February 24 News International

Friday 24 February, 2012.

TOP STORY Kofi Annan to beSyria crisis envoy Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan has been appointed as the joint United Nations-Arab League envoy to Syria tasked with engaging with all relevant interlocutors within and outside the troubled country to end the year-long violence and humanitarian crisis. HEADLINES Rudd to challenge Gillard in Oz Labor party leadership race Taking up the gauntlet, former Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday said he will contest against Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Monday's leadership vote, as the two bitter rivals sparred publicly escalating the row within the ruling Labor party. Suicide bombers attack Peshawar police station; kill four cops Suicide attackers armed with guns and grenades on Friday stormed a police station in Peshawar, killing at least four policemen, including two officers, and injuring eight others, a day after a car bomb strike left 13 people dead in the northwest Pakistani city. Pak govt offers amnesty to Baloch leaders in exile Within days of a resolution introduced in US Congress seeking the right to self-determination for Balochistan, Pakistan has offered amnesty to Baloch nationalist leaders in exile, announcing that cases against them would be closed. US waiting for Pak review on bilateral ties The Obama Administration is waiting for the Pakistani Parliament to complete review of its ties with the US to address some of Islamabad's concerns, a US official has said. AFRICA & SOUTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC EUROPE NORTH AMERICA SOUTH ASIA WEST ASIA

OTHER TOP STORIES Widespread attacks in Iraq kill 50 ISAF promises to get to the bottom of Quran row  Gillard calls Labor leadership ballot  Iran's failure to reach agreement with IAEA regrettable: US

February 22 News International

Wednesday 22 February, 2012.

TOP STORY Iran pushes on with nuclear work after failed IAEA visit Iran's nuclear work will defiantly go on, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, after UN inspectors left Tehran following talks that failed to lift their suspicions of atomic weapons research. HEADLINES Aus foreign minister resigns amid reports of power-tussle  Amid widespread reports of a leadership tussle with the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd resigned on Wednesday saying he could not continue to serve without "her" support. Pakistan foreign minister meetClinton in London  Pakistan's foreign minister said she would meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Thursday's Londonmeeting on Somalia to discuss the strained ties between Washington andIslamabad. Yemenis vote as Saleh's 33-year rule comes to end Yemeni voters ended President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule in a historic ballot on Tuesday, pinning hopes on a new leader faced with the massive task of rebuilding an impoverished and war-ravaged country. EU shrugs off Iran threat to cut oil to more EU nations Brussels The European Union today shrugged off Iran's threat to cut oil to "hostile" EU nations, saying the bloc was capable of coping with any halt in supplies. AFRICA & SOUTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC EUROPE NORTH AMERICA SOUTH ASIA WEST ASIA

OTHER TOP STORIES Greece secures bailout to avoid debt default  More flights grounded as Frankfurt airport strike continues