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The government says there are no restrictions on Sheikh Hasina

A former Bangladeshi prime minister and leader of one its biggest political parties has denied rumours that she is leaving the country for good.Awami League president Sheikh Hasina told reporters at Dhaka airport that she was on a family visit to the US.
Bangladesh has been in [...]

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has unveiled a national unity cabinet after months of negotiations between his Hamas movement and Fatah. The key posts of finance, interior and foreign ministers will go to men who are not members of Hamas or Fatah.
The list will be submitted to parliament on Saturday for approval.
Israeli officials have criticised [...]

Former Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan has lost his appeal against a death sentence for killing Shia Muslims in the 1980s. Ramadan was sentenced to hang after an appeal by the Iraqi High Tribunal, which previously jailed him for life.
He was tried alongside former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein over the killing of 148 Shias in [...]

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Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes

Diplomats at the UN have reached agreement in principle a package of new sanctions against Iran, following its refusal to stop enriching uranium.The draft resolution is expected to [...]

Five Palestinians were wounded in a gunbattle between members of Hamas and Fatah in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources reported on Wednesday evening.
Among the wounded were a father and his two children, who were wounded after they were caught in the crossfire.
Also, a Fatah member was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen.
Earlier Wednesday, Hamas and Fatah [...]

A court martial has cleared two UK soldiers of failing to ensure their men did not abuse Iraqi civilians in Basra, leading to the death of one of them.Maj Michael Peebles and Warrant Officer Mark Davies had denied charges of negligently performing their duties.
Four of their colleagues, including commanding officer Col Jorge Mendonca, had previously [...]

The violence continued as the delegates discussed security

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has appealed to Iraq’s neighbours to help tackle the insurgency which has left tens of thousands dead since 2003.He was addressing an international meeting in Baghdad which brought together envoys from the US, Iran and Syria for the first time in years.
The US blames [...]

Israel’s leadership has been shaken by a string of scandals

Israel has recalled its ambassador to El Salvador after he was found drunk and naked apart from bondage gear.Reports say he was able to identify himself to police only after a rubber ball had been removed from his mouth.
A foreign ministry official described Ambassador Tzuriel Refael’s [...]

Despite the Palestinian assertion that Sunday’s talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas were positive, Palestinian newspapers remain unconvinced.
Israeli commentators were more hopeful that such meetings might eventually move the peace process along.
TALAL AWKAL in PALESTINIAN AL-AYYAM
Talk about the positive results of the meeting is a kind of diplomatic propriety [...]

Faisal Meqdad and Ellen Sauerbrey discussed Iraqi refugees

Syria has called for a “serious dialogue” with the US on all matters relating to the Middle East.Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad made the call after welcoming US refugees official Ellen Sauerbrey, the most senior US visitor in two years.
The US played down Ms Sauerbrey’s visit, insisting all [...]