Friday, December 29, 2006

12/29/06

Report: Saddam to be executed Saturday One of Saddam Hussein's lawyers estimated on Friday afternoon that he would be executed on Saturday.

Hajj pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have prayed on the desert mountain where the Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon.

Iran seeks to use the haj for political gain As the eyes of Muslims worldwide are directed toward Mecca - where ceremonies of the haj are held prior to Id al-Adha - Saudi authorities are busy working to maintain the safety of the worshipers.

Anti-Ethiopian protest in Mogadishu Mogadishu on Friday witnessed a noisy demonstration against Ethiopian troops who have helped Somalia's weak government.

'Israel is open to any murmur of peace' In a gesture to Syria, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday said that he was open to "any murmur of peace" from Israel's enemies.

Arab Editor: Arming Abbas and Hamas is a Step Toward Civil War Muslim and Western efforts to equip Fatah and Hamas militias "will be used to kill and slaughter Palestinians by Palestinians," a Bethlehem-based journalist wrote.

Israel's population grew 1.8 percent in 2006, to 7.1 million As the clock chimes out 2006, Israel's population stands at 7.1 million, of which 76 percent is Jewish and 20 percent Arab.

In Face of Kassams, Battered Town Councils Prepare to Evacuate Following the recent escalation of Kassam rockets in western Negev communities including Sderot, residents and their regional councils are now making plans to evacuate if the situation gets worse.

German EU presidency lumbered with massive to-do list When large countries take over the six-month presidency of the European Union they generate a huge level of expectation.

Russian Lawmakers Warn Against Saddam Hussein`s Execution Russian senior lawmakers condemned the death sentence passed on Saddam Hussein warning that the execution may cause civil war in Iraq.