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World briefs |
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Israel mulls return of Golan Heights: Israel and Syria are making their first attempt for more than seven years to reach a comprehensive peace agreement which, if successful, would mean Israel giving up the Golan Heights it seized in the 1967 six-day war. As the two countries began indirect talks in Turkey on May 22, the first of their kind in eight years, Syria has said it has received guarantees from Israel via Turkey for a full withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights. But, it rejected conditions put by the Jewish State for concluding a peace deal. Israel is demanding that Syria should distance itself from groups such as Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah guerilla groups.
Bush apologises to Iraqi PM over desecration: President Bush has apologized to Iraqi Prime Minister Noori al-Maliki for an American sniper’s use of a copy of the Koran for target practice. Bush offered apology in a telephone call to Maliki on Monday after he conveyed the disappointment and anger of the people and government of Iraq over the soldier’s disgraceful action. Bush said the sniper would face trial. Meanwhile, the US military has removed him from Iraq after he was found to have used the Koran for target practice on May 9. The copy was found two days later on a firing range in Radwaniya with 14 bullet holes and graffiti written in its pages.
Malaysia – Mahathir quits ruling party: In a major setback for Malaysia’s embattled Premier Abdullah Badawi, his mentor and influential predecessor Mahathir Mohammed has quit the ruling party to press for leadership change following the party’s recent electoral losses. He said in a statement on May 19, he was quitting UMNO and will come back only when there is change in leadership. Mahathir, 82, who was Prime Minister for 22 years before he handpicked Abdullah for the job, has urged other UMNO members also to quit to pressure the Prime Minister to step down.
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