Monday, July 24, 2006

7/24/06

Rice holds key talks in Lebanon US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Lebanon's PM in Beirut.

Israel advances as Rice arrives in Beirut
The Israeli army has pushed deeper into Lebanon towards the town of Bint Jbail as Condoleezza Rice arrives in Beirut to meet Lebanese leaders.

Arab nations work towards crisis resolution Diplomatic sources reported that Saudi Arabia is working diligently on a proposal to end the current crisis in Lebanon.

Syria warns against ground incursion Israel and Syria went on high alert along their mutual border late Sunday.

IDF Intelligence: Lebanon crisis good for Syria, Iran IDF Intelligence Chief Major-General Amos Yadlin said Sunday evening in a press briefing that Syria and Iran see the widening conflict on the northern border as an opportunity to advance their interests.

Iran: Israel doomed to 'destruction' Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, declared Sunday that Israel had "pushed the button of its own destruction" by launching its military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hizbullah in Lebanon.

Pakistan Expanding Nuclear Program Pakistan has begun building what independent analysts say is a powerful new reactor for producing plutonium.

Saddam in hospital as trial resumes The trial of Saddam Hussein reopened today in typically chaotic fashion, with the former Iraqi president absent in hospital while his lawyers boycotted the hearing.

Maliki Says Iraq Will Not Slide Into Civil War Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says his country will not slide into civil war, despite a wave of deadly sectarian violence in recent weeks.

Somalia Heads for Civil War When the Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC) seized the Somali capital of Mogadishu on June 5, it was generally feared that it would only be a matter of time before they clashed with the forces of the interim government.