World Briefs

A man dressed as Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, and his Black Peters arrive by boat in the harbour of Hardewijk in the Netherlands yesterday. The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280–342 AD), patron saint of children and sailors, which takes place on December 6. On the Sinterklaas eve of December 5, children receive presents. (AFP)

Suicide bombers attack Nato base

A group of would-be suicide bombers tried to storm a major Nato base in eastern Afghanistan early yesterday but were repelled before they could enter, officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack – their second assault on the Nato base and an adjoining airport outside Jalalabad city in six months.

The militants attacked the Afghan army checkpoint outside the Jalalabad base shortly after dawn, sparking a gunbattle that lasted at least two hours and involved Nato helicopters firing from overhead, said Sgt Abdullah Hamdard, a national army commander at the site.

A spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial government, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, confirmed the attack and said eight assailants were killed –including two who were wearing explosives vests.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said there were 14 attackers and that 11 of them were killed, though the insurgent group typically gives inflated numbers. (PA)

Palestinians urged to rejoin peace talks

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague urged the Palestinians to rejoin Middle East peace talks yesterday despite “disappointing” Israeli settlement activity.

Mr Hague made the case in a routine phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“I made clear to President Abbas that I was very disappointed by the settlement activity in East Jerusalem this week,” he said.

“However, I continue to believe that the current talks offer a genuine chance to make progress, and that the priority of all parties should be returning to them as soon as possible.”

The talks broke down last September when the Israelis refused to extend a moratorium on settlement building despite international appeals.

Last week, Tel Aviv announced plans to build new homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton secured agreement yesterday from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek the resumption of the talks. (PA)

Iran arms warning

Nigeria says it will take action against Iran if an investigation shows it broke international law and United Nations sanctions in an arms smuggling case.

The artillery rockets and other weapons, loaded in 13 shipping containers labelled as building supplies, were seized on October 26 at a port in Lagos. An international cargo shipper has said one of its ships picked up the containers from Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

Nigeria’s security service believes the arms were imported by local politicians to destabilise the country if they lost in the hotly-contested upcoming elections. (PA)

Pirates hijack ship

Pirates hijacked a cargo ship with 29 Chinese sailors aboard in the Arabian Sea and told the shipping company they were taking it towards Somalia, China said.

The attack came just two days after another 17 Chinese sailors returned home after being held by Somali pirates for four months. It also highlights the spread of piracy to areas outside the Gulf of Aden, a hijack hotspot now patrolled by international forces.

An official with the China Marine Rescue Centre said the Panama-flagged Yuan Xiang was attacked in an area outside the region where China’s navy was part of the multi-national patrol force. (PA)

‘Lebanon tension rising’– Ban Ki-moon

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon warned political tensions in Lebanon had increased markedly before expected indictments by the UN-backed tribunal set up to prosecute the killers of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

In a report to the UN Security Council Mr Ban said “confrontation” over the tribunal “has led to a deterioration in the political consensus that had prevailed” since Lebanon’s national unity government was formed in 2009.

Tribunal president Judge Antonio Cassese said last week he hoped prosecutors would issue an indictment by December over the 2005 truck bombing that killed Mr Hariri and 22 others on Beirut’s Mediterranean waterfront. (PA)