Tweet
U.S. to pledge $500 million toward helping rehabilitate PA
The money would go toward a goal of $5.6 billion that former British prime minister Tony Blair hopes to raise to rescue the tattered Palestinian economy and reinforce institutions that would become the backbone of any eventual independent Palestinian state.
Blair calls for Palestinian-Israeli action to reach agreement within certain time
The Palestinian and Israeli sides should not take any measures that could hinder the final status negotiations, Blair told al-Jazerra.
Meanwhile, the former British premier called for international assistance for the Palestinians to build their educational, health and security institutions.
Forces loyal to Abbas arrest 26 Hamas supporters in West Bank
Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas have arrested 26 members of the Islamic Hamas movement in the West Bank, Hamas said Saturday.
In the crowd were about 50 female members of Hamas' military wing, dressed in long robes and sporting military-style ammunition vests. Some covered their faces with veils, others with ski masks. Several took to the stage, waving green Hamas flags.
PFLP urges Fatah to talk with Hamas
"We call on our brothers in Fatah to embark on a national dialogue to close ranks," Maher Taher, the representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Damascus, said during a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the group's formation.
"The matter doesn't deserve all this conflict over a partitioned authority that is shackled with all kinds of Zionist conditions," Taher added.
Mashaal: Palestinians can start a third and fourth intifada
In a speech aired on Hamas TV Saturday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the organization's establishment, the Damascus-based leader lambasted the Palestinians Authority and said it was up to the Palestinian people, not the rest of the world, to give the PA legitimization.
UN Security Council extends Golan Heights troop presence by six months
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the UN peacekeeping mission along the Israeli-Syrian border and reiterated its call for peace negotiations between the two countries.
Al-Qaida's No. 2: Annapolis summit was betrayal of Palestinians
Al-Zawahri focused his anger against Egypt, a top U.S. ally and the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel, calling on Bedouin in Egypt to rise up against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak.
IDF chief: Druze officers are this generation's Maccabees
The chief of staff appeared in Kfar Julis to mark the Islamic Feast of the Sacrific, or Eid al-Adha. In light of the recent violent clashes between police and residents of the Druze town of Peki'in, Ashkenazi sought to emphasize and strengthen ties with the Druze community. The IDF chief added that the rate of enlistment of Druze soldiers into the IDF - among the highest in the country - continues to climb.
'Ahmadinejad's threats harming Iran'
Abdullah Nasseri, spokesman for the Reformist Coalition Headquarters, called Ahmadinejad's declarations "totally unnecessary political adventurism." Nasseri said that Ahmadinejad's antagonistic and oft-repeated statements had "harmed the country."
Diplomacy working for Israel and Holy See
Israel and the Holy See will “speed up” negotiations in coming months, while bilateral dialogue has been ongoing for over 14 years. The date for the next plenary is set for May 2008 in the Vatican.
Stealth campaign underway to name late Moroccan king as righteous gentile
Morocco and Israel have a longstanding relationship veiled in secrecy, one involving quiet diplomatic initiatives and discreet intelligence cooperation. So it is only fitting that it is a stealth campaign that is pushing to have a former king of Morocco become the first Arab admitted to Yad Vashem's Righteous Among the Nations, which recognizes non-Jews who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.
2 U.S. Muslims plead guilty to plot targeting L.A. synagogues
Authorities say James, Washington and two others were part of a California prison gang cell of radical Muslims that planned the attacks in the Los Angeles area.
Musharraf lifts emergency rule
But critics say curbs on the media and a purged judiciary will remain in place and Musharraf can still manipulate a January 8 general election victory for his parliamentary allies and secure a power base despite his unpopularity.
EU holds off on fast-track membership for Serbia, resists Kosovo independence
European Union leaders backed away Friday from offering Serbia a fast-track to membership and again cautioned Belgrade that its future entry hinges on full co-operation in handing over war crime suspects for trial.
The summit ended with participants saying a declaration of Kosovo independence would be premature. If anything, even more cracks appeared as Romania and Slovakia joined Cyprus, previously the lone voice of opposition in the EU, in firmly opposing fast independence.
Libyan foreign minister brushes off torture suit, saying practice 'doesn't exist in Libya'
Libya's foreign minister brushed aside a lawsuit accusing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi of torture, insisting Friday that method of abuse is not practiced in the country.
Abdel-Rahman Shalqam said those involved in the suit — brought earlier this week by a Palestinian doctor who spent eight years in a Libyan prison — wanted to play the victim.
Japan Extends Parliamentary Session After Deadlock Over Refueling Support For US Forces
Japan's parliament on Friday agreed to extend the current session again till January 15, with the ruling party seeking passage of a bill that will enable Japan to resume refueling missions to support US-led antiterrorism operations in Afghanistan.
U.N. conference adopts plan to negotiate global warming pact in 2009
Saturday's compromise came after two weeks of talks in Bali, Indonesia. The conference had been scheduled to end Friday but it took marathon talks overnight to resolve disputes that had threatened to wreck the conference.
Brown: Europe will "reach out to the world" on globalization
'We aim at shaping globalization in the interests of all our citizens ... For this even the enlarged Union cannot act alone,' the draft of their declaration states.
Iraqi oil output reaches highest level in more than 3 years
Iraq's oil output hit its highest level in about three years in November, reaching 2.32 million barrels per day, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) said Friday.
Burma confirms first human case of bird flu
Burma has confirmed the country's first case of a human being infected by bird flu — a 7-year-old girl who has since fully recovered, state media reported Saturday.
Strong quake rocks Indonesia's Maluku islands
An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale jolted Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the meteorology agency said.
The money would go toward a goal of $5.6 billion that former British prime minister Tony Blair hopes to raise to rescue the tattered Palestinian economy and reinforce institutions that would become the backbone of any eventual independent Palestinian state.
Blair calls for Palestinian-Israeli action to reach agreement within certain time
The Palestinian and Israeli sides should not take any measures that could hinder the final status negotiations, Blair told al-Jazerra.
Meanwhile, the former British premier called for international assistance for the Palestinians to build their educational, health and security institutions.
Forces loyal to Abbas arrest 26 Hamas supporters in West Bank
Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas have arrested 26 members of the Islamic Hamas movement in the West Bank, Hamas said Saturday.
In the crowd were about 50 female members of Hamas' military wing, dressed in long robes and sporting military-style ammunition vests. Some covered their faces with veils, others with ski masks. Several took to the stage, waving green Hamas flags.
PFLP urges Fatah to talk with Hamas
"We call on our brothers in Fatah to embark on a national dialogue to close ranks," Maher Taher, the representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Damascus, said during a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the group's formation.
"The matter doesn't deserve all this conflict over a partitioned authority that is shackled with all kinds of Zionist conditions," Taher added.
Mashaal: Palestinians can start a third and fourth intifada
In a speech aired on Hamas TV Saturday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the organization's establishment, the Damascus-based leader lambasted the Palestinians Authority and said it was up to the Palestinian people, not the rest of the world, to give the PA legitimization.
UN Security Council extends Golan Heights troop presence by six months
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the UN peacekeeping mission along the Israeli-Syrian border and reiterated its call for peace negotiations between the two countries.
Al-Qaida's No. 2: Annapolis summit was betrayal of Palestinians
Al-Zawahri focused his anger against Egypt, a top U.S. ally and the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel, calling on Bedouin in Egypt to rise up against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak.
IDF chief: Druze officers are this generation's Maccabees
The chief of staff appeared in Kfar Julis to mark the Islamic Feast of the Sacrific, or Eid al-Adha. In light of the recent violent clashes between police and residents of the Druze town of Peki'in, Ashkenazi sought to emphasize and strengthen ties with the Druze community. The IDF chief added that the rate of enlistment of Druze soldiers into the IDF - among the highest in the country - continues to climb.
'Ahmadinejad's threats harming Iran'
Abdullah Nasseri, spokesman for the Reformist Coalition Headquarters, called Ahmadinejad's declarations "totally unnecessary political adventurism." Nasseri said that Ahmadinejad's antagonistic and oft-repeated statements had "harmed the country."
Diplomacy working for Israel and Holy See
Israel and the Holy See will “speed up” negotiations in coming months, while bilateral dialogue has been ongoing for over 14 years. The date for the next plenary is set for May 2008 in the Vatican.
Stealth campaign underway to name late Moroccan king as righteous gentile
Morocco and Israel have a longstanding relationship veiled in secrecy, one involving quiet diplomatic initiatives and discreet intelligence cooperation. So it is only fitting that it is a stealth campaign that is pushing to have a former king of Morocco become the first Arab admitted to Yad Vashem's Righteous Among the Nations, which recognizes non-Jews who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.
2 U.S. Muslims plead guilty to plot targeting L.A. synagogues
Authorities say James, Washington and two others were part of a California prison gang cell of radical Muslims that planned the attacks in the Los Angeles area.
Musharraf lifts emergency rule
But critics say curbs on the media and a purged judiciary will remain in place and Musharraf can still manipulate a January 8 general election victory for his parliamentary allies and secure a power base despite his unpopularity.
EU holds off on fast-track membership for Serbia, resists Kosovo independence
European Union leaders backed away Friday from offering Serbia a fast-track to membership and again cautioned Belgrade that its future entry hinges on full co-operation in handing over war crime suspects for trial.
The summit ended with participants saying a declaration of Kosovo independence would be premature. If anything, even more cracks appeared as Romania and Slovakia joined Cyprus, previously the lone voice of opposition in the EU, in firmly opposing fast independence.
Libyan foreign minister brushes off torture suit, saying practice 'doesn't exist in Libya'
Libya's foreign minister brushed aside a lawsuit accusing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi of torture, insisting Friday that method of abuse is not practiced in the country.
Abdel-Rahman Shalqam said those involved in the suit — brought earlier this week by a Palestinian doctor who spent eight years in a Libyan prison — wanted to play the victim.
Japan Extends Parliamentary Session After Deadlock Over Refueling Support For US Forces
Japan's parliament on Friday agreed to extend the current session again till January 15, with the ruling party seeking passage of a bill that will enable Japan to resume refueling missions to support US-led antiterrorism operations in Afghanistan.
U.N. conference adopts plan to negotiate global warming pact in 2009
Saturday's compromise came after two weeks of talks in Bali, Indonesia. The conference had been scheduled to end Friday but it took marathon talks overnight to resolve disputes that had threatened to wreck the conference.
Brown: Europe will "reach out to the world" on globalization
'We aim at shaping globalization in the interests of all our citizens ... For this even the enlarged Union cannot act alone,' the draft of their declaration states.
Iraqi oil output reaches highest level in more than 3 years
Iraq's oil output hit its highest level in about three years in November, reaching 2.32 million barrels per day, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) said Friday.
Burma confirms first human case of bird flu
Burma has confirmed the country's first case of a human being infected by bird flu — a 7-year-old girl who has since fully recovered, state media reported Saturday.
Strong quake rocks Indonesia's Maluku islands
An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale jolted Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the meteorology agency said.
Comment