In Brief

* STRIP SHOWDOWN – Thousands of Israeli po-lice blocked approaches to the Gaza Strip to keep back radical Jewish protesters in the final countdown to Israel’s pullout from occupied territory due to begin this week.

Jewish settlers refusing to leave Gaza have decided to lock the entry gates of their enclaves to soldiers due to come today to urge inhabitants to go voluntarily or be forcibly ejected starting on Wednesday, Israeli media said. * HARDLINE HEAVE – Iran’s new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has submitted for approval a cabinet list putting hardliners in charge of foreign affairs, intelligence and several other key ministries.The former Teheran mayor, who won a stunning election victory in June, is a religious conservative who has vowed to tackle poverty and corruption in the Islamic Republic and pursue an independent foreign policy.* KOREAN CONCILIATION – North and South Koreans have started celebrating the 60th anniversary of independence from Japanese colonial rule amid calls for unification despite an unresolved crisis over Pyongyang’s nuclear plans.The four-day event highlights renewed exchanges between the two Koreas and comes during a recess in six-country talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.* FAIR PLAY FIRST – Kyrgyzstan’s new president, the first leader in ex-Soviet Central Asia to be elected in a vote judged fair by foreign observers, took office pledging to stamp out corruption in the impoverished state.President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was sworn in on the capital Bishkek’s main square after winning nearly 90 per cent of the vote last month in an election to find a successor to President Askar Akayev, ousted during protests and a coup in March.* CASH CRUNCH – The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo may have to cut back on military operations or election preparations unless it gets a quick cash infusion, UN officials said at the weekend.The UN operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world body’s biggest peacekeeping mission, is sounding out the 15-nation UN Security Council on whether it can get around the cash crunch by tapping US$103 million earmarked in the budget for election support but not yet approved for spending.* ERITREAN EXPECTATIONS – Good rains are expected to improve Eritrean food production this year but labour shortages, flash floods and locusts could undermine the country’s food security, a UN report says.Eritrea is one of the most food-aid-dependent countries in the world, two-thirds of its 3,6 million people require food aid in 2005 following persistent drought and conflict with neighbouring Ethiopia.- Nampa-Reuters* HARDLINE HEAVE – Iran’s new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has submitted for approval a cabinet list putting hardliners in charge of foreign affairs, intelligence and several other key ministries.The former Teheran mayor, who won a stunning election victory in June, is a religious conservative who has vowed to tackle poverty and corruption in the Islamic Republic and pursue an independent foreign policy.* KOREAN CONCILIATION – North and South Koreans have started celebrating the 60th anniversary of independence from Japanese colonial rule amid calls for unification despite an unresolved crisis over Pyongyang’s nuclear plans.The four-day event highlights renewed exchanges between the two Koreas and comes during a recess in six-country talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.* FAIR PLAY FIRST – Kyrgyzstan’s new president, the first leader in ex-Soviet Central Asia to be elected in a vote judged fair by foreign observers, took office pledging to stamp out corruption in the impoverished state.President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was sworn in on the capital Bishkek’s main square after winning nearly 90 per cent of the vote last month in an election to find a successor to President Askar Akayev, ousted during protests and a coup in March.* CASH CRUNCH – The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo may have to cut back on military operations or election preparations unless it gets a quick cash infusion, UN officials said at the weekend.The UN operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world body’s biggest peacekeeping mission, is sounding out the 15-nation UN Security Council on whether it can get around the cash crunch by tapping US$103 million earmarked in the budget for election support but not yet approved for spending.* ERITREAN EXPECTATIONS – Good rains are expected to improve Eritrean food production this year but labour shortages, flash floods and locusts could undermine the country’s food security, a UN report says.Eritrea is one of the most food-aid-dependent countries in the world, two-thirds of its 3,6 million people require food aid in 2005 following persistent drought and conflict with neighbouring Ethiopia.- Nampa-Reuters