US sets Saddam's scientists freeEight former aides to Saddam Hussein - including two women accused of making biological weapons - have been released from US custody in Iraq.
The freed detainees no longer pose a security threat, a US spokesman said.
They include Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, nicknamed by the US "Mrs Anthrax" and Rihab Taha, also known as "Dr Germ".
Reports have been circulating of a pre-election deal to free former regime figures in order to appease Iraq's Sunni Arabs, c... (more)
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Iran blocks nuclear inspections Iranian President MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD signed a legislation that would limit UN nuclear inspections if Tehran’s case is sent to the Security Council, the semi-official Fars agency reported on Saturday.
The new legislation obliges the Iranian government to “stop voluntary and non-legally binding measures and implement its scientific, research and executive programmes” if Iran’s nuclear case is referred to the UN Security Council.
The law doesn... (more)
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Russia to Boost New Weapons Spending — MinisterRussian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Wednesday that 70 percent of next year’s state defense order would be spent on the procurement of new armaments and military hardware, the Interfax news agency reported.
“The state defense order will amount to 237 billion rubles ($8.27 billion) next year, which is nearly 54 billion rubles ($1.88 billion) more than this year. This will allow the spending of 70 percent of the funds on the procuremen... (more)
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East Asia Summit/On The Sidelines: Faulty pen brings a slight thaw FOR 15 minutes, they sat in silence, barely acknowledging each other’s presence.
But there was a slight thaw in the frosty relations between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as they signed a declaration of the East Asia Summit.
Koizumi’s pen did not work and he had to ask for a helping hand from Wen. The Chinese PM passed him a pen from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. This was enough to draw cheers and laughter f... (more)
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Britain Buys Russian Surface-to-Air Missiles to Fight Terrorism Britain has secretly bought dozens of sophisticated Russian surface-to-air missiles to fight terrorism, the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.
Defence experts have spent the past year experimenting with the shoulder-launched missile in order to protect British aircraft and service personnel. The newspaper said it knew the exact make of the missile, but has withheld the information on the government’s advice.
There are significant fears that the weapon had f... (more)
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Defense Min. official: No plan to attack Iran 'at the moment'The senior Defense Ministry official for diplomatic policy refrained Sunday from ruling out a future Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites, saying that "at the moment" the emphasis was on international diplomatic pressure, and that the details in a British newspaper report saying plans were being prepared for such an operation appeared "more imaginary than real."
Army Radio, meanwhile, quoted officials of the Prime Ministers Office and the Defense Ministry as denying the report ... (more)
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Ahmadinejad defends anti-Israel tiradeIran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stood by his latest attack on Israel and asserted the world was "on the verge of change".
The president said on Monday Western powers "know that any change in Palestine will change the world's political, economic and cultural arrangement, and therefore they support the Zionist regime's most wicked deeds".
"The world is on the verge of change, and more than before we can hear the sound of this present, unstable order breaking... (more)
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Israel plans strike on nuclear Iran: Sharon tells military to prepare for attack on key sites in MarchIsraeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered his defense forces to plan for a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear weapons facilities by the end of March – the time intelligence sources say Tehran will be able to begin producing nuclear weapons.
The directive came after Iran's President Mahmoud Amadinejad this week suggested Israel should be moved to Europe.
Iran has been ignoring warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency about its plans to con... (more)
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Hamas to end truce with IsraelThe political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it will not renew its informal ceasefire with Israel that expires at the end of year.
Khaled Meshaal told a rally in the Syrian capital Damascus his group was preparing for a new round of conflict.
The truce begun in February was based on Israel ending its attacks on Palestinians and releasing prisoners.
Hamas had already said it would pull out of the truce when Israel killed a mili... (more)
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US says N Korea 'criminal regime' A senior US diplomat has branded North Korea a "criminal regime" involved in arms sales, drug trafficking and currency forgery.
Alexander Vershbow, the new US ambassador to South Korea, was explaining why the US had imposed economic sanctions against the North.
The unusually harsh comments are likely to infuriate North Korea.
The North warned on Tuesday it could walk out of talks on its nuclear plans unless the sanctions were lifted.
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Venezuela 'landslide' for ChavezParties allied to President Hugo Chavez say they have won all 167 seats in the country's parliament, after elections boycotted by the opposition.
None of the five main opposition parties took part, accusing the electoral body of bias.
Only about 25% of registered voters cast a ballot.
A two-thirds majority in parliament will allow Mr Chavez to remove the current constitutional limit of two presidential terms in office.
But the oppositio... (more)
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Bush, Blair 'no moral ground' against IranLONDON, December 2 (IranMania) - Neither Prime Minister Tony Blair nor the US President George W Bush is in a position to take a high moral line on Iran's nuclear programme, according to former British Energy Secretary Tony Benn, IRNA said.
Benn suggests that a look back at the conveniently forgotten history of when the US and UK were supporting building of a nuclear programme in Iran under the shah in the 1970s was needed to "understand the depth of western hypocrisy."
<... (more)
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Private Security Guards in Iraq Operate With Little SupervisionBAGHDAD — Private security contractors have been involved in scores of shootings in Iraq, but none have been prosecuted despite findings in at least one fatal case that the men had not followed proper procedures, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Times.
Instead, security contractors suspected of reckless behavior are sent home, sometimes with the knowledge of U.S. officials, raising questions about accountability and stirring fierce resentment among Iraqi... (more)
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Chavez denounces poll 'sabotage'Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the opposition of trying to derail Sunday's congressional election.
Three parties pulled out of the poll on Tuesday, accusing the electoral body of favouring pro-government candidates.
Mr Chavez said the opposition was plotting with the US to destabilise the country, but it denied the allegation.
Venezuelans will vote for an expanded 167-seat congress, where supporters of the president have a majority.
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Britain Certain Iran Developing Long-Range WeaponsComment: Just like they were certain that Saddam Hussein could attack London within 45 minutes when he couldn't even attack his neighboring country. Why on earth would iran want to attack Britain and bring down the wrath of the New World Order?
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Tuesday it was an "incontrovertible" fact that Iran was developing long-range missiles.
But he stopped short of asserting that Tehran was using its fledgling nuclear programme -- currently ... (more)
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Venezuela signs Spain arms dealSpain has concluded a controversial arms deal with Venezuela to supply military equipment worth $2bn.
The signing in Caracas was attended by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Spain's Defence Minister, Jose Bono.
Under the deal, Spain will supply eight navy patrol boats and 12 military transport planes to Venezuela.
The United States had tried to block the signing for the last week, saying that Mr Chavez is a source of instability in the region.
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Canada's government is thrown out Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's government has been ousted in a no-confidence vote.
Canada's three opposition parties united against his Liberal Party, which has been mired in a corruption scandal.
Mr Martin will seek the dissolution of parliament on Tuesday, and a date for a general election - thought likely to be 16 or 23 January.
Recent polls suggest Mr Martin's Liberals will take most votes in the election - but will not win a majority.
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