World briefly
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, January 21, 2007
Iran: Short-range missile tests
Revolutionary Guards planned to begin three days of testing the short-range Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles Sunday, state television said, but it could not be confirmed if the exercise had begun.
China: Optimism on Korea talks
The U.S. envoy to talks on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament said today in Beijing that he believed there was potential for progress in the next round of negotiations and China would soon announce a start date. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said that in talks Sunday with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, the two sides agreed the high-level negotiations should start again “as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, South Korean media reported that North Korea has agreed to discuss the disarmament of its nuclear weapons when talks resume, which would mark a shift in the North’s stance.
Sudan: Villages bombed, rebels say
Government planes breached a cease-fire by bombing villages in northern Darfur, rebel commanders said Sunday. Sudan’s military spokesman denied the government conducted any bombings, which could not be independently confirmed.
Syria: Palestinian talks fruitless
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the exiled chief of the rival Hamas faction failed Sunday night to resolve their differences over forming a unity government, dashing hopes for a quick end to deadly clashes between their supporters. But Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said in a statement that they “achieved major progress” during the meeting in Damascus and hoped to resume talks within two weeks.
Afghanistan: Taliban’s own schools
The Taliban said they will open their own schools in areas of southern Afghanistan under their control, following a violent campaign by the fundamentalist Islamic group against state schools in the five years since its ouster by U.S.-led forces. Abdul Hai Muthmahien, the purported chief spokesman for the militants, also said education would be available to boys first and later to girls. The Taliban destroyed 200 schools and killed 20 teachers last year.
Russia: Team reaches pole
A team of British and Canadian explorers endured seven weeks of howling winds and subzero temperatures to become the first expedition to reach the geographic center of Antarctica without any mechanical assistance. Dragging 264-pound sleds, the team traveled 1,091 miles on foot and by kite ski to reach Antarctica’s Pole of Inaccessibility – the furthest point from any ocean – Friday, according to a statement posted on the expedition’s Web site.
From Herald news services
