Russia urged not to sell Iran missiles

The United States pressed Russia on Friday to halt missile sales to Iran amid international efforts to defuse a standoff with Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

The U.S. wants other countries that are concerned about Iran’s nuclear intentions to use their influence, be it cutoffs of trade ties or, in Russia’s case, cancellation of a planned sale of Tor-M1 air defense missile systems.

“We think it’s time for countries to use their leverage individually, and we think it’s time for countries to band together collectively to make the same effort,” said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.

The United States and its allies claim Tehran is seeking a bomb under cover of a peaceful civilian nuclear energy program; Iran denies it.

Burns’ call for individual nations to do what they can to isolate Iran sets up an alternate way to apply pressure to the clerical regime outside the U.N. Security Council’s current review of the Iranian nuclear program.

Gaza City, Gaza Strip

Abbas, Hamas vie over security force

President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday vetoed Hamas’ plan to set up a security force of 4,000 militants, but Hamas insisted it would go ahead, deepening the bitterest clash yet between the Islamic group and the moderate Palestinian leader.

Hamas, which ousted Abbas’ Fatah Party from power in January parliamentary elections, had spoken in the past of incorporating militants into the Fatah-dominated Palestinian security forces.

But the concept of a shadow security force headed by the No. 2 fugitive on Israel’s wanted list appeared to go too far for Abbas, who favors talks with Israel and is trying to keep the West from shunning the Palestinians over Hamas’ violently anti-Israel ideology.

Hamas’ proposed security force would draw members from various militant factions. The force is to be headed by Jamal Abu Samhadana, 43, a founder of the small Popular Resistance Committees, which blew up three Israeli tanks in 2002 and 2003, killing seven Israeli soldiers.

London

Hairstyling bills a perk of victory?

Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour Party spent $13,700 on hairstyling bills for his wife, Cherie, during last year’s monthlong general election campaign, a newspaper reported Friday.

The party would not comment on the report’s accuracy, but suggested there was nothing wrong with such expenditures.

“So what?” a Labour spokeswoman said, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with party policy. “Mrs. Blair worked fantastically hard during the election. … She is enormously popular with the party and, don’t forget, we won the election.”

The Times newspaper said the party had listed the styling bills as an election expense – $490-a-day for a month of campaigning – in its mandatory declaration to the Electoral Commission.