Ukrainian Leaders Sign Statement to cool Political Crisis

Ukaine: Ukraine's president and prime minister have agreed to renounce provocative actions and hold parliamentary elections on September 30th.
In a joint statement published today (Sunday) on President Viktor Yushchenko's official website, the two, along with the speaker of parliament, also agreed to have the legislature meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to enact bills for conducting fair, transparent, and democratic elections.
Mr. Yushchenko says the agreement means the crisis in Ukraine is over. The announcement came after two days of talks between the president and prime minister.
In April Mr. Yushchenko had ordered parliament dissolved and called for new elections after Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and his supporters persuaded 11 lawmakers from other parties to join the opposition coalition.
Mr. Yanukovych and his allies defied the president and refused to dissolve parliament. They also refused to authorize funds to hold a new election.

Afghanistan: The Taleban has released three Afghan aid workers the group abducted along with two of their French colleagues in early April.
A Taleban spokesman said today (Sunday) the Afghan men were freed late Saturday in southwestern Nimroz province.
Various sources have confirmed the men were released, and are on their way home.
The Taleban spokesman says the men were let go after they were found not guilty of espionage, and because of numerous requests by local elders in Nimroz.
The Taleban released the two French aid workers unharmed weeks ago.
The militant group had demanded France withdraw its troops serving with the NATO mission in Afghanistan in exchange for their release.
Separately, Afghan police said today (Sunday) two policemen and 10 Taleban militants were killed Saturday when the insurgents attacked a police post in (the Shah Walikot district of) southern Kandahar province.

Israel – Palestinians: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reacted strongly to the latest deadly Palestinian attack on Israeli civilians, saying there will be no limit in Israel's action against terrorists.
At his weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), Mr. Olmert repeated a vow to continue military action to put an end to Hamas militant attacks. He said no one involved in terror is immune.
The Israeli prime minister made his comments after Israeli authorities said (today / Sunday) one of two Palestinian rockets fired from the Gaza Strip today killed one civilian and wounded another in the southern Israeli town of Sderot. Officials say two other rockets struck Sderot earlier in the day, but caused no casualties.
Reports say Hamas militants claimed responsibility for all four rocket attacks.

Iran – EU – Nuclear: Iran says talks on its nuclear program, scheduled for this week with the European Union, have been postponed.
Iran's official IRNA news agency today (Sunday) quotes a foreign ministry spokesman as saying both Tehran and the EU agreed to the postponement, but he did not give a new date for the meeting.
Iran' top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana had been slated to meet Thursday, possibly in Madrid, Spain.
The talks between Iran and the EU are aimed at breaking a deadlock on Iran's controversial nuclear program. Iran has ignored United Nations resolutions ordering it to stop enriching uranium.

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