Saturday, May 02, 2009

05/02/09

* Radical anti-US cleric Sadr resurfaces in Turkey Iraq's Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr – not seen in public for nearly two years – held face-to-face talks with Turkey's top two leaders Friday.

* Netanyahu aides fear 'surprise' demands from Obama Benjamin Netanyahu's aides fear that U.S. President Barack Obama will "surprise" the prime minister with unanticipated ideas and demands at the leaders' upcoming meeting in Washington on May 18.

* Peres, Obama to meet Tuesday The White House on Saturday officially confirmed President Shimon Peres' meeting with his US counterpart Barack Obama, next week.

* EU preparing to face 'likely' swine flu pandemic The EU on Thursday (30 April) urged Europeans not to panic over the swine flu outbreak and sought to reassure them.

* Nasrallah taunts Egypt: You've only made us stronger Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah used his televised speech Friday evening to respond once more to Egypt's accusations that his organization is trying to topple the regime in Cairo.

* 'Taleban killed' in Pakistan raid The Pakistan army has fought off a Taleban attack on an outpost near the Afghan border, killing at least 13 militants.

* Russian troops patrol rebel borders with Georgia Russian border guards have begun patrolling the de-facto borders of Georgia's rebel region of South Ossetia.

* Flu death toll 'less than feared' Mexico has revised down the suspected death toll from swine flu from 176 to 101, indicating that the outbreak may not be as bad as was initially feared.

* Hamas warns Abbas not to form new government alone After failing to reach agreement with Hamas over the formation of a Palestinian unity government, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is planning to form a new government that would not include representatives of the Islamic movement.

* Israel attacks more Gaza tunnels Israel says its aircraft have attacked tunnels on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for a second day.