Carter defends move to meet Hamas chief

AIRPORT CITY Jimmy Carter, the former US President, defended a controversial plan to meet the leader of the violently anti-Israel Hamas and said that he hoped to become a conduit between the militant group and Washington and even Tel Aviv.

“It is absolutely crucial that in the final and dreamt-about and prayed-for peace agreement for this region that Hamas be involved and Syria will be involved,” he said outside Tel Aviv. Mr Carter plans to meet Khaled Mashaal, the exiled supreme leader of the Palestinian group, in Syria this week.

A State Department official said: “We did not think now is the moment for him or anyone to be talking with Hamas”. (AP)

Mobile phone queues

HAVANA Hundreds of people queued up at state-owned telephone offices in Cuba to buy the country's first mobile phones. Thousands are expected to sign up for contracts, even though the cheapest deal costs about nine months in state wages. (Reuters)

Torch relay cancelled

ISLAMABAD Pakistan is scaling down its leg of the Olympic torch relay for security reasons. The torch, which arrives in Pakistan tomorrow, was meant to travel through Islamabad but the relay will now be confined to the Jinnah Stadium. (AFP)

Whaling regrets

TOKYO Japan has described as regrettable its failure to catch 900 whales as intended on its annual five-month hunt. Its fleet is returning after killing about 550 whales, the fishery agency said, blaming “offshore protests” for the reduced catch. (AFP)

Passion killer

CAPE TOWN Two priceless 19th-century rhino horns stolen from a display at a South African museum could be deadly if ground up and sold as a popular aphrodisiac because they were drenched in arsenic to preserve them, officials said. (Reuters)

Bhutto inquiry

ISLAMABAD The Pakistani Parliament passed a resolution urging the Government to allow a UN investigation into the death of Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister who was killed in an attack at an election rally in December. (Reuters)

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Michael Jackson: Not the final chapter
• Indian Army spends10m rupees on golf buggies
• Brüno toned down for 15 rating