Iraq forces release Christian hostages, kill militants

Iraqi Christians who were held hostage by militants in a Baghdad church Sunday were released after Iraqi forces stormed the building and killed the four militants, a parliamentarian said.

One of the hostages was killed in the process, which took place after forces managed to secure the release of 19 nuns, Iraqi Christian parliamentarian Yonadem Kana told the German Press Agency dpa.

Members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq had taken the hostages inside the Syrian Catholic church in central Baghdad earlier Sunday.

Witnesses told dpa that the church was targeted during the Sunday service, adding that the sound

Big scorer Del Piero sinks AC Milan on home turf

Juventus upset AC Milan 2-1 on their home turf Saturday through goals from Fabio Quagliarella and captain Alessandro Del Piero, dpa reported.

The captain's goal allowed Juve to secure a win that pushed his side onto 15 points from nine games while becoming the club's all- time top scorer with 179 goals in the Serie A.

Milan remain two points above Juve but lag four behind 19-point leaders Lazio, who on Sunday visit Palermo ahead of next weekend's city derby with Roma.

Champions Inter Milan edged Genoa 1-0 on Friday to move within one point of Lazio.

Juve missed the

EU calls on UN chief to help strengthen UN Peacebuilding Commission

The European Union (EU) Friday called on the UN secretary-general to play a "major role by bringing the UN system together" in strengthening the effectiveness of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Xinhua reported.

This statement came as Jan Grauls, Belgium's ambassador to the UN, who spoke on behalf of the EU, addressed a plenary meeting of the General Assembly to review the UN peacebuilding architecture.

The European Union would call on the secretary-general to play a "major role by bringing the UN system together in order to further improve the effectiveness of the Peacebuilding Commission, " Grauls said.

Both the General

Haiti's cholera death toll passes 300

The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Haiti has passed the 300 mark despite claims by the Haitian health minister that the outbreak is stabilizing, Press TV reported.

Haiti's Health Ministry said on Thursday an additional 502 cases were reported to hospitals, taking the total number of reported cholera cases in the country to 4,649, AFP reported.

On Monday, Haiti's Health Minister Alex Larsen said he believed the cholera outbreak was stabilizing, adding that reports of the outbreak spreading have not so far been confirmed.

The construction of a cholera treatment center in western Haiti was halted on Wednesday

Bin Laden blames French "injustices" for hostage taking

Osama bin Laden blamed France's "injustices" towards Muslims for the recent abduction of French citizens by al-Qaeda's affiliate in North Africa, according to a report Wednesday, dpa reported.

"The taking of your experts in Niger as hostages, while they were being protected by your proxy there, is a reaction to the injustice you are practicing against our Muslim nation," according to a recording broadcast on the Arabic satellite network al-Jazeera.

A voice reported to be that of the al-Qaeda leader said in the recording that France's recent ban on face veils was one of the reasons for the abductions last

Iran reiterates readiness to mediate in resolving Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Iran, Tehran, Oct. 26 /Trend, T.Jafarov/

During a meeting with Armenian prime minister, the Iranian officials reiterated Iran's readiness to mediate in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, foreign minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki said during a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the

Fire at trade fair in Baku extinguished (UPDATE-2)

Editor's note: Third paragraph added

Azerbaijan, Baku, October 25 / Trend, R.Darakhshan/

On Monday, about 10:30 pm a fire occurred at the territory of trade fair adjacent to market in 8-th kilometre settlement of Baku.

According to the correspondent of Trend, reporting from the scene of the fire, more than eight vehicles of the State Fire Service and about five ambulances arrived at the scene.

Firefighters have already managed to entirely extinguish the fire.

According to preliminary information, no one was hurt during the fire.

As a result of the accident, goods that were present at the fair, sustained heavy

Cholera spreads to Haiti's capital - almost 220 dead

The death toll in cholera outbreak affecting Haiti climbed to more than 220 on Sunday as the disease spread to the capital of the earthquake-devastated Caribbean nation, dpa reported.

Officials said three people died in Port-au-Prince and five more there were suffering from the water-borne disease, which has affected 3,000 people in areas to the north.

Officials said the cases in the capital were people who came to Port-au-Prince for treatment, but were infected at the epicenters of the outbreak in the north.

Imogen Wall, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Haiti,

25 killed in southern Somalia fighting

At least 25 people have lost their lives in heavy clashes between Somali government troops and al-Shabab fighters in southern Somalia, near the border with Kenya, Press TV reported.

The fighting broke out late on Thursday in Belet Hawo. The town switched hands on October 17 after government forces captured it from al-Shabab fighters, who had taken control of the area in January 2009, Radio Garowe reported.

A witness said many residents fled from the town after the battle began and most of those killed were militia members. Some 50 people sustained injuries during the fighting.

The International Committee of

Liam Neeson to replace ousted Mel Gibson in Hangover 2

Liam Neeson is to replace Mel Gibson in Hangover 2 after he was ousted from the sequel to the hit comedy, Variety reported Friday.

"I just got a call to do a one day shoot on Hangover 2 as a tattooist in Thailand, and that's all I know about it," Neeson told the industry publication, dpa reported.

Gibson was trying to revive his acting career with a cameo appearance as a tattoo artist in the film. But just one day after the unusual casting decision was first reported, the idea was scotched, according to director Todd Phillips.

"I thought Mel

Azerbaijani President issues order on extra measures on quickening social-economic development of several regions

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued an order on extra measures connected with quickening of social-economic development of Agjabadi, Imishli, Saatli and Gusar regions, AzerTAj state news agency reported.

The order reads: preparation works are carried out on maintaining and restoration of Agjabadi-Garadolag-Kabirli motor road combining 5 settlements, Imishli-Garavelli-Mirili combining 7 settlements, Saatli-Musali-Mezreli highway joining 8 settlements.

At the same time, Samur-Hamza road has been built and given to use in a shortest time for strengthening productive use of tourism and agrarian potential of Gusar region. Construction of Hazra-Zukhul motor road joining 7 mountainous settlements has been kicked off.

For the

US announces Saudi arms sale of up to 60 billion dollars

The United States announced an arms deal with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday worth up to 60 billion dollars that includes advanced fighter jets, helicopters, missiles and other weaponry and equipment, dpa reported.

The deal that will be implemented over 15 to 20 years is the largest US arms deal ever.

The deal proposes the sale of 84 F-15 fighters jets to Saudi Arabia and upgrades older 70 F-15s previously purchased by the Saudi government, Andrew Shapiro, the State Department's assistant secretary for political and military affairs said.

The helicopters included in the deal are 70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and

UK Minister of State: Construction and trade may become new promising areas of cooperation between London and Baku

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 20 / Trend E.Ostapenko /

Spheres of construction, design and trade, along with the traditional oil and gas sector, offers many opportunities for joint business of British and Azerbaijani companies, UK Minister of State for Europe, MP David Lidington considers.

"There are lots of opportunities for British businesses in other sectors, in particular in design and construction as Azerbaijan modernises its infrastructure and redevelops Baku. There are opportunities in the retail sector", Lidington said Trend in an interview in anticipation of his visit to Baku.

" And I look forward to seeing the iconic London taxi on

Palestinian Authority calls for international pressure on Israel

The Palestinian Authority's ambassador to the UN has called on the international community to put pressure on Israel over the resumption of its illegal settlement activities.

Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said on Monday that Tel Aviv had ignored the will of the international community by ending the partial construction moratorium, Press TV reported according to Israel's Ynet news.

Israel must make a choice to pursue peace with its neighbors or be an "occupier and a violator of human rights," Mansour said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend a partial moratorium on settlement projects despite international calls.

Netanyahu had

White House spokesman sees Democrats retain control of both houses

U.S. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Sunday that Democrats will keep majority in both houses of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, Xinhua reported.

Recent polls suggest that Republicans have a good chance of regaining control of the House of Representatives and adding seats in the Senate, if not gaining majority. And those advantages enjoyed by Republicans were attributed to a more energized Republican base, the so-called "enthusiasm gap."

"I think right now, you see an electorate by Democrats that is actually more engaged," Gibbs said on the NBC program "Meet the Press." "There's an excitement about what

No option for Palestinians but resistance - Larijani

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Saturday there is no option for Palestinians but resistance, ISNA reported.

"There is no way but resistance and nobody will offer Palestinians' rights," Larijani said in the international conference hosted by Tehran.

"The issue of Palestine is painful for our history and the people of Palestine are under severe pressure," he said.

Larijani turned to destruction of mosques or giving time for talks and said, "the issue shows that the regime is not in a stable condition and suffers internal political pressure and that it is declining strategically."

He went on to say

PACE delegation makes pre-electoral visit to Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 15 /Trend/

A five-member PACE delegation led by Paul Wille (Belgium, ALDE) will carry out a pre-electoral mission to Baku from 19 to 21 October 2010, ahead of the parliamentary elections on 7 November 2010, to assess the electoral framework and campaign, the PACE website reported.

The parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled for November 7, 2010. Previous parliamentary elections were held in November 2005. Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are held by the majority system in 125 constituencies.

The delegation will meet the President of the Republic Ilham Aliyev, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of

Christina Aguilera files for divorce

 Christina Aguilera filed for divorce Thursday from husband Jordan Bratman after five years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences, according to People.com.

The filing included details of a prenuptial agreement in which Aguilera, 29, keeps all her earnings from before, during and after the marriage. She asked for joint custody of their son, Max, who was born in January 2008, dpa reported.

The divorce filing came just days after news broke of their separation in September.

Aguilera married music industry executive Bratman, 33, in November 2005. A former child star on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, Aguilera is one of the

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praises Hezbollah, lashes out at Israel

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday praised his allies in the Lebanese Hezbollah movement for standing up to Israel and lashed out at the Jewish state, DPA reported.

Addressing a huge rally in the Hezbollah-controlled south Beirut suburbs, Ahmadinejad described Lebanon as a "school of resistance and perseverance against tyrants," - a reference to the US and Israel.

Speaking on the first day of a two-day state visit, the Iranian leader referred to Israel as a "Zionist entity" that embodies "the deception of the capitalist world order and materialistic ideas."

"The only solution to solve the Palestinian issue is for

Defiant ex-Moscow mayor plans to stay in politics

Sacked Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov said on Monday he would not quit politics and claimed that a number of political forces in the country had expressed readiness to cooperate with him, RIA Novosti reported.

Luzhkov, 74, was fired by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on September 28 after weeks of speculation about his worsening relations with the Kremlin and his imminent resignation or dismissal.

"I will not quit politics. I will fight for the election of the [Moscow] mayor and governors," said Luzhkov, who is currently on vacation in Austria with his wife.

In line with current legislation, regional governors and

5.3-magnitude earthquake jolts Pakistan's capital Islamabad

Panicked people rushed out of their homes as an earthquake jolted Pakistan's capital city Islamabad early Monday morning, Xinhua reported.

The earthquake, which measures 5.3 on the Richter scale, took place at about 2:45 a.m. Monday local time and the tremor lasted only for a few seconds.

According to an official with the local Met Office, the epicenter of the earthquake was located 10 kilometers down the earth in Hazara area, a place some 20 kilometers northwest of Islamabad.

The tremor was also felt in most parts of northwest Pakistan including Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Mansehra.

No casualties and damage have

Chilean official: Wednesday is target day for Chile miner evacuation

Wednesday loomed as the target day to begin deploying the escape capsule for 33 Chilean copper miners who have been waiting more than two months 700 metres underground for their rescue, dpa reported.

Mining Minister Laurence Golborne made the announcement Saturday evening, near the San Jose mine in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The isolated site has become a hub of activity at a make-shift camp for engineers, family members and journalists.

"We are aiming for Wednesday," said Golborne, who has become the most popular minister in Chile for his push to rescue the 32 Chileans and one Bolivian

Israeli soldiers kill two Hamas militants in West Bank

Israeli soldiers shot dead two senior militants of the radical Islamist Hamas movement during a raid in the divided southern West Bank city of Hebron, DPA reported according to Palestinian and Israeli officials.

Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, vowed to avenge the killings, with its spokesman in Gaza, Abu Obeida, telling reporters his group would "respond to the attack in Hebron ... by all possible means."

"This assault will never break our will to resist the occupation," Abu Obeida said.

The armed resistance would not remain silent about "the crime," he warned.

Palestinian officials identified the two fatalities as

Azerbaijani MP: Hundreds of children were killed and wounded during Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani territories

France, Strasbourg, Oct. 7 /Trend, A.Maharramli/

Hundreds of children were killed and wounded, thousands of children have lost their health, have become disabled during Armenia's occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, a member of the Azerbaijani delegation Ganira Pashayeva said during discussions on the report by the Turkish MP Lokman Ayva "Guaranteeing the right to education for children with illnesses or disabilities" on the fourth working day of the PACE autumn session. 

The MP noted the importance of civil society organizations and prominent personalities' attention and care in this regard in all countries.

"In all countries, civil society organizations

PACE adopted the document on returning the corpses of Azerbaijani soldiers to their state

France, Strasbourg, October 7 /Trend, A. Maharramli/

The document on returning the corpses of Azerbaijani soldier Mubariz Ibragimov and officer Farid Akhmedov to their state was adopted during the third working day of the autumn session of PACE.

Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ganira Pashayeva has prepared the document which was distributed after publication in English and French.

This document, compiled as a written request, is titled "The need to return the corpses of Azerbaijani soldiers to their state"

The document was signed by various members of the CoE member

Spain downplays claims of Venezuela's links with ETA

Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba late Tuesday downplayed earlier allegations that the Venezuelan government had links with the militant Basque separatist group ETA, dpa reported.

The move comes as part of a rapid round of tit-for-tat accusations which are threatening to derail relations between Spain and Venezuela.

There were reasons to believe detained ETA suspects Xabier Atristain and Juan Carlos Besance - who have claimed to have received weapons training in Venezuela, Rubalcaba said.

However, there was no evidence whatsoever of the Venezuelan government being involved in the training, the minister stressed.

He was commenting on allegations made by the two ETA suspects that were made public on

Four people die in plane crash in southern France

Searchers have found the bodies of four people killed in the crash of their small plane in southern France, DPA reported according to French media.

The aircraft had left the south-western city of Jonzac on Sunday afternoon in the direction of the region of Provence, carrying the pilot, his wife and their two children.

About three hours after take-off, the pilot - identified as a captain in the French Air Force - notified the control tower at Montpellier to say he was having navigation problems. The tower lost contact with the plane minutes later.

Source: Trend - news from the Caspian, South Caucasus and Central Asia

UN human rights expert calls for steps to help displaced in Iraq

A United Nations human rights expert Sunday called on authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan to take swift measures to assist the estimated 30,000 displaced families in the region who are overwhelmingly poor and often lack access to basic services such as education, shelter and health care, UN website reported.

Walter Kälin, the Secretary-General's Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), wrapped up a week-long visit to Iraq by urging the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to provide the displaced families with an action plan that meets their social, economic and security needs.

"Such a plan could include rental subsidies and

Iran unveils electronic, radar projects

Iran has inaugurated 20 electronic, radar and optical projects, Press TV reported.

The projects were unveiled on Saturday in a ceremony attended by Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as part of the country's long-term plan to expand its defense capabilities and upgrade equipment, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Vahidi said the projects include the latest know-how in electronic warfare, radar technology, navigation and avionics systems and thermal cameras.

He added that upgrading equipment used by the Armed Forces is among top priorities of Iran's Defense Ministry and said electronics and communications play an important role in

Turkey's President: Political representation at the parliament should be diversified

Turkey's president said on Friday that political representation at the parliament should be diversified, Anadolu agency reported.

President Abdullah Gul said a parliament in which all leading political movements in the country were not represented would be a deficient parliament.

"This will reflect all differences among ourselves to politics," Gul addressed the parliament on the first day of its new legislative year.

Gul said the second important factor he wanted to underline for democracy was encouraging participation.

"Participation of not only political parties but also all the society through NGOs in political process will contribute to solution of main problems