The Israeli government overwhelmingly approved the appointment of the country's first Muslim Cabinet minister Sunday, billing it as an important step for a long-suffering minority. But the appointment of Raleb Majadele, mired for weeks in political infighting and charges of racism, drew renewed criticism from hard-liners who said the move was little more than political expediency. Even Arab lawmakers dismissed the development, saying the government has little real interest in improving the lot of Israel's Arabs.
The military, over the past several years, has held tens of thousand of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines on the job and in war zones beyond their retirement dates or enlistment length, in an action branded a "backdoor draft" by some critics. It is a widely disliked practice that the Pentagon, under new Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is trying to figure out how to cut back on.
Sinn Fein members overwhelmingly voted Sunday to begin cooperating with the Northern Ireland police, a long-unthinkable commitment that could spur the return of a Catholic-Protestant administration for the British territory.
Gunmen attacked a Somali police station Sunday, sparking an hourlong battle that killed two people just hours after two other stations were hit with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, witnesses said. The increased violence in Mogadishu, Somali is boosting fears that the Somali government's tenuous grip on power isn't enough to safeguard this notoriously violent city.
Two crew members were killed when an American military helicopter crashed Sunday during fighting near the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraqi officials said. Iraqi military authorities said about 250 militants died in the battle.
Only 20 senators believe President Bush "is headed in the right direction," the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman estimated on Sunday as he dismissed criticism on a resolution opposing a troop buildup in Iraq, saying it would embolden the enemy.
The Afghan president told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that his security forces need to be stronger as the two discussed possible U.S. troop increases on Sunday, days after the Pentagon extended the tour of 3,200 soldiers, an Afghan official said. President Hamid Karzai stressed his desire for increased training and equipment for Afghanistan's fledgling army and police forces, the Afghan official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information publicly.
Iran said Sunday it needs time to review a plan proposed by the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency that calls for holding off on imposing U.N. Security Council sanctions if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment. While Iran says its nuclear program has the sole purpose of using atomic power to generate electricity, the U.S. and its allies believe Tehran is secretly developing atomic weapons in violation of treaty commitments.
