Ex-KGB agent to own a major British newspaper

A Russian billionaire and former KGB agent is set to buy a major British newspaper, in the first instance of a former member of a foreign intelligence service owning a UK title.

Former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev will own the ailing Evening Standard after buying a major stake in the British newspapero on Friday.

Under the terms of the deal, Lebedev will purchase 76 per cent of the newspaper and the Associated Newspapers group will retain remaining 24 per cent.

His son Evgeny, who lives in London, is due to sign the deal on Friday.

The deal was finalised after a year of secret negotiations with Lord Rothermere, the owner of the newspaper and the chairman of the Daily Mail & General Trust.

Speaking to Guardian Lebedev praised the paper and said he used to read the Evening Standard and other British newspapers and other British newspapers when he was posted at the Soviet embassy in London in the late 1980s.

The Standard was "a very good newspaper" with some "brilliant journalists," Lebedev said adding that the Daily Mail was a "highly influential" title that closely reflected British public attitudes.

"I had to read every newspaper. I was there for that. I had to read the FT, the Guardian, Standard and the Daily Mail," he added.

He said he has no intention of interfering in British politics if he becomes the Standard's new owner and promised an "absolutely" hands-off approach in deciding paper's editorial line.

"My influence would be next to zero," he added.

Kazakh lawmakers approve election law change

Kazakh lawmakers approved legislation onThursday to guarantee at least two political parties are represented in parliament, a move designed to improve the Central Asian nation's tarnished democratic credentials.

Oil-rich Kazakhstan has come under pressure to step up efforts to improve political freedoms in advance of its chairmanship of a trans-Atlantic rights organization next year.

Critics accuse President Nursultan Nazarbayev of stamping out all political opposition. International observers denounced elections in 2007 that resulted in the pro-presidential Nur Otan party taking all the seats in parliament's lower chamber.

Under the new rules, the party that wins the second largest number of votes will still be allocated seats even if it fails to pass the 7 percent threshold normally needed to get seats.

Several opposition parties say the changes do not go far enough to instill fully functional democratic processes and warned they would boycott the next parliamentary elections if the change is approved.

They have called for the threshold for entry into parliament to be lowered to no more than 3 percent and that representatives from all parties participating should have members on the electoral commission.

The amendments require presidential approval, which is expected.

Deputies also approved separate measures to streamline the registration of political parties. The number of enlisted members required to register parties will be lowered by one-fifth to 40,000, including a minimum of 600 signatories from each province in the country.

In it is bid to become the first former Soviet state to serve as chair of the 56-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Kazakhstan promised to implement a raft of reforms to upgrade election laws.

Critics say the approved amendments do not reflect OSCE standards

Last Ethiopian troops leave Somali capital

The last Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's fragile government left the Somali capital on Thursday, the prime minister said, as Islamist forces took control of bases that the Ethiopians had vacated.

The pullout came a day after an extremist Islamic group said it now will focus its attacks on the thousands of African Union peacekeepers based in Mogadishu, underscoring fears the country could collapse into further chaos.

Ethiopia's prime minister said he could not predict what will happen when his troops leave Somalia completely, but he expected the extremist Islamic group, al-Shabab, and others to try and seize power.

``It would be strange if the Shabab and others did not try to capitalize on the fact that a significant proportion of the peacekeeping operation in Somalia was leaving and to try to fill in whatever vacuum they feel there is,'' Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told journalists in Addis Ababa.

``But at the moment, what will happen next is an open question,'' Zenawi said.

Ethiopia handed over security duties Tuesday following a two-year deployment. Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government had called in the Ethiopian troops in December 2006 to oust an umbrella Islamic group _ which included the al-Shabab extremists _ that had controlled southern Somalia and the capital for six months.

The Ethiopian army, one of Africa's largest, was viewed by many Somalis as abusive and heavy-handed. But few expect the Somali government now can ensure security. It controls only pockets of the capital, Mogadishu, and Baidoa, where parliament sits _ and has tried to rule without a president for weeks.

Thousands of civilians have been killed in fighting in the past year, particularly in the capital, and hundreds of thousands have fled the violence.

Since Tuesday's handover, Islamic insurgents have continued attacking government installations such as presidential palace. At least 24 civilians were killed and more than 50 wounded in violence Wednesday, medical staff reported.

``The Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from the capital,'' said Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, speaking to journalists at the airport before leaving the country. ``The city is now safe. I urge government troops and other groups to work together toward keeping peace in the city.''

Hussein did not tell journalists his destination but said he will be a candidate when the Somali parliament convenes to elect a new president. The African Union has said that election is scheduled for next week in Djibouti.

Abdullahi Yusuf resigned from the presidency last month, saying he had lost control of the country to Islamic insurgents. Since then parliament's speaker has been acting president until a new one is elected before the end of January.

The departure of the Ethiopians has raised fears of a power vacuum at a time when Somalia is also facing rampant piracy off its coast. The country has not had a functioning government since 1991, when rival warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other.

The Ethiopians announced late last year they would end their unpopular presence as demanded under an October power-sharing deal signed between the Somali government and a relatively moderate faction of the Islamists. But even with their help, few expect the Somali force can establish order.

Al-Shabab, which the U.S. State Department considers a terrorist organization with links to al-Qaida, says it wants to establish an Islamic state in Somalia.

Still, some Mogadishu residents continue to welcome the Ethiopian withdrawal.

Sahro Sheik Yusuf, a mother of four who fled her house in southern Mogadishu two years ago because the Ethiopians had a base nearby, said Thursday was a special day for her.

``I feel as if I'm liberated today. I'm ecstatic,'' said Yusuf, adding she had lived in a camp outside Mogadishu without running water and waste all around her. ``I'm happy to return to my home. I'm happy to be here even if I don't get something to eat.''

Wax Obama unveiled at Berlin's Madame Tussauds

Barack Obama's wax doppelganger has already taken office in Berlin _ five days before the real-life Obama takes over in Washington.

Standing between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Madame Tussauds' newest museum, the president-elect is shown smiling broadly with his arms crossed across his chest.

``He looks very happy and like he might be in for a reality check,'' said Nancy Green, events coordinator for Democrats Abroad in Berlin.

Eight identical wax Obama figures will be displayed in each of the Madame Tussauds museums worldwide.

Berlin's Madame Tussauds made headlines on its opening day last July when one of the first visitors ripped the head off a wax figure of Adolf Hitler. The museum anticipates a much smoother reception for the next American president.

``He's quite popular in Berlin,'' said Madame Tussauds spokeswoman Natalie Ruoss. In July, Obama spoke to a crowd of more than 200,000 in the German capital.

The first wax Obama was unveiled in February in Washington, D.C. Figures in London, Amsterdam, New York and Las Vegas were also to be unveiled on Thursday, while those in Hong Kong and Shanghai will ``take office'' on Obama's actual Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

The figures are created using professional sculptors and over 300 detailed measurements, at a cost of roughly $263,260 (euro200,000) each.

Israel pointman on Gaza in Egypt for truce talks

Israel's point-man on Gaza was in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian truce mediators on the ``end game'' of the Gaza offensive, the Israeli government spokesman said.

The development came as Israeli troops pushed deeper into the densely populated Gaza City on the 20th day of the offensive to rout out Hamas militants. Israeli tanks shelled the crowded downtown, sending terrified residents fleeing for cover.

Witnesses and U.N. officials said Israeli shells struck the United Nations headquarters building that serves as a shelter for hundreds of people, setting it ablaze.

The Israeli push ratcheted up pressure on Hamas to accept a proposed cease-fire. It also came as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was in Israel trying to promote a cease-fire.

Mark Regev said Israel wants a total end to Hamas' rocket launches into Israel, and an arms embargo on Gaza's militant rulers.

``There is momentum in these discussions,'' Regev told Associated Press Television News. ``We are hopeful that a deal will be based on a total cessation of Hamas fire into Israel and an arms embargo to prevent Hamas from rearming is close and attainable.''

Regev said the Israeli envoy _ Amos Gilad, who flew to Egypt on a private plane _ will discuss the ``parameters of the end game. He will not be meeting Hamas envoys who are also in town.

Gaza-based Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said the deeper incursion reflected ``pressure'' on his group.

``I think Israel is seeking in the last moments to escalate the military operation to pressure the parties,'' Hamad told The Associated Press. ``I don't think this will change the issues on the table.''

Hamad said his group has offered amendments to Egypt's original peace proposal, and he expected the Egyptians will convey them to the Israelis. ``Consultations are continuing,'' he said.

Hamas' deputy chief Moussa Abou Marzouk, who is based in Damascus, told Al-Arabiya television that Hamas demands an immediate cease-fire, to be followed by Israeli troop withdrawal and the opening of the border for humanitarian aid.

A long term truce is to be discussed later, Marzouk said, adding he expected ``clear answers'' from the Israelis through the Egyptians on Thursday.

In Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hamas' top ally, called on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to break his ``silence'' over Gaza and speak out over ``the massacre of your children in Gaza,'' the official Iranian news agency reported.

Saudi Arabia is overwhelmingly Sunni, as are the Palestinians.

Ahmadinejad said a firm Saudi stand would dash hopes of those who want to create rifts among Islamic countries.

In an interview Wednesday with Al-Manar television, Ahmadinejad said Arab governments should exert pressure ``on the protectors of the Zionist entity'' rather than ``putting pressure on Hamas.''

He urged Arab states to pressure Israel's Western backers to stop the fighting and to cut all ties with Israel, and also dismissed allegations Iran is urging Hamas to reject Egyptian truce efforts.

Israel says it launched the offensive Dec. 27 to stop rocket fire against southern Israeli towns by Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Iran is Hamas' main backer, providing political and financial support. Iran denies sending Hamas weapons.

Meanwhile, an emergency summit of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, called by Saudi Arabia to discuss Gaza, is to take place in Riyadh later Thursday.

But a separate summit by Arab League heads of state called by Qatar for Friday in Doha was in doubt as Qatar couldn't get a two-thirds majority of the organization to attend.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are against the Doha summit, believing it could scuttle Egyptian efforts to broker a truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Gaza medical officials say 1,100 Palestinians have been killed since Israel's offensive started Dec. 27.

Naxals attack control room of mobile tower

Armed maoists attacked the control room of a mobile tower with bombs at village Anwarpur under Sarai police station in Bihar's Vaishali district early Thursday morning to enforce their 24-hour bandh in North Bihar to protest against alleged atrocities on their top leaders lodged in Central Jail in Bhagalpur.

Superintendent of Police (Vaishali) Parasnath said over 100 ultras threw bombs at the control room of a private mobile company and partially damaged it.

One live bomb and some naxal papers were recovered by police from the spot, Parasnath said.

The outlawed CPI (Maoist) has called the bandh to protest against alleged atrocities perpetrated by the authorities on its top leaders lodged in Bhagalpur Central Jail.

According to reports, a senior leader of the maoists Rampravesh Baitha alias Satish Ji alias Rakesh Ji was allegedly assaulted by the jail authorities and policemen. It was also being alleged that the naxalite leader was not being treated properly in the jail hospital.

Baitha, secretary of Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Uttar Bihar area committee of the ultra-left outfit, was arrested from Patna on May 9 last year

BSP in LS poll mode in Delhi; announces four candidates

Jumping into the Lok Sabha electoral fray in the national capital, Mayawati-led BSP has declared candidates, including a billionaire who unsuccessfully contested the Delhi assembly polls, for four constituencies.

Three of the four candidates chosen are Muslims, a move described by BSP Delhi unit president Brahma Singh Bidhuri as "part of a strategy". The BSP has declared candidates for South Delhi, East Delhi, Chandni Chowk and Northeast Delhi.

Kanwar Singh Tanwar, who lost the last assembly elections from Chhattarpur seat, has been selected to fight from South Delhi parliamentary constituency. Tanwar, BSP's Delhi general secretary, had declared assets worth more than Rs 100 crore during the Assembly elections.

The candidate for East Delhi, Asif Khan is a neurologist at a leading private hospital in Delhi. Haji Mustaqeem and Haji Dilshad will contest from Chandni Chowk and Northeast Delhi seats,.

"We have selected four candidates for the coming Lok Sabha polls. Announcements for the remaining three seats will be made very soon," Bidhuri told PTI.

Party sources said BSP chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is expected to hold a meeting with Delhi leaders on Saturday to discuss strategy for the upcoming elections and even the names of candidates on the remaining three seats.

However, though the party has announced the list of candidates on four seats, changes could be made in the future before the elections, sources said