, the National Concord Front, is located in the middle-class, and comparatively safe, district of Karrada.
Three of those kidnapped were later released unharmed behind a Baghdad hospital, a medic told AFP. "A pickup truck dropped them off behind the hospital," said the witness who works at Al-Kindi hospital in central Baghdad. "They were blindfolded with tape and were very confused and had no money." Ujaili said university professors would stop teaching after what he condemned as a terrorist act aimed at bringing higher education in Iraq to its knees.
But Basil al-Khateeb, a ministry spokesman, said the decision was not implemented following assurances from the interior ministry that police would deploy around universities. "They are targeting higher education to empty it," the minister said, in a city where the killing and kidnapping of academics and professionals is common. Such operations have in the past been carried out by militias aided by elements of the security forces, highlighting a key factor of instability in the capital.
US House rejects key Vietnam trade bill in rebuff to Bush
By Lucy Huff,WNS Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives rejected on Monday a bill aimed at normalising trade relations with Vietnam despite calls by President George W. Bush's administration to pass it ahead of his visit to the former battlefield enemy state. The House voted 228 to 161 on the bill to grant "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) status to Vietnam, falling short of a required two-thirds majority, officials of the chamber said. The decision surprised many as legislators had spoken in favour of having the final hurdle in normalising US-Vietnam ties removed before Bush's visit to Vietnam to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on November 18-19. Legislation to grant Vietnam PNTR status has been held up in Congress for months.
In its absence, US businesses will not benefit from the full terms of Vietnam's liberalisation under the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Hanoi won recent approval to become the 150th WTO member. But Bush's Republican Party lawmakers have not given up, vowing to bring up the bill for another vote and attempting to have it passed with a simple majority through an amendment of the House rules. "The bill is expected to be brought up by a regular order on Wednesday of this week," said Kevin Madden, spokesman for House majority leader John Boehner of the Republican party, which lost control of the new Congress beginning January 2007. The Senate also has to pass the Vietnam bill before Bush can sign it into law.
The White House earlier on Monday urged Congress to pass the bill, following the release by Hanoi of a US activist whose case was an obstacle to full commercial ties. "We are urging the House (of Representatives) and Senate to pass the Vietnam PNTR legislation, as Vietnam reforms, transitions and reassesses its role in the region," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. He spoke hours after Vietnam freed and deported Thuong Nguyen "Cuc" Foshee, who had spent more than a year in jail before being convicted last week with two other US nationals and four Vietnamese on terrorism charges. A US senator from Florida, where Foshee lives, had threatened to hold up a bill authorising PNTR until her release. In what was seen as a reciprocal move, the United States also dropped Vietnam on Monday from its blacklist of nations that severely violate religious freedom.
Israeli PM Olmert arrives in US for talks with Bush
By Mark Chris,WNS Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in the United States Sunday for talks with President George W. Bush on Iraq, Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the wake of a landmark US congressional election that may portend foreign policy shifts. Olmert is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later Sunday and have talks with Bush at the White House on Monday. Monday's summit, which comes six months after Olmert's first meeting with Bush at the White House, has been described in Israel as "a down-to-business meeting" on Iran. With Tehran continuing to reject international calls to halt its nuclear enrichment efforts, Israel has in recent months moved the Iranian threat to the top of its agenda. But Israel could have reason for concern about the resignation of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a ferocious opponent of dialogue. His expected successor, Robert Gates, has signed onto a report calling for dialogue with Iran.
Backed by the United States, Israel has said sanctions are necessary following Tehran's failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a process which Israel, the United States and several European powers say hides a secret nuclear weapons programme - despite Iranian insistence that it is for peaceful purposes. Israel - widely considered the Middle East's sole, if undeclared, nuclear weapons power - considers Iran its chief enemy, pointing to calls from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the Jewish state to be wiped off the map. In Los Angeles on Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Tehran was merely buying time by negotiating with the international community, and warned of a regional arms race if Tehran obtained an atomic weapon. "The UN resolution said very clearly in July, stop the enrichment or face sanctions," Livni said. "And here we are in November, and still we are talking about the next resolution for 'soft sanctions'." Olmert ratcheted up his anti-Iranian rhetoric calling Ahmadinejad "a man who is ready to commit crimes against humanity." Israel, the premier said, is ready for a compromise, "but I don't believe that Iran will accept such a compromise unless they have good reason to fear the consequences...In other words, Iran must start to fear."
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, said Sunday that Tehran would deliver a "destructive" response to any Israeli military attack on its atomic sites and that it would continue trying to boost its capacity for uranium enrichment. Hosseini's comments came after a top Israeli official refused to rule out a strike on the Islamic republic to halt the progress of its atomic programme, with the United Nations still unable to agree on sanctions against Tehran. Olmert has also weighed in on US policy in Iraq in the wake of the Democrats' election triumph. Democrats, who wrested control of the US Congress from Republicans on Tuesday, have long called for a reassessment of the US strategy in Iraq, with many calling for redeployment of US forces from the country.
Prosecutors to grill Taiwan opposition leader on expenses
By Xue Ling,WNS Taipei Correspondent
TAIPEI - Taiwan's opposition leader, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, will be questioned Tuesday over the alleged misuse of "special expenses", in a new twist to the scandals plaguing President Chen Shui-bian. Ma on Sunday confirmed reports that he would be "interviewed" by a prosecutor after legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) demanded a probe into what they said was Ma's embezzlement of his monthly "special expenses", for use on public affairs. DPP legislator Wang Shih-cheng compared the charges against Ma with those targeting Chen. "Ma should be reviewed by the same standards. He should be indicted," Wang said. The DPP claimed Ma had violated the law by directly remitting half of his 340,000 (10,300 US) Taiwan-dollar monthly "special expenses" into his personal account, rather than using the sum on public affairs.
However, Ma, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), snubbed the allegations. "I will cooperate with authorities in the investigation. I believe this will help clarify the allegations. This should not be overstated," he said. The KMT said the DPP was creating the event to mislead the public while diverting attention away from the high-profile alleged scandals implicating the president and his wife. Taiwan's parliament agreed Friday last week to vote on a recall motion later this month aimed at ousting President Chen, after his wife Wu Shu-chen was indicted for allegedly embezzling 14.8 million (450,000 US) Taiwan dollars of state funds, in a case that sent political shockwaves through the nation.
Observers said the motion, the third of its kind, had no chance of passing the legislature, as the KMT and its ally the People First Party hold only 112 seats, well short of the required 147 votes, or two-thirds of the 220 legislators. The two previous votes on a recall failed to pass, in June and October, due to a lack of support. Prosecutors have also named Chen as a suspect, but he was spared immediate prosecution due to presidential immunity. The president can only be prosecuted after he resigns or leaves office. Chen's second and final mandate runs until May 2008. Chen has admitted using false receipts to claim money from a fund set aside for affairs of national importance, but insisted it was used for "secret diplomatic missions" which he could not disclose. Prosecutors, however, found that at least 1.5 million Taiwan dollars was spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for Wu. The president has blasted the embezzlement allegations as unacceptable and said he would resign only if his wife was found guilty.
Mubarak warns on Saddam execution
By Calvin Simon,WNS Egypt Correspondent
CAIRO - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has warned that hanging former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will lead to even more bloodshed in Iraq. A Baghdad court condemned Saddam Hussein to death on Sunday for the killing of 148 Shia Muslims after a 1982 assassination attempt against him. Mr Mubarak said hanging the former president would only exacerbate ethnic and sectarian divisions between Iraqis. They are the first public comments on the sentence by an Arab leader.
"Carrying out this verdict will explode violence like waterfalls in Iraq," Mr Mubarak is quoted as saying by Egyptian state-run newspapers. The verdict "will transform (Iraq) into pools of blood and lead to a deepening of the sectarian and ethnic conflicts," he said. A long-time critic of Saddam Hussein and ally of the US, Mr Mubarak and other Arab leaders are alarmed by the relentless violence in the country.
Many Arab leaders can see Iraq turning into a festering sore, radicalising youth across the region and creating more anti-American sentiment. Despite their view of Saddam Hussein as a dictator who brought disaster on his people, many have serious reservations about his trial, held under what they consider US occupation.
US Democrats hail return to power
By Joan Warrack,WNS US Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON - The Democratic party is celebrating after being confirmed as the majority party in the US Senate as well as the House of Representatives. The Senate victory was clinched when the final seat was declared in the state of Virginia, one of the tightest races in the mid-term elections. The Republican incumbent, George Allen, acknowledged his defeat at the hands of his Democratic rival, Jim Webb. The Democrats have spent more than a decade out of power on Capitol Hill. The loss of both houses of Congress is likely to make Mr Bush's last two years in office extremely difficult.
The Senate victory will also give the Democrats key posts on powerful congressional committees, as well as more control over federal spending. They will have the right to hold hearings and approve presidential appointments, including those to the Supreme Court. The victory in Virginia leaves the Democrats and Republicans with 49 seats each in the Senate. The remaining two seats are held by independent senators who say they will vote with the Democrats, giving the party a 51-49 majority.
In his acceptance speech in Virginia, Mr Webb called on President George W Bush to denounce what he described as the "unnecessarily brutal" tactics of the Republican campaign. And he said too much power rested with the president. It was time, he said, to hand it back to Congress. To massive cheers from gathered supporters, Mr Webb held up a pair of boots worn by his son, who is currently serving in Iraq. In his speech, Mr Allen said he did not want to cause "more rancour" by seeking a recount which he did not think would alter the outcome.
Mr Bush has been holding talks with Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat set to be the next speaker of the House of Representatives. The president said he expected politicians to rise above partisan differences and work together to help America achieve its goals in Iraq. He said that while he would not abandon his principles, he was open to "any ideas and suggestions". Ms Pelosi has called for a change of strategy in Iraq, describing the current policy as a "catastrophic path". Mr Bush has accepted the resignation of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, key architect of US policy in Iraq, following the poll defeat.
Rumsfeld exit signals Iraq change
By Peter Matthew,WNS US Senior Correspondent
WASHINGTON - Simply by his passing, the exit of Donald Rumsfeld will do much to change the tone of the debate over Iraq. He had so come to symbolise the failings of US policy in Iraq, had appeared so trenchant and domineering, and had become such a hate figure for the Bush administration's critics, that the arrival of Robert Gates, a very different character without Mr Rumsfeld's political baggage, inevitably offers the prospect of greater flexibility. As well as the arrival of Mr Gates, there are other key changes in US personnel on Iraq in the offing.
The Pentagon's two top generals dealing with the country - General John Abizaid, the head of US Central Command, and General George Casey, in charge in Iraq itself - are both expected to move on in the coming months. So, too, it is thought, may the current US ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad. And there is a consensus now that some kind of change is necessary - just not on what that change should be. The anticipated report of the Iraq Study Group, headed by the former US Secretary of State, James Baker, could provide the bipartisan political cover for change. (Mr Gates is a member of the group, suggesting Mr Bush is inclined to listen to its recommendations when they come.) The Pentagon's top brass may also feel freer to offer Mr Gates new options for the US military presence in Iraq than they did Mr Rumsfeld. That all may make the Bush administration more open to the idea of accelerating the phased reduction in the current US troop strength in Iraq. And that could have implications for the British military presence in the south.
The British government faces most of the same pressures - political as well as military - that President Bush and his advisers face. Their shared problem is that the viable options are all limited and risky - and both US and British influence in Iraq itself continues to dwindle. So the prospect of drastic change - particularly in the number of US and British troops deployed in the short term - is not great. And, while Mr Rumsfeld has had huge criticism heaped on his shoulders, there is also plenty of responsibility to be shared around. That does not change with his departure.
Rumsfeld exit shakes Bush administration
By Florence Kerry,WNS White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON - The resignation of the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld shows how much the Bush administration is in disarray about Iraq. The president made it quite clear at a news conference after the election that he had decided beforehand that a "fresh perspective" was needed at the Pentagon. This means that, win or lose the election, Mr Bush had decided that things were going badly enough to remove one of the architects of the war. In fact, when Mr Bush told reporters last week that Mr Rumsfeld would be staying on, he had already spoken to Mr Rumsfeld about leaving.
On Wednesday, Mr Bush told reporters he had decided ahead of the elections that "win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee". Whether Robert Gates, a former CIA director, is the kind of man to provide much of a fresh perspective remains to be seen. Until now he has always been an establishment figure. But he seems to be about to become one of the pegs on which new hopes will be hung. The departure of Donald Rumsfeld is a major moment in the history of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. His resignation is a sign and an admission that the policy in Iraq has not worked, so far.
Apart from Vice-President Dick Cheney and President Bush himself, there was nobody who more clearly symbolised the administration's determination to wage the war on terror and to get rid of Saddam Hussein. "We know they have weapons of mass destruction," he announced of the Iraqis at one stage. "We don't need any debate about it." His confidence and brusque dismissal of dissent was typical. For some, it amounted to arrogance.
Saddam 'executed by end of year'
By Nicholas Brown,WNS Iraq Bureau Chief
BAGHDAD - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has told WNS he expects Saddam Hussein to be executed by the end of 2006. In an interview with WNS correspondent in Baghdad, Mr Maliki said the decision to hang the former president would not be affected by any pressure. "We would like the whole world to respect the judicial will of Iraq," he told WNS.The former Iraqi leader was sentenced to death two days ago after being convicted of crimes against humanity. Mr Maliki told WNS that if the appeals court confirmed Saddam Hussein's sentence "it will be the government's responsibility to carry it out".
Saddam Hussein appeared in court again on Tuesday to continue his trial on a different set of charges which also carry the death penalty. The former president is being tried with six others - all different from his previous co-defendants - for his role in a military campaign against ethnic Kurds in the late 1980s. More than 180,000 people are alleged to have died in the Anfal campaign. It is not clear if the Iraqi authorities will wait until the second trial is complete before they carry out the sentence in the first case. An automatic appeal against the guilty verdict will be launched, to be decided by a panel of nine judges. If the death sentence is upheld, the execution must be carried out within 30 days.
Saddam Hussein was subdued in court on Tuesday, in contrast to his defiance on Sunday as his death sentence was read out. Speaking to the court in the afternoon session, he cited references to the Prophet Muhammad and Jesus who had asked for forgiveness for those who had opposed them. "I call on all Iraqis, Arabs and Kurds, to forgive, reconcile and shake hands," the former president told the court. His call for mutual reconciliation came after he had respectfully challenged one witness' testimony.
Tuesday's first witness told the court that he and other men from his village had surrendered to Iraqi soldiers after being promised an amnesty. Qahar Khalil Mohammed, a Kurd, then told the court how they were lined up and shot by the soldiers. He said he survived despite several wounds, but 33 other people from his village died. Saddam Hussein rebutted the testimony, saying there was nobody who could verify Mr Mohammed's account. The trial has been adjourned and will be resumed Wednesday. More trials are possible over Saddam Hussein's response to a 1991 Shia uprising and the repression of the people of Iraq's southern marshlands.
Moroccan airline bans prayer time
By Dennis Louis,WNS Africa Bureau Chief
RABAT - Morocco's state airline Royal Air Maroc has banned its staff praying at their offices and headquarters. The company says that in the past its workers have abused the privilege of praying, by taking too much time away from their desks and their customers. But the airline's workers as well as Islamist politicians say it is part of a crackdown on their religious freedom. Praying is one of the five pillars of Islam and regarded as a crucial part of a Muslim's way of life.
The state airline, partly owned by the Moroccan royal family, is a great source of pride and prestige in the country. But this latest move threatens to exacerbate divisions in Morocco. Workers say that they have been banned from praying at work and that a number of prayer rooms have been closed and that they are forbidden from going to the mosque during work hours. The company would not give an interview but issued a statement saying that while there is no official ban on praying, they had to do something to stop people taking lengthy breaks away from work.
But critics say the issue of praying, like the veil, is part of a more sinister move to rob the country of its Islamic roots. Other complaints from airline staff are that pilots and stewards were not allowed to fast during the month of Ramadan and that female staff are not allowed to wear the veil - although that has been an unwritten rule at many companies for several years. These issues are becoming a focal point for some very hard questions being asked of this moderate Arabic country - something that is causing serious friction between liberals and traditionalists.
Saddam Hussein sentenced to death
By Nicholas Brown,WNS Iraq Bureau Chief
BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein has been convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. The former Iraqi leader was convicted over the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail following an assassination attempt on him in 1982. His half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and Iraq's former chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bandar were also sentenced to death. Former Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan got life in jail and three others received 15-year prison terms. Another co-defendant, Baath party official Mohammed Azawi Ali, was acquitted.
Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants will be given the right to appeal, but that is expected to take only a few weeks and to end in failure for the defendants. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki hailed the conviction in a televised address, saying that the sentence was "not a sentence on one man, but a sentence against all the dark period of his rule". "Maybe this will help alleviate the pain of the widows and the orphans, and those who have been ordered to bury their loved ones in secrecy, and those who have been forced to suppress their feelings and suffering, and those who have paid at the hands of torturers," Mr Maliki said.
US President George W Bush welcomed the verdict as a "milestone" in the efforts of the Iraqi people "to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law". But the European Union urged Iraq not to carry out the death sentence.
Iraqi PM condemns Saddam 'crimes'
By Shirley Blair,WNS Baghdad Correspondent
BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister has said he hopes Saddam Hussein gets "what he deserves" for "crimes against the Iraqi people", ahead of Sunday's expected verdict. In a TV message urging calm, Nouri Maliki said Iraqis should mark it in a way that "does not risk their lives". Military leave has been cancelled amid heightened security, as Saddam Hussein supporters threatened more violence if he were sentenced to death. In fresh unrest, police have killed 53 insurgents near Baghdad, officials say. The interior ministry said four policemen also died and 16 insurgents were captured in fierce fighting in the southern outskirts of the city.
A spokesman said police had been acting on information that a number of people were being held hostage in the area, but he said officers had found no sign of any captives. The verdict in the first of Saddam's trials is due to come amid increased violence - 83 bodies, some showing signs of torture, were found in Baghdad alone in the past 36 hours. The former president and co-defendants are accused of ordering the deaths of 148 Shias in 1982 in the village of Dujail, following an assassination attempt on Saddam Hussein. The verdict is also expected two days before mid-term elections in the US, where Iraq has been a hot topic. Leading conservatives have been challenging President George W Bush's conduct of the war. Former Pentagon adviser Richard Perle, who was originally in favour of the invasion, has said US policy in Iraq has turned into a disaster.
On Sunday Baghdad's civilian airport will be closed and a 12-hour-long curfew imposed in the capital and three provinces - among them Salahuddin, which includes Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit. The curfews are to be enforced from 0600 (0300 GMT), with vehicles and pedestrians banned from the streets. Correspondents say a violent reaction would not be surprising in Salahuddin, north of Baghdad, nor in Anbar to the west of the capital - where no curfew has been announced.
More violence in Oaxaca protest
By Lucy McNaught,WNS Mexico Correspondent
MEXICO CITY - Riot police and protesters have clashed at a university campus in the Mexican city of Oaxaca in the latest protests against the state governor. At least eight people were injured in the clash. Police used water cannon and teargas as crowds threw petrol bombs. Last week, 4,000 riot police entered Oaxaca, removing demonstrators from the city centre after five months there. Striking teachers and leftist activists are demanding that Governor Ulises Ruiz be sacked for alleged abuse of power.
The Mexican senate recently urged Mr Ruiz to resign, but he has so far refused. Reports say federal police were initially pushed back from the state university by hundreds of protesters guarding the entrance. The protesters threw petrol bombs at riot police who had been pushing forward through barricades of burnt out vehicles, eyewitnesses told Reuters news agency. But the police were supported by helicopters and armoured vehicles. Many activists retreated to the university after they were forced out of the city centre at the weekend. Police were not allowed to enter the premises. Under Mexican law police must seek a permission by a university rector.
The protests in Oaxaca were initially run by teachers striking for better pay and conditions, but they expanded to involve other groups who accuse Mr Ruiz of electoral fraud. The protests began in May, virtually paralysing the city. The teachers initially staged the walk-out to demand higher pay and better working conditions. However, after police attacked one of their demonstrations in June, they extended their demands to include a call for the governor's resignation. The teachers were then joined in their protest by left-wing groups. Thousands of schools have been closed since the strike began, leaving 1.3 million children unable to attend classes.
Sri Lanka jets bomb rebel areas
By Gandi Douglas,WNS Sri Lanka Correspondent
COLOMBO - The Sri Lankan air force has bombed targets in Tamil Tiger-held areas in the north for a second day. International ceasefire monitors said five people, probably civilians, were killed when a bomb landed near a hospital in the town of Kilinochchi. The army says the planes were attacking two military targets. The air raids are the first since weekend peace talks broke down on the issue of the main road linking Jaffna with the rest of the country. Both sides accuse each other of restarting the fighting.
Staff from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) visited Kilinochchi - where the Tamil Tigers have their headquarters - to assess the damage. SLMM spokeswoman Helen Olafsdottir said that the hospital had not been struck, but had been damaged by shock waves from the blast. Two bombs had been dropped, she said, one of which landed on a house 600m away from the hospital, the other about 400m away. Ms Olafsdottir said the dead included two teenagers and two people in their 50s or 60s.
A statement from the rebels said those killed were five members of one family who died in their house. Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan told Reuters news agency that fragments from the blast "flew as far as a hospital 500 metres away and smashed windows". "This is state terrorism," he said. But the military said it was attacking legitimate targets.
Hezbollah confirms Israel talks
By Geraldine Chris,
WNS Israel Correspondent
JERUSALEM - Hezbollah's leader has confirmed that indirect talks with Israel on a prisoner exchange are under way, describing them as "serious". Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said a United Nations mediator had been meeting officials from both sides, but he provided no further details. Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers in July, and killing of eight others, sparked 34 days of fighting. A UN-brokered truce ended the conflict, in which more than 1,200 people died.
"They are serious negotiations... this issue is on track. We are moving ahead," Sheikh Nasrallah told Hezbollah's TV station."We have reached a stage of exchanging ideas, proposals or conditions." He refused to speculate on how long it could take to reach a deal, saying only it depended on "the nature of the negotiations". Israel has so far made no comment on the issue.
Last week, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported that the negotiations had so far been unsuccessful. Hezbollah guerrillas captured the two Israeli soldiers, reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, in a cross-border raid into Israel on 12 July. The group has offered to exchange the two Israeli soldiers for Arab prisoners in Israel, but Israel has repeatedly refused. he UN resolution that ended the fighting called for the soldiers' unconditional release. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan then appointed an envoy to follow up the issue. When Hezbollah captured Israeli soldiers in 2000, it took four years before talks succeeded and the bodies of the soldiers were swapped for some 400 Palestinian and 35 Lebanese prisoners. It's not know how the Israeli soldiers died.
By Paul King,
