Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday he hoped to help open talks between Hamas and U.S. leaders, saying Washington’s policy of not meeting with people it labeled terrorists was counterproductive. Carter angered Israelis with his plans to meet in Syria this week with the leader of the Islamist group, which rules Gaza and is largely responsible for rocket fire against Israeli towns. Hamas has killed some 250 Israelis in suicide bombings and has been blacklisted by the U.S. and Israel as a terrorist organization.
President Bush stepped up pressure Monday on Congress to approve a controversial free-trade pact with Colombia, saying the deal is “dead” unless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi schedules a vote. After a meeting with his Cabinet, Bush said it’s not in America’s interest to “stiff an ally” like Colombia. Bush sent the agreement to Capitol Hill earlier this month, but the House, led by Democrats, decided to eliminate a rule forcing a vote on the deal within 60 legislative days. The House’s decision probably kills consideration of the Colombia agreement this year, leaving it for the next administration.
Zimbabwe’s High Court rejected an opposition demand Monday for the immediate release of long-delayed election results, prolonging a political crisis that has paralyzed this southern African nation for more than two weeks. An opposition spokesman said the party would stage a nationwide “stay-away” from work on Tuesday. The main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, says he won the March 29 election outright, and has accused President Robert Mugabe of holding back the results so he can orchestrate a runoff and ensure his 28-year grip on power.
Center-left leader Walter Veltroni has conceded defeat in Italy’s national elections. Veltroni, speaking on Italian television, said he called conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi to congratulate him on his victory. Veltroni says the result is clear even if the final results are not in yet. RAI state television projected Berlusconi’s bloc with a solid lead in both the house and the Senate. Under Italy’s system, premiers must have control of both houses to govern.
Beijing will implement a series of temporary measures to stop construction and close heavy industries, all aimed at cleaning the city’s notoriously polluted air when the Olympics begin in four months. All digging and pouring of concrete on construction sites will be suspended from July 20-Sept. 20, the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau said. Nineteen heavy-polluting companies also have been told to cut their emissions in the same period by a further 30 percent.
