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Obama, Merkel praise U.S.-German ties

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Germany has been a strong U.S. ally on many international issues, including being a leading voice on climate change, President Barack Obama said Tuesday.

"We appreciate the sacrifices of German soldiers in Afghanistan, and our common work there to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan ...," Obama said during a joint White House media availability with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"I should just note that Germany has been an extraordinarily strong ally on a whole host of international issues," Obama said. "Chancellor Merkel has been an extraordinary leader on the issue of climate change. And the United States, Germany, and countries around the world I think are all beginning to recognize why it is so important that we work in common in order to stem the potential catastrophe that could result if we continue to see global warming continuing unabated."

Obama and Merkel met before she addressed Congress -- the first German chancellor to do so in 50 years.

"And it is, I think, a very appropriate honor that's been bestowed on Chancellor Merkel," he said.

Merkel said she and Obama are "working and discussing issues ... related to climate change, Afghanistan, Iran, and obviously also the world economic situation."

She said she also wanted to thank the U.S. people for their support "given us throughout the process leading up to German reunification."

Leaders urge Iran to accept uranium deal

TEHRAN, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- International leaders urged Iran to respond quickly to a uranium enrichment proposal after the International Atomic Energy Agency extended a deadline again.

"We both want to see a prompt response from the Iranian regime in respect of the Tehran research reactor proposal," Miliband said Monday during a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

Miliband said IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei gave Iran another 48 hours "to come up with a serious response," CNN reported.

The draft, supported by the United States, France and Russia, calls for Iran to ship low-enriched uranium to another country, possibly Russia, for refinement. The material would be returned to Iran usable for civilian purposes.

Tehran counter-proposed that its uranium be enriched in-country by a third country supervised by IAEA, ElBaradei said. Iran also suggested shipping uranium in several shipments, not all at once.

In his final speech before the U.N. General Assembly Monday, ElBaradei said Iran needs "to be as forthcoming as possible in responding soon to my recent proposal ... aimed to engage Iran in a series of measures that could build confidence and trust, and open the way for comprehensive and substantive dialogue between Iran and the international community."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Iran's decision on the offer was critical, the Iranian government-supported Press TV reported.

Clinton said the deal won't be altered, Voice of America said.

"It is the proposal that they agreed to in principal, so that we can move forward and work with Iran on a full range of issues including, but not limited to, their nuclear program," she said.

Terror sweep nets 13 in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Thirteen suspects allegedly linked to bomb-making networks were arrested in Kirkuk and near Abu Gharayb and Muqdadiyah, Iraqi security forces said.

The 13 were arrested Monday in three operations targeting bomb makers who primarily attach explosives to moving vehicles, the Multi-National Force Iraq said in a release.

Of the two suspects arrested in Kirkuk, one allegedly was involved in a June 20 attack in Taza that killed more than 90 people.

Near Muqdadiyah, two terror suspects were arrested during an unsuccessful search for a man alleged to have financial connections to al-Qaida in Iraq, the release said.

The remaining suspects were arrested Monday during a search of several buildings near Abu Gharayb. Those suspects allegedly confessed to having contacts with al-Qaida in Iraq, the release said.

Czech court rules Lisbon Treaty legal

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- A Czech court rejected a legal challenge to the Lisbon Treaty Tuesday, paving the way for its adoption in the country, observers said.

The court case, brought by conservative lawmakers who contended the EU treaty wasn't compatible with national laws, was the last roadblock standing in the way of its ratification by Czech President Vaclav Klaus, the EUobserver reported.

Pavel Rychetsky, the court's chief justice, told state-run TV he had determined the treaty "is not in conflict with the constitutional law of the Czech Republic."

The country is the last EU member state to fully ratify the treaty, which must have the approval of all members to put its provisions into effect. The process had been held up by Klaus, a strong Euroskeptic and opponent of the strengthened EU authority that Lisbon would bring.

The EUobserver said Klaus climbed down from his opposition last week by offering to sign the accord if the Czech Republic was given the power to opt out of the requirements of the treaty's human rights charter.

EU members seek balance in president post

BRUSSELS, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The new European Council presidential post shouldn't be allowed to elbow out the powers of the EU's rotating country presidencies, leaders say.

The prime ministers of Spain, Belgium and Hungary -- the next three countries in line to assume the rotating six-month EU presidency -- said last week that new presidential position created by the nearly-ratified Lisbon Treaty should not be allowed to usurp their authority to run the EU's day-to-day operations, the EUobserver reported Tuesday.

Meeting in Brussels to present a common front for 18 months of cooperation beginning in January, the three prime ministers called for a balance of power under the new Lisbon Treaty structure.

"The future of Europe does not depend on one person ... the future of Europe depends on institutions," Belgian leader Herman Van Rompuy said, while Hungarian counterpart Gordon Bajnai asserted that "more time" is needed to "decide the role of the president and his relation to the rotating president."

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that when his country assumes the EU presidency starting Jan. 1, he will seek to lay down the foundations for how the system will work in the future, the EUobserver said.

At least 3 die when boat capsized

SYDNEY, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- At least three people died after a boatload of asylum-seekers sank in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia, Australian officials said.

Officials said all survivors -- 27 men believed to be from Sri Lanka -- will be taken to Christmas Island, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday.

Officials said they believe 39 people were aboard the boat when it sank 350 nautical miles off the Cocos Islands Sunday.

Saradha Nathan, head of the Australian Tamil Congress's internally displaced people crisis team, said a group of men recently left eastern Sri Lanka in a boat. She told the Australian broadcaster several families have contacted her, saying they haven't heard from their male relatives since they left several weeks ago.

"That was not the only boat that has left Sri Lanka so they are fearful at the moment," Nathan said. "They're not sure so they're very anxious to find out if their relatives are okay."

Opposition leader Tony Abbott tied the boat sinking to the government's border protection policies, calling Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's policy a failure.

"You've got to say that this is a comprehensive failure and it's all the prime minister's fault," Abbott said. "He was the person who advertised that we changed our policy. He broadcast to the people smugglers that we were now going to be much more humane, which is code for the welcome mat is out."