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Security Council backs ceasefire in Israel-Lebanon conflict The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a "full cessation of hostilities" in the Israeli-Lebanon war and called for Lebanese and international troops to replace Israeli troops in south Lebanon. U.S. issues warning of terrorist attacks in India The US Embassy in New Delhi, India warned citizens of possible terrorist attacks "in or around New Delhi and Mumbai". The Indian government has said that security has been stepped up, ahead of India's Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

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Australian immigration amendments may have difficulty passing in the Senate After a close vote in the House, proposed amendments to immigration laws face a difficult passage through the Australian Senate with four coalition senators refusing to state whether or not they will support the amendments.

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The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to send a team to Lebanon to investigate alleged abuses by Israel. Lebanese officials claim that Israeli missiles killed 15 civilians in the village of Rachaf 10 kilometres from the border with Israel.

Gevaert and Hellebaut win golden medal at European athletics championships
Kim Gevaert and Tia Hellebaut both won their finals last night in Gothenburg at the European Championships in Athletics. For Gevaert, who already won the 100m sprint three days ago and held third place in the world ranking, 22.68 seconds in the 200 metres was enough to haul in a second golden medal. Russians Yuliya Gushchina (22.93) and Natalya Ruskova (23.09) had to settle for silver and bronze. Hellebaut jumped over 2.01 metres and then only needed one attempt to cross 2.03 metres, unexpectedly winning the high jump event. Favourite Kajsa Bergqvist only finished third, after Venelina Veneva from Bulgaria, who also made 2.03 metres but needed two jumps to succeed.

As Gevaert crossed the finish line cheering, Hellebaut came to congratulate her carrying a Belgian flag. Indeed, the victory of the two 28-year old Belgian women was historical: while Hellebaut bettered the Belgian record, Gevaert was the first Belgian athlete ever to win two golden medals at the European championships. The last women to crown herself in both sprint events was Russian Irina Privalova in 1994. Francis Obikwelu also brought in a sprint double victory for Portugal on Thursday.

Gevaert credited her victory partly to Hellebaut's medal: "I screamed when my friend Tia won the high jump," Gevaert told the gathered European press. "Seeing her gave me so much motivation two minutes before my own start." And she continued: "I wonder what is going on right now in Belgium with three gold medals. It is wonderful for such a small country." Hellebaut admitted that her achievement was "...beyond all expectations."

Gevaert succeeds Muriel Hurtis as European Champion. Hurtis didn't make it past the semi-finals. Four years ago, it was Hurtis who held off Gevaert, who had to settle for silver then. "I was a lot better than four years ago in Munich, when I was four years younger and much more nervous," Gevaert explained.

British Muslims warn Prime Minister Tony Blair over foreign policy
Some of the United Kingdom's most influential British Muslims have written a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair saying that there must be urgent changes to UK foreign policy.

In the memo, they say current government policy musters fanaticism and puts ordinary people at risk in both the United Kingdom and abroad. They also urge the Prime Minister to extend his efforts in tackling terrorism and extremism.

The letter has been signed by three Muslim Members of Parliament, three Muslim peers and thirty-eight Muslim groups including the Muslim Council of Britain, the Muslim Association of Britain, the British Muslim Forum and the Muslim Solidarity Committee.

Sadiq Khan, one of the members of Parliament to sign the letter, condemns the Government’s stance on the Middle East. "This government has had some major foreign policy successes that have helped make the world a better place. But current policy on the Middle East is seen by almost everyone I speak to as unfair and unjust."

"Whether we like it or not such a sense of injustice plays into the hands of extremists. As moderates we will do all we can to fight extremism. We hope the government will join us in this, not just by changing the rules on hand luggage, but by showing itself as an advocate for justice in the world."

In a response to the letter, a 10, Downing Street spokesman said: "We should always remember that the terrorism affecting the West today has blighted Muslim countries for several decades. It certainly pre-dated our decision to support democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq and of course the September 11 attacks. Our foreign policy is focused on supporting the people of those countries in their desire to live in a democracy just as we enjoy in the UK."

Downing Street also said that Tony Blair "stands ready" to meet with Muslim representatives when he returns to the UK from his holiday in the Caribbean.

The letter comes after police foiled an alleged attempt by terrorists to blow up several planes travelling mid-air from the United Kingdom to the United States of America.

Security Council backs ceasefire in Israel-Lebanon conflict
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved Resolution 1701 calling for a "full cessation of hostilities" in the Israeli-Lebanon war and for international and Lebanese troops to replace Israeli troops in south Lebanon.

The UN decree comes on the heels of an Israeli government decision to expand its offensive in Lebanon. Sources say that Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert will bring the UN resolution to cabinet for discussion on Sunday. Daniel Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States, said that his government was likely to agree to the resolution.

"I do not want to preempt the Cabinet decision, but the language as I see it now -- and I'm being careful -- if the language of the resolution doesn't change, I view this resolution very positively and, of course, the crux is implementation," Ayalon said. "If this resolution will be enforced, then we solve the problem of Lebanon," said the Israeli envoy.

Hezbollah officials have not responded to the UN action. The Lebanese cabinet meets Saturday to discuss the resolution.

Lebanese leaders have cautiously welcomed the resolution which had been delayed for almost a week due to negotiations over its wording.

The resolution calls for Hezbollah to end its attacks on Israel and for Israel to end "offensive military operations" in Lebanon. It also raises the strength of the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force (Unifil), from 2,000 to a maximum of 15,000, and gives it an expanded mandate to enforce the ceasefire. A portion of the UN language expanding that force's Chapter 6 mandate reads: "Acting in support of a request from the government of Lebanon to deploy an international force to assist it to exercise its authority throughout the territory, authorizes Unifil to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind... "

The U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, responding on Friday during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer to the difference between a UN Chapter 7 mandate, and the current mandate for Unifil in Lebanon said:

So this force has a big mandate, it has a robust mandate, it has a mandate that will allow it to defend itself and to defend that mandate. But it's never been the expectation that this force is going to disarm Hezbollah. That will have to be done by the Lebanese...

...Chapter 7 is very often used when a government is not prepared to accept a force. Lebanon is prepared to accept this force, but this is an absolutely robust mandate. This, by the way, is what helped the Israeli government. They were concerned earlier about the mandate. After we talked about this enhanced mandate in the revised resolution, I think the government of Israel saw that it met their needs.

Israel is to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon as UN and Lebanese troops are deployed. The resolution outlines plans for the disarmament of Hezbollah and for a settlement of the Israeli-Lebanese border.

The UN also called for the unconditional release by Hezbollah of two Israeli soldiers it captured on July 12th, precipitating the conflict.

123 Israelis, including 40 civilians, and 861 Lebanese, mostly civilians, have been killed in the 31-day old war.

Today in History
1521 - Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc was captured and the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán fell to forces led by Conquistador Hernán Cortés after an extended siege.

1704 - The Battle of Blenheim, a pivotal event of the War of the Spanish Succession, took place. England and Austria claim victory over France and Bavaria.

1913 - Harry Brearley developed stainless steel.

1961 - Construction of the Berlin Wall, a long barrier separating West Berlin from East Berlin and the surrounding territory of East Germany, began.

August 13 is Independence Day for the Central African Republic (1960)

Quote of the Day

"Make the world better."
~ Lucy Stone

Word of the Day

of that ilk; adj

Having a surname that is the same as the place where one lives.

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