Jerusalem (CNN) – Rival Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas named President Mahmoud Abbas the head of an interim unity government during a televised signing ceremony Monday. The deal was signed in Doha, Qatar, by Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who said last month he plans to step down from his post. “The Palestinian […]
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Archive | February 6, 2012
Mahmoud Abbas to head Palestinian unity government
February 6, 2012 
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RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The main Palestinian political rivals on Monday took a major step toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, head of the Islamic militant […]
Read morePakistan PM to Qatar to discuss Afghan peace
February 6, 2012 Comments Off
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani left for Qatar on Monday to discuss Afghan peace efforts in the ultra-rich Gulf state where the Taliban and US officials have begun preliminary contacts. “The prime minister reiterated stance of his government to support Afghan-led and Afghan-owned initiatives for a stable Afghanistan,” his office said before his […]
Read moreRomania’s Prime Minister Emil Boc resigns after protests
February 6, 2012 Comments Off
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s Prime Minister Emil Boc resigned on Monday after weeks of nationwide protests against austerity measures and before a parliamentary election due late this year. Boc enforced the cuts, including slashing public salaries by a quarter and raising sales tax, to complete a 20 billion euro ($26.24 billion) International Monetary Fund […]
Read moreMyanmar panel says Aung San Suu Kyi can run for Parliament
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YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s Election Commission on Monday gave opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the green light to run for parliamentary by-elections, another step toward political openness in a country emerging from nearly a half-century of iron-fisted military rule. Suu Kyi announced her intention last month to run in the April elections […]
Read moreSouth Korean President to hold summit talks with Turkish President on upgrading ties
February 6, 2012 Comments Off
ANKARA, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) — South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is to meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday for summit talks aimed at upgrading the traditional friendship and expanding economic cooperation between the two countries. The meeting comes a day after Lee and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to conclude negotiations […]
Read morePM Benjamin Netanyahu : Iran ‘chatter’ detrimental to sanctions
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Netanyahu urges Likud ministers to avoid making statements on possible strike in Iran; ‘Chatter causes extensive damage,’ he says ISRAEL — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Likud ministers on Sunday that speaking out about a possible strike on Iran could be damaging to Israel and detrimental to the global efforts to compel the Islamic Republic to abandon its atom […]
Read morePalestinians agree to hold elections ‘quickly’
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(AFP ) — Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah agreed at a meeting in the Qatari capital on Sunday that presidential and legislative elections must be held “quickly,” a top official told AFP. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal met to explore the formation of an interim Palestinian government to oversee […]
Read moreMahmoud Abbas ‘proposed as Prime Minister’ in unity government
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Hamas has endorsed a proposal by Qatar in which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will assume the role of prime minister in an interim unity government, according to two Palestinian officials. The arrangement, proposed by Qatar’s emir in preparation for general elections in the West Bank, would help Abbas’ Fatah movement and its main political rival Hamas clear a major […]
Read moreQueen Elizabeth celebrates 60 years on throne
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LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II marked her Diamond Jubilee on Monday with a message thanking all those who had supported her over her 60-year reign and reaffirming her dedication to serving the British people. The 85-year-old monarch ascended the throne when her father, George VI, died on Feb. 6, 1952. She is the […]
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