WORLD NEWS

• Status of Jerusalem should be negotiated by parties: US

  AFP – Tue Dec 8, 4:46 pm ET
  AFP/File

  WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States Tuesday noted an EU statement welcoming the idea of Jerusalem becoming the future capital of two states, saying the US view was that the parties should decide that in final status negotiations. Full Story »

• French police recover jewelry stolen from Cartier

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 3:18 pm ET

  PARIS - Police say they have recovered nearly euro800,000 ($1,181,900) in jewels stolen last month in a holdup at a Cartier jewelry store in the southeastern French city of Lyon. Full Story »

• EU deplores Turkey's failure to treat Cyprus properly

  AFP – Tue Dec 8, 3:01 pm ET
  AFP

  BRUSSELS (AFP) - European foreign ministers criticised Turkey on Tuesday for failing to deal normally with Cyprus and opted to keep the brakes on Ankara's attempt to join the European Union. Full Story »

• UK believed Iraqi weapons had been dismantled

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 2:27 pm ET

  LONDON - Britain believed Iraq had dismantled its chemical and biological weapons in the run-up to the 2003 invasion but thought it was possible they could be reassembled, the former head of the country's Joint Intelligence Committee said Tuesday. Full Story »

• Russian fire chief suspended in deadly blaze probe

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 2:06 pm ET
  AP

  MOSCOW - The fire chief of a Russian city where a nightclub blaze killed 119 revelers was suspended along with five subordinates Tuesday and authorities said inspection records for the club appear to have been falsified. Full Story »

• Belarusian opposition activists abducted

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 1:29 pm ET

  MINSK, Belarus - Men appearing to be law enforcement officers have abducted four Belarusian opposition activists in an attempt to scare them away from political activity in the repressive former Soviet republic, a human rights organization said Tuesday. Full Story »

• Lawyers for Guantanamo prisoner to get documents

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 1:05 pm ET

  LONDON - The last British resident imprisoned at Guantanamo won the right Tuesday to see documents his lawyers believe will show that he was tortured. The British government immediately announced an appeal. Full Story »

• Pope keeps Spanish Steps tradition in Rome

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 12:56 pm ET
  AP

  ROME - Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday lamented what he described as a steady diet of news about evil in the world, saying it hardens hearts, as he prayed at the Spanish Steps in a Christmas season tradition. Full Story »

• Russian court rules against Jehovah's Witnesses

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 12:52 pm ET

  MOSCOW - Russia's highest court on Tuesday upheld a ruling halting the activities of a regional branch of Jehovah's Witnesses and banning dozens of its publications in what the group deplored as an unfair move. Full Story »

• US, Russia face off at World Court over Kosovo

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 11:44 am ET

  THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The United States and Russia faced off over Kosovo at the United Nation's highest court on Tuesday, with the U.S. arguing the world should honor Kosovo's declaration of independence while Russia insisted it was still part of Serbia. Full Story »

• France denies snubbing Britain on EU farm talks

  AFP – Tue Dec 8, 11:32 am ET
  AFP

  PARIS (AFP) - France denied on Tuesday it had snubbed Britain by not inviting its agriculture minister to talks on the future of Europe's farm subsidies, and said it was happy for London to send an "observer" instead. Full Story »

• EU says Jerusalem 'future capital of two states'

  AFP – Tue Dec 8, 11:18 am ET
  AFP

  BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU nations agreed on Tuesday that Jerusalem should be the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian state, assuaging Israeli anger over earlier mention of east Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Full Story »

• EU: Jerusalem should be joint capital

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 11:12 am ET

  BRUSSELS - European Union foreign ministers urged Israel and the Palestinians on Tuesday to make Jerusalem their shared capital, prompting a swift, angry reaction from Israel. Full Story »

• EU urges Israel to share Jerusalem

  Reuters – Tue Dec 8, 10:12 am ET

  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union on Tuesday urged Israel to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians as part of a Middle East peace agreement and make the holy city the capital of two states. Full Story »

• Suspect in Nazi trial admits killings

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 9:34 am ET
  AP

  AACHEN, Germany - A former member of the Nazi SS being tried for murder admitted in court Tuesday that he killed three Dutch civilians during World War II, but insisted he was following orders. Full Story »

• Russian official: arms deal with US this month

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 9:29 am ET

  MOSCOW - Russia and the United States expect to strike a new nuclear arms treaty this month, a senior Kremlin aide told Russian news agencies Tuesday. Full Story »

• Turkish court ponders fate of Pro-Kurdish party

  AP – Tue Dec 8, 7:22 am ET

  ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's highest court began deliberations Tuesday on a case seeking to close down the country's pro-Kurdish party and expel several party members from parliament on charges of ties to Kurdish rebels. Full Story »

• G77 says Danish climate text 'threatens success' of UN talks

  AFP – Tue Dec 8, 4:21 pm ET
  AFP/SCANPIX

  COPENHAGEN (AFP) - A Danish draft proposal for a political agreement "threatens the success" of UN climate talks in Copenhagen, the head of the G77 group of countries said Tuesday at the summit aimed at sealing a historic deal on cutting carbon emissions.