| Abbas insists on January date for Palestinian vote Abbas, 74, issued an order for new elections on Friday after Egyptian-backed efforts failed to reconcile his Fatah faction, which holds sway in the West Bank, and the Islamist group Hamas, in ...[more] |
| Karzai rival says won't join Afghan government Asked in a CNN interview about comments by Karzai that he would welcome his rival in his government, Abdullah said he had "absolutely no interest in such a scenario." Abdullah, a form ...[more] |
| Influential Iran lawmakers criticize nuclear deal Their comments were reported as U.N. inspectors left Vienna for Iran to examine a nuclear site that has heightened Western fears of a covert Iranian program to develop atomic bombs. T ...[more] |
| Russia's Medvedev says open to election law ideas The Nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Fair Russia and the Communist Party walked out of parliament this week in a rare act of protest against disputed regional elections, which ind ...[more] |
| Obama, Sarkozy discussed Iran situation: Elysee "The two heads of state noted that they share exactly the same views..." the statement said. Western powers are scrutinizing Iran's atomic work amid concerns that Iran might be trying ...[more] |
| Indonesia lifts tsunami alert after powerful quake Officials were still checking for possible casualties or damage after the quake struck in an area of the Banda sea southeast of the Maluku islands. The U.S. Geological Survey said the ...[more] |
| Japan pushes for East Asia bloc Making a case for an East Asian Community at a summit of Asian leaders in Thailand, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said there should be some U.S. involvement in the bloc, which faces stiff obs ...[more] |
| Merkel promises tax relief but financing unclear The agreement, reached shortly after 2 a.m., paves the way for a new center-right government to take office next week, roughly a month after Merkel's conservatives and the FDP won a parliamen ...[more] |
| FACTBOX: German parties' plans on foreign policy TURKEY "Germany has a special interest in deepening its relations with Turkey and linking the country to the European Union. The EU membership talks that began in 2005 are an open-end ...[more] |
| FACTBOX: German parties' plans on energy policy Below is what has been agreed on energy policy, according to a draft coalition agreement seen by Reuters and news from the latest talks: NUCLEAR POWER * The parties plan to ex ...[more] |
| FACTBOX: German parties' plans on financial policy Below is what they agreed on finance policy, according to a draft coalition agreement and party officials. TAX RELIEF * From 2010, the parties will implement 14 billion euros ...[more] |