Uganda: Al Shabaab Denies Suicide Bombers Used In Attacks
July 13, 2010 1140 GMT
Suicide bombers were not employed in the July 11 attacks in Uganda that killed at least 76 people who were watching the World Cup final, an official from Somalia's al Shabaab said July 13, Reuters reported. A man who called himself Yonis and said he was an assistant to al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said the bombs were planted.
Russia: CIS Members Discuss Aircraft Hijacking Prevention
July 13, 2010 1134 GMT
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) members are preparing an agreement aimed at preventing terrorists from hijacking airplanes, Alexander Sinaisky, the secretary of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers, said July 13, Interfax-Ukraine reported. Following an Air Defense Coordination Committee meeting, Sinaisky said the agreement would "help coordinate the operations of air defense means that are on duty" when information is received on a seized aircraft.
Russia: Prepared To Sell S-400 Systems To Belarus
July 13, 2010 1127 GMT
Russia will sell S-400 air defense missile systems to Belarus if Minsk is interested in purchasing them, Russian air force Commander-in-Chief Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said July 13, Interfax news agency reported. Zelin said Russia would put the systems in Belarus because the countries have a unified air defense system, adding that Russia is looking into options for equipping the Belarusian military with various systems, including the S-400.
Saudi Arabia: FM To Meet French President
July 13, 2010 1119 GMT
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal will meet July 13 in Paris for talks on bilateral, regional and international issues, Sarkozy's office announced, KUNA reported. Al-Faisal met French counterpart Bernard Kouchner on July 12, but the post-meeting press conference was canceled for unknown reasons. Discussions between Sarkozy and al-Faisal will concentrate on the Middle East situation and the June G-20 summit in Toronto.
India, Pakistan: FMs To Meet On Peace Talks
July 13, 2010 1112 GMT
Indian Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna will meet Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on July 15 in Islamabad, the Times of India reported July 13. The officials will discuss the resumption of peace talks, which were frozen after India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Israel: PM, DM, IDF Chief Will Testify On Raid
July 13, 2010 1106 GMT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi will testify in August on the May 31 IDF raid on a Turkish Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Ynet reported July 13. Netanyahu will appear before the Turkel Commission on Aug. 9, Barak on Aug. 10 and Ashkenazi on Aug. 11.
U.K.: CPI Up 3.2 Percent
July 13, 2010 1101 GMT
The U.K. consumer price index was 3.2 percent in June, compared to 3.4 percent in May, the Office for National Statistics announced July 13.
Azerbaijan, Armenia: FMs To Meet
July 13, 2010 1034 GMT
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, will meet on the sidelines of an Organization for Security and Cooperation of Europe (OSCE) meeting from July 16-17, Gazeta.kz reported July 13. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, who are mediating a settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, will also attend, a Kazakh Foreign Ministry official said.
Spain: Defense Minister Visits Afghanistan
July 13, 2010 1026 GMT
Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon began a surprise trip to Afghanistan on July 13 and will meet with NATO chief over operations in Afghanistan Gen. David Petraeus, Typically Spanish reported. JEMAD defense staff chief Gen. Jose Julio Rodriguez accompanies Chacon.
Georgia, Belarus: Presidents Meet
July 13, 2010 1017 GMT
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili met with his Belarusian counterpart, Aleksandr Lukashenko, in Crimea to discuss bilateral economic and political relations, News.az reported July 13. They praised their increased contacts and public dialogue.
Iran: Turkey Agrees Not To Get Involved
July 13, 2010 1009 GMT
Turkey has agreed not to get involved in efforts to pressure Iran about its nuclear program, AP reported July 13, citing a highly placed U.S. official. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly asked Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in a 45-minute conversation on July 12 to allow the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency to handle the issue.
Burundi: Country On High Alert After Uganda Attacks
July 13, 2010 1002 GMT
Burundi is on high alert, Radio Rwanda reported July 13. Civilians and sensitive installations are being protected following warnings from al-Shabaab that Burundi is its next target after the July 11 bombing attacks in Uganda. The Burundian army asked citizens to report suspicious activity leading up to the July 23 parliamentary elections.
Russia: S-500s Planned By 2020 - Air Force Chief
July 13, 2010 0955 GMT
Russia will have multiple S-500, as well as S-400, missile defense systems in place by 2020, Russian air force Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Zelin said, Interfax reported July 13. He said significantly more than five systems will be installed.
Poland: FM Puts Weight Behind Georgia
July 13, 2010 0941 GMT
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said his country supports Georgia's territorial integrity, adding that the presence of Russian troops in two breakaway states has long been termed by Poland as an occupation, Rustavi-2 reported July 13. He said Poland will continue to press for the ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops. He said the Polish attitude about Georgia remains unchanged. He also said Poland supports Georgia's integration into NATO and the European Union.
Uganda: Unexploded Suicide Vest Found In Disco Hall
July 13, 2010 0933 GMT
An unexploded suicide vest was found in a Kampala, Uganda, disco hall, AP reported July 13, citing a government official. Suspects have been arrested. The inspector general of police said the vest was consistent with what was found at two July 11 blast sites; arrests have been made in those cases, as well.
U.K.: Afghan Soldier Kills 3 British Soldiers
July 13, 2010 0924 GMT
An Afghan soldier killed three British troops on the morning of July 13 while they patrolled near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, Guardian reported, citing a security source. Two others were injured. NATO confirmed the deaths but provided no other details.
Lithuania: President Meets With U.S. Admiral
July 13, 2010 0918 GMT
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite met with the commander of the U.S.-European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, Adm. James Stavridis, Penki reported July 13. Grybauskaite told Stavridis that NATO is the primary guarantee of security in the Baltic states, with Washington as Lithuania's main security partner. Stavridis said U.S. President Barack Obama has reiterated that Lithuania is a key partner and relations are stronger than ever.
Portugal: Moody's Downgrades Bond Ratings
July 13, 2010 0905 GMT
Moody's on July 13 downgraded Portugal's government bond ratings from Aa1 to A1, Business & Leadership reported. Moody's said it believes Portugal's financial strength will continue to weaken in the medium term, with its economic growth remaining relatively weak should structural reforms not come to fruition in the medium to longer term. The government's debt-to-GDP and debt-to-revenues ratios have risen dramatically in the past two years, a Moody's senior analyst said.
Latvia: President Visits Serbia
July 13, 2010 0854 GMT
Latvian President Valdis Zatlers will visit Serbia on July 13, B92 reported, citing a statement from the Serbian president's office. Zatlers will meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic, as well as Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Parliament Speaker Slavica Dukic-Dejanovic. Improvement on the countries' parliamentary cooperation will be discussed.
Pakistan: More Than 650 Arrests Follow Bombings
July 13, 2010 0847 GMT
More than 650 suspects have been arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the last three days following a suicide bombing and car bomb that killed 105 people in a market town, AFP reported July 13, a provincial spokesman said. The investigation is ongoing, the spokesman said. Peshawar and three nearby districts were targeted, and paramilitary forces took part, he said. Arms and explosives have been seized, according to Peshawar Police Chief Liaqat Ali Khan. He added that 410 suspects have been arrested in Peshawar.