"Rebels unleashed a massive and co-ordinated assault on a pair of military bases and the governor's office in the southern city of Karbala yesterday, killing six Iraqi police officers, six soldiers in the US-led occupation force and one civilian. Four of the dead soldiers were from Bulgaria and two from Thailand," reported the AP news agency.
"Top UN nuclear investigator Mohamed ElBaradei was set to travel to Libya yesterday to start checks in the North African state, which has admitted to having a secret programme to develop an atomic bomb. ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), would begin talks with senior Libyan officials," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in an interview published yesterday that he had had precise information before Christmas about a threat of a Christmas Day attack here and at the Vatican," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Iran will accept aid from all foreign countries except Israel following the devastating earthquake in the southeast of the country, interior ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani said yesterday quoted by the official news agency Irna," reported the AFP news service.
"Israelis hotly debated yesterday just who crossed a red line: a young Israeli who joined Palestinians and foreign sympathisers in a protest against a West Bank barrier, or soldiers who shot him. Gil Naamati, a 21-year-old kibbutz member who recently completed his compulsory military service, was hit in his knee and hip with live ammunition on Friday as he tried to cut through the razor-wire topped fence. An American woman was also wounded. Today they shot my son, tomorrow they'll shoot yours,” Naamati's father, Uri, told Israel Radio," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Six people were killed when a suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body after being arrested by intelligence officers near Kabul international airport yesterday," reported the AFP news service.
"UN nuclear inspectors were set to visit sites related to Libya's atomic weapons programme yesterday as the agency geared up for full-scale inspections in the North African state," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Although the United States and Britain had suggested Tripoli was close to developing a weapon, ElBaradei told Reuters in an interview en route to Libya that he did not think the North African state had been close to building a bomb. He said it was unclear who provided Libya with its nuclear technology. Similar to Iran, Libya says it got its enrichment centrifuges from middlemen on the black market," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Thailand's prime minister vowed yesterday that he would keep his nation's troops in Iraq despite calls from the opposition for a withdrawal following the death of two Thai soldiers – the first fatalities among its non-combatant force in Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"The U.S. military was returning its first piece of land Tuesday to South Korean government as part of a plan to consolidate bases and support facilities in the host country," reported the AP news agency.
"US aid for earthquake victims in south-eastern Iran does not signal a policy shift towards the country that President George W. Bush included in his axis of evil," reported the AFP news service.
"The Israeli army withdrew yesterday morning from this West Bank city and the adjoining Balata refugee camp at the end of a major operation to round up wanted militants," reported the AFP news service.
"An Israeli human rights group petitioned the country's Supreme Court to permit Palestinians to move freely through gates in a security barrier completed between Israel and the West Bank. The petition of the Jerusalem-based Association for Civil Rights in Israel, filed on Sunday, followed an incident in which soldiers shot and wounded an Israeli demonstrator protesting against the barrier on Friday, setting off an outcry and two army investigations," reported the AP news agency.
"Britain upgraded its advice for travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to say that terror attacks it has warned of in the oil-rich Gulf state could be in the final stages of preparation. In advice about foreign travel published on its Website, Britain's Foreign Office has warned British nationals for several months against all but essential travel to the kingdom, especially after attacks in Riyadh in May and November," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Britain may put armed sky marshals on some trans-Atlantic passenger flights as part of tighter security imposed in response to the heightened terrorism alert in the United States," reported the AP news agency.
"Remnants of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban claimed responsibility yesterday for a suicide attack here that killed five security officials and two bombers, and vowed to launch a fresh wave of violence aimed at cities. Sunday's attack was the worst in this capital since four German peacekeepers were killed and 31 injured by a suicide car bomb in June, and coincided with the final stages of a key debate to finalise the country's post-Taliban constitution," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Five suspects were being held in connection with deadly attacks in Karbala, a spokesman for the coalition's multinational forces in the southern Iraqi city said yesterday," reported the AFP news service.
"One week after raising its terror alert level, the US government on Monday ordered foreign airlines to place armed marshals on selected flights to and from the United States to thwart attacks. The Department of Homeland Security, which on Dec 21 raised its terror alert to the second highest level, said it remained concerned about al-Qaeda's desire to conduct attacks against commercial airlines within the United States," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge yesterday hailed the response of other nations so far in the US quest to get air marshals deployed, if necessary, to protect commercial airplanes against terrorist attack. Ridge made the rounds of morning news shows a day after the Department of Homeland Security issued a new directive, giving the government the option of denying access to US airspace to airlines which do not co-operate," reported the news Agencies.
"While some airline groups object to a new US demand that foreign carriers place armed marshals on certain flights to and from the United States, undercover police from Canada have been blending in with air travellers for more than two years," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Britain said yesterday it had closed its embassy in the Peruvian capital of Lima yesterday for unspecified security reasons and will keep it closed today," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The United States embassy in New Zealand was evacuated after a threat was made against it yesterday but staff later returned safely," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The United States is open to restoring a dialogue with Iran after encouraging moves by the Islamic republic in recent months, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview published yesterday. This month, in a European-brokered deal, Iran agreed to snap UN inspections of its nuclear facilities, which the United States says are a front for building an atom bomb. Teheran also welcomed international humanitarian aid for victims of last Friday's devastating earthquake," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A bomb blast in a crowded shopping district in Baghdad killed one Iraqi civilian and wounded several others yesterday. The explosion occurred as US forces arrested nine suspected guerillas blamed for attacks on occupying troops," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Israel, under international pressure over a giant separation barrier being built in the West Bank, plans minor changes to the route it says will make life easier for Palestinians," reported the Reuters news agency.
"UN nuclear weapons chief Mohamed ElBaradei met Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Monday and praised Tripoli for co-operating with teams conducting the first-ever inspections of its atomic weapons programme," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Philippines yesterday paraded two Americans it suspects of having links to Muslim militants but one of them noisily objected to the accusation. James Stubbs, 56, a Muslim convert, and Michael Ray Stubbs, 55, were arrested in a town south of here on Dec 13 and would soon be deported," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Sharpshooters, warplanes and thousands of police helped usher in 2004 in an unprecedented operation to thwart any terror attack on celebrations from here to Las Vegas. Ten days after the United States raised its terror alert to the second highest level of orange, saying al-Qaeda could be planning an attack bigger than Sept 11, 2001, a crowd of about 750,000 turned out to watch the traditional ball drop at midnight in midtown Manhattan," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Champagne corks popped, whistles shrilled and revellers hugged one another as London welcomed 2004 with a spectacular fireworks display by the River Thames. The London Eye, the landmark Ferris wheel by the famous river, was the focal point of the capital's celebrations – providing the launch pad for a three-minute long show of thunderous pyrotechnics," reported the AFP news service.
"A car bomb that destroyed a Baghdad restaurant crowded with New Year's Eve revellers killed eight people, said US officers at the scene yesterday, where men cleared rubble, a crane lifted burned out cars and injured men with bandages on their head stood in shards of exploded glass. Two hospitals reported treating 35 people wounded in the blast. They included two Americans and a Briton," reported the AP news agency.
"US soldiers and Iraqi police were on high alert yesterday for more attacks to mark the start of this year after a car bomb ripped through a restaurant in Baghdad, killing five New Year revellers," reported the Reuters news agency.
"US security officials detained a British Airways Boeing 747 on arrival at an airport here on Wednesday night and spent several hours questioning passengers. Homeland Security Department spokesman Rachael Sunbarger said the flight had been detained on the tarmac for screening," reported the Reuters news agency.
"British intelligence warned that America might invade Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to protect western oil supplies during the Yom Kippur War. Documents from 1973,which were previously top secret, have now been released by Britain’s National Archives. The documents, delivered to Edward Heath’s desk, make embarrassing reading, given continuing US-Saudi tensions over the war on terror," reported the Daily Telegraph.
"Israel's army said it was lifting its blockade on the encircled West Bank city of Jenin yesterday as an Egyptian envoy called on the Jewish state to do more to help revive Middle East peace talks," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The US government has adopted tougher passenger checks on US-bound flights from France and Britain in the past week and this has contributed to several flight cancellations," reported the AFP news agency.
"Air France's grounding of three transatlantic flights over Christmas was a mistake, based on FBI information that in one case confused a child's name with a suspected terrorist," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Libya's prime minister said if the United States does not lift sanctions by May 12, Libya will not be bound to pay the remaining US$6milpromised to each family of victims killed on Pan Am Flight 103. Libyan Prime Minister Shokri Ghanem said in an interview that the US should reward Libya for scrapping its banned weapons programmes by lifting the sanctions, which would allow US oil companies to return to Libya and free US$1bil in assets that Libyan officials say are frozen in US banks," reported the Reuters news agency.
"President George W. Bush on Thursday praised Iran's willingness to accept US humanitarian flights into the country but sought to keep pressure on Teheran by urging it to abandon nuclear weapons and turn over suspected al-Qaeda militants," reported the Reuters news agency.
"In preparation for ending its occupation of Iraq, the United States is making plans to create the largest US diplomatic mission in the world in Baghdad, with a staff of more than 3,000," reported the Reuters news agency.
