In spite of last-ditch efforts to avoid a power vacuum in Lebanon, various parties to the talks say an agreement over a consensus presidential candidate is unlikely before current president Emile Lahoud leaves office on Nov. 24th, leading to a possible constitutional crisis and violence:
- Lebanese Presidential Vote Seen Unlikely (Reuters/New York Times)
In a statement decrying foreign intervention and showing nationalist sentiments, 300,000 Iraqi Shi’a sign a petition denouncing “Iranian influence†in southern Iraq:
- Shiites in S. Iraq Rebuke Tehran (Washington Post)
A sign of waning influence among ordinary Iranians and hardline supporters, an editorial in a newspaper tied to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei attacks President Ahmadinejad for attacking opponents to his headstrong drive to attain nuclear power:
- Tehran Paper Attacks Ahmadinejad (BBC News)
In a blatant and illegal attempt to inject fearmongering into the national election, Australian Prime Minister John Howard fights for his political career as members of his party are caught red-handed distributing leaflets attributed to a fake group of Muslim extremists and falsely linking them to the country’s main opposition party:
- Australia’s Howard Struggles In His Last Election (Reuters/New York Times)
Abdul-Rahman al-Lahem, the Saudi lawyer defending a recent gang rape victim, has his legal license revoked but nonetheless is optimistic, viewing the heavy-handed action as signaling “‘the death throes of the judiciary’s old guard’â€:
- Saudi Rights Lawyer Sidelined (Washington Post)
An emasculated judiciary clears the sixth and final legal challenge to legalizing Musharraf’s farce election as president:
- Court Dismisses Legal Challenge Against Musharraf (Washington Post)
Leave a Reply