World
Security officials in Iran reported threats of additional bombings following those Sunday that killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 100 others in the cities of Ahvaz and Tehran. But they contradicted their own earlier reports of an explosion in a third city west of Tehran. Blame for the attacks has been pinned on "exiled opposition groups" that had infiltrated from neighboring Iraq intent on disrupting Friday's presidential election.
Thirteen Palestinian militant factions, led by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, stopped just short of ending their cease-fire agreement with Israel, accusing the Jewish state of continuing military operations against them. But they warned of an "appropriate response to the ongoing aggression." Militants still operate with virtual impunity in Palestinian areas, although Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas went to the Gaza Strip last week to try to shore up the truce before his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon June 21.
In a major blow to anti-Syrian factions in Lebanon, voters gave recently returned war hero Michel Aoun and his political allies a surprising number of seats in parliament Sunday. Aoun's forces took 21 seats, denying a majority to parties trying to end the dominance of pro-Syrian legislators. Aoun then met with pro-Syrian President Omar Karami but rejected accusations that he has allowed himself to become a tool to undermine the opposition.
A car bomb exploded outside a school in the Indian-controlled sector of Kashmir, killing 12 people and injuring more than 70 others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but intelligence officials blamed the attack on "militants [who] are not happy with the ongoing peace process" and warned of more violence. Tensions in Kashmir had been easing as India and Pakistan exchanged peace initiatives, and a delegation of separatist leaders is in Pakistan to explore options for further progress.
Security guards fired into a crowd of armed men intent on attacking a hotel in Kyrgyzstan owned by a key figure in the protests that toppled President Askar Akayev in March. Four of the would-be attackers were wounded. Last week, another hotel owned by the same family came under attack. Despite the instability, the ex-Soviet republic is scheduled for an election next month to choose Akayev's successor.