Saturday, February 16, 2008

02/16/08

* Lebanese daily: Hizbullah raises alert Hizbullah has raised its alertness in southern Lebanon to a "high level" following Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's threat to avenge Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh's assassination.

* Deadly blast at Pakistan meeting A suicide bomber has killed 37 people after a meeting of supporters of murdered ex-PM Benazir Bhutto's party, Pakistan's interior ministry says.

* Qurei: J'lem talks won't be postponed "The issue of Jerusalem will not be postponed until the end of negotiations," Ahmed Qurei, head of the Palestinian negotiating team was quoted.

* Lebanese PM: 'Open war' on Israel would harm Hezbollah Lebanon's western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said that Lebanon has no interest in declaring an "open war" on Israel.

* Kosovo's PM in independence nod Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has given the clearest indication yet that the province will declare independence from Serbia on Sunday.

* Oil prices approach 100 dollars per barrel World oil prices advanced on Friday towards 100 dollars per barrel, briefly topping 96 dollars.

* Syria 'to name Mughniyeh killer' Syria has said it will soon present "irrefutable" proof of who was behind the killing of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in the capital, Damascus.

* Peacekeeping head in Darfur plea More troops must be deployed in west Darfur, even if they don't have their full equipment, the Sudanese area's peacekeeping force commander has said.

* Missile Defense Future May Turn on Success of Mission to Destroy Satellite The order by President Bush for the Navy to launch an antimissile interceptor to destroy a disabled satellite before it falls from orbit carries opportunity.

* Islamic Movement blames Israel for quake-induced hole on Temple Mt. The 5.3-magnitute earthquake that jolted Israel on Friday shook open a large hole on the Temple Mount plaza.