Tunisian constitution, praised for balance, nears passage
TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly is close to passing a new Constitution that legislators across the political spectrum, human rights organizations and constitutional experts are hailing as a triumph of consensus politics.
Libya condemns US for seizing terror suspect
TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya’s fragile interim government condemned the United States on Sunday for what it called the “kidnapping of a Libyan citizen” from this capital city a day earlier, and Libyan lawmakers threatened to remove the prime minister if the government was involved.
Much of Pakistan’s progress is lost in its floodwaters
SUKKUR, Pakistan — Men waded waist deep all week wedging stones with their bare hands into an embankment to hold back Pakistan’s surging floodwaters. It was a rudimentary and ultimately vain effort to save their town. On Thursday, the waters breached the levy, a demoralizing show of how fragile Pakistan’s infrastructure remains, and how overwhelming the task is to save it.
Shorts (left)
Heavy fighting raged for a third day in Pakistan’s northwest on Thursday as civilians flooded from the area and the Pakistani military reported some gains in pushing back Taliban insurgents.
Taliban Victory Underscores Weakness of Afghan Forces
The Taliban bomber calmly parked a white fuel tanker near the prison gates of this city one evening in June, then jumped down from the cab and let out a laugh. Prison guards fired on the bomber as he ran off, but they missed, instead killing the son of a local shopkeeper, who watched the scene unfold from across the street.
Pakistan Approaching Peace Deal With Militant Tribes
The Pakistani government is close to an agreement to end hostilities with the most militant tribes in its turbulent border area, whose main leader is accused of orchestrating most of the suicide bombings of recent months and the assassination of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Emergency Rule to Be Lifted on Dec. 16, Musharraf Announces
Hours after being sworn in to a second term, President Pervez Musharraf announced Thursday that he would lift his state of emergency on Dec. 16, leaving barely three weeks for election campaigning and setting the stage for further confrontation with his opposition.
Former Prime Ministers Might Boycott New Pakistani Election
Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the two former prime ministers who have long bitterly opposed each other, joined with an opposition alliance on Monday to denounce what they saw as an unfair environment ahead of parliamentary elections planned for January.
Pakistani Supreme Court Upholds Musharraf’s Presidential Election
The newly formed Supreme Court of Pakistan, which was appointed after emergency rule was imposed two weeks ago, Monday dismissed the main outstanding challenges to Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s election for another presidential term, almost certainly ensuring his confirmation as president later this week.
Afghans Say US Strike Killed Nine Family Members Sunday
Nine members of a family, including five women and three children, were killed in an American airstrike in central Afghanistan late Sunday, during a battle with militants, Afghan officials said Monday.
Musharraf-Bhutto Deal Struck In Pakistan as Elections Loom
The government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf announced Thursday an accord that includes amnesty for the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, clearing the way for the general to run for re-election as president on Saturday and for Bhutto to return to Pakistan for parliamentary elections at the end of the year.
Pakistani President Remains as Army Chief Despite False Claims
Pakistani government officials denied Thursday that the country’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, had agreed to resign as army chief before presidential elections, contradicting statements a day earlier by Benazir Bhutto, an exiled former prime minister.
Musharraf to Resign as Army Chief, Plans For Re-election Bid
The exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said Wednesday that Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, had agreed to resign as army chief as part of a nearly completed deal that would allow him to serve another term as president if he is re-elected and allow her to return to Pakistan to run for prime minister.
Former Taliban Minister Gets Arrested in Pakistan Monday
The former Taliban defense minister was arrested in Pakistan on Monday, the day of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's visit, two government officials said Thursday. He is the most important Taliban member to be captured since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.