Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday registered to run in Pakistan’s parliamentary elections next month, while President Gen. Pervez Musharraf prepared to step down as army chief and be sworn in as its civilian leader. A day after returning from exile, Sharif signed his nomination papers at a court in the eastern city of Lahore. Supporters packed into the courtroom chanted “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif!” However, he maintained a threat to boycott the Jan. 8 parliamentary vote and said that, even if he took part and won, he would not lead any government under Musharraf.\nMasked gunmen stormed the family home of a pro-Baath journalist and killed 11 of his relatives, colleagues said Monday, as Shiite legislators denounced a proposal to ease curbs on former members of Saddam Hussein’s ruling party, dimming hopes for the U.S.-backed measure aimed at national reconciliation. Dhia al-Kawaz, editor of the Jordan-based Asawat al-Iraq news agency, was in Jordan when his sisters, their husbands and children were reportedly killed in Baghdad. According to the news agency’s Web site, witnesses said more than five masked gunmen broke into the home and opened fire, then planted a bomb inside.
Australia’s Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd took advice Sunday on how to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and fielded phone calls from world leaders – starting in on work the day after a sweeping election victory. The emphatic victory for Rudd’s Labor Party swings Australia toward the political left after almost 12 years of conservative rule and puts it at odds with key ally Washington on two crucial policy issues – Iraq and global warming. After declaring victory late Saturday, Rudd attended church Sunday then held meetings with government officials.
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday he is putting relations with Colombia “in the freezer” after its president ended the Venezuelan leader’s role mediating with leftist rebels in the neighboring country. The announcement drew a strong rebuke from Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who said Chavez’s actions suggest he wants to see a “terrorist government” run by leftist rebels in Bogota. Uribe also suggested Chavez might be looking to stir up conflict to boost his image ahead of a referendum on constitutional changes next weekend.
Hours before the opening of a high-stakes international conference on the Middle East, President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed hope Monday that peace finally could be achieved. A senior member of the Palestinian delegation said an elusive joint statement on the contours for future talks was within reach. “I’m looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible,” Bush said after meeting with Olmert in the Oval Office ahead of the conference. Bush had a similar meeting scheduled with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later in the day.
