World News

Blair Fights Back Accusations

Vicky Hunter - Apr 28, 2005 / 9:30 am | Story: 8900

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has hit back at accusations he lied about the legal case for war in Iraq after opposition parties said a leaked document revealed ministers tried to cover up doubts. The memo containing advice from Attorney General Lord Goldsmith again propelled the debate about the U.S.-led invasion and Blair's integrity back to the center of the election campaign a week before Britons vote. Full story
More bodies, including that of the train driver, have been found in the twisted wreckage of Japan's deadliest rail disaster in 40 years. The uniformed body of 23-year-old driver Ryujiro Takami was among those pulled from the scene, officials said Thursday, as the death toll stood at 106. Full story
In a milestone move, Iraq's transitional National Assembly chose a new, nearly complete government on Thursday, following three months of political wrangling in the wake of historic democratic elections. Iraq's National Assembly approved a list of Cabinet members for a transitional government Thursday, three months after national elections. Full story
Former CIA Director George Tenet said he regretted assuring President Bush in 2002 that he had "slam dunk" evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. "Those were the two dumbest words I ever said," Tenet told about 1,300 people at a Kutztown University forum Wednesday. The theory was a leading justification for the war in Iraq. Full story
Russian President Vladimir Putin faced down Israeli criticism Thursday, saying that Russia's planned sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria and supply of nuclear components to Iran do not threaten Israel's security. He also pledged to tackle the growing problem of anti-Semitism in his country. Putin spoke on the second day of his historic visit to Israel -- the first trip here by a Kremlin leader. Full story
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has won parliamentary approval for a new government, ending a week-long political crisis that followed an embarrassing defeat in regional elections. The Senate, the upper house of parliament, voted 170-117 on Thursday to back Berlusconi's rejigged Cabinet. The vote of confidence came a day after a similar victory in the lower house. Full story
Iran will resume its uranium enrichment program if talks with European nations this week fail, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Thursday. Speaking after a meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Kharrazi said the talks scheduled for Friday are "very critical." "If talks with European Union are not successful tomorrow, negotiations will collapse and we will have no choice but to restart the uranium enrichment program," Kharrazi said Thursday. Full story
A student pilot who prompted a terrorism alert earlier this month has been arrested in Britain. Zayead Christopher Hajaig was arrested Wednesday on a documents theft charge, British police told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A spokeswoman for London's Metropolitan Police Service said Hajaig, who is also known as Barry John Felton, was arrested at his home in Essex by officers from the anti-terrorism branch of the department, also known as New Scotland Yard. Full story
The death toll in Angola's Marburg epidemic has topped 250, but medical experts said on Thursday they were confident the world's worst outbreak of the killer virus would soon be reined in. At least 253 people have died of the rare Ebola-like disease from a total of 273 known cases since late last year, according to a document released late on Wednesday by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO). Full story
The White House has confirmed that David Wilkins will be the next U.S. ambassador to Canada. Wilkins is the speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives and a leading Republican fundraiser. He will succeed Paul Cellucci, who has decided to leave diplomatic life and return to the United States. Full story
Russian President Vladimir Putin faced down Israeli criticism Thursday, saying Russia's planned sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria and supply of nuclear components to Iran does not threaten Israel's security. Putin spoke on the second day of his historic visit to Israel — the first trip here by a Kremlin leader — before going into a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Full story