Middle Orient

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AP) — Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he would challenge Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for leadership of the ruling Likud Party and replace him as premier, setting off a bitter fight that could shake up Israeli politics and paralyse Mideast peacemaking. Appealing to his hawkish supporters, Netanyahu lashed …

EL GENEINA — The killings and burning of homes has diminished since terrified villagers in West Darfur state fled to camps for the displaced and African Union soldiers arrived to protect them. But a campaign of intimidation blamed on semi-nomadic “Arabs” known as the Janjaweed continues, and has cut so …

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Iraq’s new draft constitution falls dangerously short of initial US goals and will likely fuel an increase in violence in the war-battered country, American analysts said. “It’s not a good path we are on right now,” said Flynt Leverett, of the Brookings Institution think tank here. “You …

VIENNA — Iran is almost certain not to heed a UN call for it to stop nuclear fuel work by next Saturday, setting the stage for a showdown on what the United States says is a secret Iranian drive to make atom bombs. “New York is the key now,” a …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — A lethal arrest raid, a suicide bombing, fresh land expropriations, a threatening Hamas video: So far, that’s the follow-up to Israel’s historic Gaza pullout. Rather than seize the moment to jump-start negotiations, Israelis and Palestinians appear to be falling into a familiar pattern of violence and rhetoric. …

CAIRO — Five years ago, sociologist and activist Saadeddin Ibrahim broke a taboo by publicly criticising Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Hours later, he was in jail. “Everybody said that was the red line I crossed,” said Ibrahim, who wrote in a magazine article that leaders of Arab republics, including Egypt, …

US says `known terrorist’ killed as 45 die in fighting BAGHDAD (AP) — In a dramatic turn, the US ambassador opened the door Tuesday to further changes in Iraq’s draft constitution and signalled the Bush administration had not given up on a campaign to push through a charter that will …

GAZA CITY (AFP) — A senior Egyptian envoy told the Palestinian parliament Tuesday that Cairo would work “hand in hand” with the Palestinians for an end to Israel’s occupation of all territory seized in 1967. “I have the pleasure of being with you to convey the congratulations of President (Hosni) …

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, yesterday met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss ways of shoring up the ceasefire and border controls between Gaza and Egypt. The visit came at the same time as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana met Israeli officials to discuss how …

BEIRUT — After months of bombings, assassinations and political upheaval, many Lebanese fear the worst is yet to come as the United Nations wraps up its investigation into the killing of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Some prominent politicians and journalists have reportedly fled the country. Others stay cooped up …