Thousands mourn at Hariri’s funeral

BEIRUT: Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese mourners bid farewell to former prime minister Rafiq Hariri at a politically charged funeral that underscored tensions with Syria over his murder.

Kidnapped reporter pleads for life

ROME: Kidnapped Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was shown in tears pleading for her life and for the withdrawal of Italian troops from Iraq, in the first video broadcast showing the reporter since she was kidnapped in Baghdad two weeks ago.

CIA anxious over North Korea

WASHINGTON: Nuclear-armed North Korea could resume missile tests anytime and has active biological and chemical weapons programmes, CIA director Porter Goss told Congress.

Iran, Syria close ranks against threats

TEHRAN: Regional allies Iran and Syria pledged to form a “united front” against foreign threats, with Damascus under global suspicion over the killing of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

Israel pullout plan set to go

JERUSALEM: The Israeli government’s planned pullout from the Gaza Strip was set to pass a major hurdle with MPs voting on a bill to compensate settlers, after the army chief of staff who was expected to oversee the withdrawal was shown the door.

Russia tips regional security

MOSCOW: Russia confirmed that it intended to sell a new air defense missile system to Syria despite Israeli and US opposition, but insisted the weaponry was only of short-range capability and would not upset the balance of military power in the Middle East.

Zimbabwe arrest opposition activist

HARARE: Zimbabwean police broke up a meeting of the main opposition party ahead of key parliamentary elections next month and arrested a senior official, a party spokesman said.