Egypt has tightened the procedures for Iraqis entering the country, seeking to stem a flow of people seeking refuge from the war. Instead of obtaining visas at points of entry such as Cairo airport, Iraqis will now have to apply… Read moreEgypt limits immigration of Iraqis
Israeli soldiers re-entered the Gaza Strip April 4 for the first time since November, killing at least one Palestinian fighter. Troops in tanks, bulldozers and jeeps moved onto farmland near the village of Beit Hanoun and clashed with Palestinians near… Read moreIsrael launches Gaza incursion
The killing of five African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Darfur—the deadliest single attack against the force since late 2004—is being widely condemned and has led to calls in the United Nations for deployment of a hybrid UN-AU force to the… Read moreDarfur: guerillas attack AU troops?
On April 1, the eve of Passover, the synagogue of the Neturei Karta congregation in Monsey, NY, was nearly burned to the ground. Threats had been mounting against the anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish sect since congregation members, led by Rabbi Yisroel… Read moreNeturei Karta synagogue burns —arson?
From Newsday, April 4: Wife killed in hit-and-run after seder Maurichiu Burman, 73, struggled to his feet in the middle of the road, injured by a car that moments earlier had struck him and his wife as they returned from… Read moreWHY WE FIGHT
A new report claims the CIA and FBI operate secret prisons in Ethiopia to interrogate terror suspects. According to the Associated Press, which worked with Human Rights Watch in the investigation, the US has interrogated hundreds of suspects from over… Read moreSecret CIA prisons in Ethiopia?
Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) denied government charges it has become a drug trafficking organization, saying the accusations jeopardize preliminary peace talks set to resume this month. Peace commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo told Reuters the previous day that cocaine smuggling… Read moreColombia: ELN denies narco charge
Violence has forced up to 7,000 people in the southern Colombian department of Nariño from their homes over the past two weeks as soldiers battle to retake land from FARC guerillas producing cocaine in the area, officials said. The displacement,… Read moreColombia: 7,000 displaced in Nariño
Colombia April 3 denied a request from jailed paramilitary leaders to campaign for candidates in local elections. Fourteen of about 60 para bosses jailed near Medellin sought permission to campaign in their cental and northern hometowns on behalf of gubernatorial… Read moreColombia: jailed para leaders barred from politics
Oil prices fell from $68.38 to $66.93 hours after Iran decided to free 15 UK naval personnel it holds captive, easing fears that the international dispute could escalate and disrupt crude supplies. (Forbes, April 4) Meanwhile, it was revealed that… Read moreIran to release UK sailors; oil prices drop
According to investigative reports by ABC, the CIA has carefully maintained ties and links with the Pakistan-based insurgent group Jundallah, a band of Baloch separatists fighting for an independent Balochestan, a region which straddles southeast Iran and southwest Pakistan. Iranian… Read moreIran: US backing Baluch rebels?
Cao Gangchuan, China’s defence minister, pledged to maintain military ties with Sudan during the visit of Sudanese officials to Beijing. China has blocked efforts in the UN Security Council to dispatch peacekeepers to the violence-plagued western Sudanese region of Darfur,… Read moreChina and Sudan reaffirm military ties
