UN Security Council gets Syrian letter on reported Israeli attack: president

Xinhua

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The president of the UN Security Council for January, Masood Khan, on Thursday confirmed that Syria has sent a letter to the 15-nation UN body on the reported Israeli air strike on Syria, saying that the council is " monitoring" the subsequent heightened tensions.

Khan, the Pakistani UN ambassador who holds the rotating council presidency for January, made the remarks at a press conference here to mark the end of his month-long presidency. Kim Soo, the permanent representative of the Republic of Korea, is expected to take over the council presidency on Friday.

"Things are developing very rapidly, this incident has taken place," Khan said. "We have received a communication from the permanent representative of Syria."

However, the council president did not disclose any further detail of the Syrian letter, but he simply said, "We are just in the process of translating that communication."

Israeli war jets carried out an air strike at dawn on Wednesday, destroying a military research facility in the Jamarya suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital, the Syrian state-run media reported. Western media said that the air strike targeted a convoy carrying sophisticated anti-aircraft weaponry from Syria to Lebanon's Hezbollah.

"The council members are aware of the situation and it is the preference of the council members, in fact they've been working on this for a long time, that there should be stability in the region, " Khan said. "This region should not become more volatile."

Earlier on Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted with "grave concern" reports of Israeli air strikes in Syria and called on all concerned to prevent an escalation of tensions in the region.

"The secretary-general notes with grave concern reports of Israeli air strikes in Syria," said a note issued by Ban's spokesman. "At this time, the United Nations does not have details of the reported incident. Nor is the United Nations in a position to independently verify what has occurred."

"The secretary-general calls on all concerned to prevent tensions or their escalation in the region, and to strictly abide by international law, in particular in respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries in the region," said the note.

UN: Israel must withdraw all West Bank settlers

Source :   Al Akhbar English

United Nations human rights investigators called on Israel Thursday to halt settlement expansion “without preconditions” and withdraw all Jewish settlers from the occupied West Bank, saying that its practices violated international law.

"Israel must, in compliance with article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, cease all settlement activities without preconditions. It must immediately initiate a process of withdrawal of all settlers from the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories)," said a report by the inquiry led by French judge Christine Chanet.

The settlements contravene the 1949 Geneva Conventions forbidding the transfer of civilian populations into occupied territory, which could amount to war crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it said.

Israel's foreign ministry called the report "biased," saying it would hamper alleged peace efforts between Israel and Palestine.

"The Human Rights Council has sadly distinguished itself by its systematically one-sided and biased approach towards Israel. This latest report is yet another unfortunate reminder of that," said spokesman Yigal Palmor in a statement.

Israel boycotted a routine review of its human rights situation by the United Nations Tuesday, making it the only UN member state to ever boycott the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) periodic review since the process’ inception in 2006.

UNHRC spokesman Rolando Gomez had warned that “if a delegation from the country was not to attend then action, as yet unspecified, would be taken.”

Israel’s intransigence with the UNHRC could set a precedent for other countries unwilling to respond to accusations of human rights violations.

In December, the Palestinians accused Israel in a letter to the United Nations of planning to commit further "war crimes" by expanding Jewish settlements after the Palestinians won de facto UN recognition of statehood and warned that Israel must be held accountable.

Israel severed ties with the UNHRC last March over a planned fact- finding mission on illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The independent UN investigators interviewed more than 50 people who came to Jordan in November to testify about confiscated land, damage to their livelihoods including olive trees, and violence by Jewish settlers, according to the report.

"The mission believes that the motivation behind this violence and the intimidation against the Palestinians as well as their properties is to drive the local populations away from their lands and allow the settlements to expand," it said.

About 250 settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been established since 1967 and they hold an estimated 520,000 settlers, according to the UN report. The settlements impede Palestinian access to water resources and agricultural lands, it said.

EU Removes Iran's Bank Mellat from Sanctions List

Source : Fars News Agency

"After two and a half years of intensive legal work to remove the sanctions, the court declared a ruling in support of Bank Mellat," Divandari said.

In August, the Council of the European Union reversed its decision for imposing sanctions against Divandari after the latter party filed a complaint at international bodies and sued the EU over its illegal action.

A London-based Indian solicitors firm Zaiwalla & Co solicitors represented Dr Divandari's case in the European Court of Justice to challenge the legality of the sanctions.

Bank Mellat has been fighting US accusations of involvement in confidential financial activities to help fund Iran's nuclear activities.

The EU Council had listed Dr Divandari in the designated list in July 2010 on the basis that it was a legitimate part of its regime of sanctions designed to stop Iranian nuclear program. He was at the time Chairman of Bank Mellat.

The Council had designated the Bank Mellat and it considered it to be involved in Iran's attempts to develop a nuclear program and then went a step further, said Zaiwalla, by deciding to personally designate the Bank's chairperson too on the basis of his job title.

Both the bank and Dr Divandari challenged the sanctions in the European Courts. After a long process, both were finally given a hearing before the General Court of the European Union in May 2012. Both parties presented their cases and argued that it was not lawful to impose sanctions against private sector institutions or their employees. Iran's private sector has no role to play in the acts of the Iranian state, they argued.

EU, UN ’Concerned’ over Zionist Shooting of Palestinians

EU, UN ’Concerned’ over Zionist Shooting of Palestinians

Officials from the United Nations and European Union on Wednesday expressed concern over a spate of incidents in which Palestinian civilians in the West Bank have been killed by the Zionist fire.

In separate statements, UN Humanitarian Coordinator James Rawley and the local EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah said security forces should largely refrain from using live fire.

In a two week period in January, four Palestinians were killed in separate incidents across the West Bank, including a woman and two minors.

Rawley said he was "seriously concerned by the increased casualties resulting from the use of live ammunition by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank."

"Eight Palestinian civilians, including three minors and one woman, have been killed since mid-November in separate incidents in the West Bank," he said in the statement.

The EU missions also said they were "deeply concerned by the number of Palestinians killed recently... in separate incidents involving recourse by Israeli forces to lethal force."

Both statements noted that the Zionist military was reportedly investigating the incidents, but urged security forces operating in the West Bank to avoid using live fire unless absolutely necessary.

"We reiterate the need for security forces, whether Israeli or Palestinian, to refrain from use of lethal force, except in cases where there is a real and imminent threat to life," the EU statement said.

"Using live ammunition against civilians may constitute excessive use of force and any such occurrences should be investigated in a timely, thorough, independent and impartial manner," Rawley said.

The Zionist military and foreign ministry had no comment on the statements.

Last week, 21-year-old Lubna Hanash died after being hit in the face by Zionist gunfire outside a college near the southern West Bank city of Al-Khalil, according to Palestinian medics.

Others killed in January include 15-year-old Saleh Amarin, who was also shot in the face, during clashes in Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem and Samir Ahmed Awad, 17, who was shot near Zionist separation barrier on January 15.

Lebanese media deny Israeli air strike

Source: Voice of Russia

Lebanon’s state-run Al-Watania news agency hasn’t confirmed an Israeli air strike close to the Syrian border. An unnamed Lebanese source earlier told Western media that Israeli air force had attacked an armed convoy that had crossed into Lebanon.

Reports of the raid came during the small hours, the source was cited as saying. No further details were immediately known.

A spokesman of Israel’s northern military district refused to comment.

Israel hits convoy on Syria-Lebanon border - security sources

Israel forces carried out a strike overnight on a weapons convoy coming from Syria in the Lebanon-Syria border area, security sources told reporters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The Israeli air force blew up a convoy which had just crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon," one source said, without giving a precise location for the attack or saying what the convoy was carrying.

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

Israel fighter jets hit targets on Lebanese-Syrian border

Israeli forces have attacked a target on the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight, a western diplomat and a security source said on Wednesday, at a time of growing concern in the Jewish state over the fate of Syrian chemical and conventional weapons.

Several squads of Israeli air force jets violated Lebanese airspace at 2 a.m. local time Wednesday, the Lebanese army reported in a statement earlier on Wednesday. It said four warplanes flew over the southernmost coastal town of Naqoura, hovered for several hours over villages in southern Lebanon before leaving the country's airspace.

The sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, had no further information about what might have been hit or where precisely the attack happened.

The Israel Defense Forces refused to confirm or deny the report. "We do not comment on reports of this kind,"an IDF spokeswoman said.

Lebanon reports heavy presence of Israeli jets in its airspace

Lebanon said on Wednesday Israeli jets had flown over its territory overnight, part of apparently increased air activity which comes as Israel has expressed concern about weapons in neighbouring Syria falling out of government control.

A Lebanese army statement said that four Israeli planes entered Lebanese air space at 4.30 p.m (1430GMT) on Tuesday. They were replaced four hours later by another group of planes which overflewsouthern Lebanon until 2 a.m and a third mission took over, finally leaving at 7.55 a.m on Wednesday morning.

Lebanon frequently complains that Israeli jets overfly its territory. However the recent activity was much more concentrated than usual.

There was no explanation for the operations in the region, bordering southern Syria. The statement made no mention of planes entering Syrian airspace.

Israel's vice premier Silvan Shalom said on Sunday that any sign that Syria's grip on its chemical weapons is slipping, as President Bashar al-Assad fights rebels trying to overthrow him, could trigger Israeli military strikes.

 

Israel boycotts U.N. human rights council, first ever country to do so

Source : Alarabiya.net Mobile

Israel has long complained of unfair criticism from the U.N. Human Rights Council. (AFP)

Israel has boycotted a review by the U.N.’s human rights council, the first time any country has done so reported the BBC on Wednesday.

The council decided last year to investigate Jewish settlements in the West Bank, this prompted Israel to announce it would no longer cooperate with the body.

Israel has long complained of unfair criticism from the human rights authority.

Representative did not make an appearance at Tuesday’s meeting of the council in Geneva, an appropriate response is being decided.

“After a series of votes and statements and incidents we have decided to suspend our working relations with that body,” said Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor to the Financial Times on Tuesday.

“I can confirm that there is no change in that policy.”

U.N. spokesman Rolando Gomez told the Associated Press that the unprecedented no-show has put the council in “new territory,” as attendance of the Universal Periodic Review is mandatory.

Haiti failed to appear before the council in 2010, however they blamed the devastating earthquake rather than a political disagreement. Besides this all countries - even Syria and North Korea - have attended.

Even Israel's steadfast ally, the United States, urged the country to take part.

The response was made clear in a joint statement by eight Israeli human rights groups: “It is legitimate for Israel to express criticism of the work of the council and its recommendations, but Israel should do so through engagement with the Universal Periodic Review, as it has done in previous sessions.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. has suggested the outcome of Israel’s recent election may lead to peace with the Palestinians.

Right-wing and centre-left blocs won a roughly equal share of seats in Israel's Knesset (parliament) in last week’s vote . Negotiations to set up a ruling coalition are currently underway.

Lavrov: Exerting More Efforts to Restore Security and Stability to Syria

Source : SANA

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated his country's calls for halting violence in Syria according to the Geneva statement, adding that all Russia's efforts are directed towards implementing the terms of this statement.

Speaking at a press conference with his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said that all foreign players should realize the current woeful situation in Syria and work on implementing the Geneva statement.

Lavrov said "I wish that the US would realize the need for doing everything to get the Geneva statement applied," adding that his country will exert efforts to restore security and stability to Syria.

He recalled Russia's efforts to hold the Geneva meeting on June 30th last year with the UN former envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, adding "We were talking about 8 hours of deliberations after which we agreed on the statement, the most important of its terms is obliging all participants to call all Syrian sides to halt violence and appoint negotiators to reach an agreement on the structure and the powers granted to the transitional government.

The Russian Foreign Minister added that the failure to implement the conditions is still a mystery to him till the moment, noting that his country supports the implementation of such agreements and works with the government and the opposition groups while the majority of other participants in Geneva meeting are unilateral and work with the opposition only.

Lavrov stressed that Russia's mission included convincing all those who met in Geneva to realize the current tragic situation in Syria and halt violence in the country.

He called upon foreign diplomats to think before making any comments on Russia's stance towards the crisis in Syria, expressing hope that other countries will be more diplomatic when they talk about Russia's actions and viewpoints towards events in Syria.

He referred to such inaccurate comments made by the US State Department Spokesperson on helping Russian citizens who live in Syria, most of them were women, to travel to Russia onboard of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry airplanes upon their request.

Lavrov said that the Spokesperson considered this move as an evidence on Russia's disappointment with the Syrian government and that it has stopped its support to it, stressing that this is not true as his country's stance is not about supporting this party or that and its actions are directed towards implementing the Geneva statement.

Israel deploys air defense, diplomacy on Syria concerns

Source : hurriyetdailynews.com

Israel is increasingly worried that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Islamist militants and is taking military and diplomatic steps to prevent it, local media and a security source said Monday.

Two batteries of Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system have been deployed to the north of the country in case military action against targets in neighbouring Syria or Lebanon becomes necessary, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said Israel believes Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah has a large number of forces in Syria that are supporting President Bashar al-Assad against Sunni rebels, but which are also keen to grab his chemical weapons if he falls.

"A decision to attack in Syria or Lebanon will need to be implemented immediately," if it is taken, he said.

"There won't be time then to start deploying." The Israeli army played down its manoeuvres, saying in a statement that only one battery had been moved north.

"As part of the operational deployment programme, which includes changing locations throughout Israel from time to time, (an) Iron Dome battery is currently in the north," it said.

The Maariv daily said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "urgently dispatched" his national security advisor to Moscow, where he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He is expected to ask the Russians to use their influence to try to prevent the weapons from falling out of Assad's control.

The newspaper added that Netanyahu met US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Sunday. Shapiro said on Monday that the two countries were closely coordinating on events in Syria.

"There is a genuine discussion between our intelligence services," he told Israeli public radio.

"There are two dangerous possibilities," he said. "Either the regime will use chemical weapons against the Syrian people or the chemical weapons will pass to Hezbollah or to other extremist organisations."

"We want to prevent both those possibilities taking place."

Netanyahu paints himself into a corner

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com 

the Israeli parliamentary election of January 22, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line bloc suffered an unprecedented drop in the number of seats it won, which clearly showed that the popularity of his alliance is dropping precipitously. Netanyahu’s radical approach toward foreign policy, especially his intransigence on the Mideast peace process, and the worsening economic situation in Israel were two major factors behind his surprise setback.

In other words, most of the Israeli settlers and the Arab Israelis have become fed up with Netanyahu’s overemphasis on foreign policy and his inattention to internal issues. Moreover, Netanyahu’s exaggeration of alleged security threats, including his fixation with Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, and his adamant rejection of Palestine’s application for recognition of its statehood at the United Nations have caused numerous problems for Israel, most notably the rise in tension with its main ally, the United States.

Netanyahu called for early elections three months ago, expecting an easy victory that would increase the number of seats of his Likud Party and their allies in the Knesset. In fact, he thought he would form a coalition government with less friction with opposition parties. However, the results show that he will have to scramble to put together a coalition of parties, including center-left groups that have dramatically different views than Netanyahu on many polarizing issues.

Such a situation would largely benefit Iran, since Netanyahu’s rivals are determined to force him to change his stance on Iran as well as many other foreign policy issues. Israel’s center-left parties are mostly focused on internal issues, especially the economic situation and the controversial issue of conscription. If they join the government, Netanyahu will be compelled to tone down his rhetoric on Iran if he wants the coalition government to survive.

Given Israel’s economic situation and the political turmoil in the region, Netanyahu’s threats against Iran will be viewed as empty, and even the most obstinate Israeli hard-liners will not endorse his Iranophobia campaign.

Israeli president and Palestinian PM share table at Davos: Report

Source : Hürriyet

Israeli President Simon Peres and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad lunched in the same table at this year’s Davos meetings, a prominent Turkish columnist has reported.

Ertuğrul Özkök of daily Hürriyet wrote that Peres and Fayyad shared the same table along with five other leaders during a lunch event organized by the U.S. daily Washington Post.

“We are tired of the discourse of hatred,” said Peres, while Fayyad replied, “Look, we both share the same table,” according to Özkök.

Noting that former Turkish President Turgut Özal his Greek counterpart Andreas Papandreu warmed up Turkish-Greek relations during a previous Davos summit, Özkök wrote that this year's meeting could prove to be of

Egypt’s Mursi appeals for calm as army troops deploy in Suez

Source : Alarabiya

A protester opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi carries national flags while walking near flames from Molotov cocktails thrown by protesters during clashes with riot police at the front road of Maspero, the Egyptian Radio & Television Union Headquarters, near Tahrir Square in Cairo January 25, 2013. (Reuters)

Egypt’s armed forces deployed troops on the ground in the city of Suez early on Saturday after seven protesters and a soldier were shot dead in clashes on the second anniversary of the uprising against Hosni Mubarak.

“We have asked the third armed forces to send reinforcements on the ground until we pass this difficult period,” Adel Refaat, head of state security in Suez told state television according to Reuters.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has appealed for calm as troops were deployed in the flashpoint city of Suez.

Mursi, in a message posted on his Twitter account Friday, urged “citizens to adhere to the values of the revolution, express opinions freely and peacefully and renounce violence.”

At least seven people died in Friday’s anti-government protests, according to the health ministry, six in Suez and one in Ismailiya, in the northeast, while 456 were injured in unrest across 12 provinces, reported AFP. The interior ministry said 95 of its officers had been injured.

Mursi said police officers were among the dead and expressed his condolences “to all Egyptians” over the deaths of both police and protesters.

The authorities would “pursue culprits of Friday’s violence and bring them to justice”, he added according to AFP.

Troops in armored vehicles were deployed in Suez on Friday evening, taking up positions at the entry of the canal, outside the police headquarters and the governorate building.

Earlier, doctors at Suez Hospital told AFP at least five people had been shot in the chest and stomach after fierce clashes broke out between protesters and police.

After the sweeping changes of 2011, the Arab world’s most populous nation is struggling to find a balance between its elected leadership and opponents who accuse it of betraying the goals of the revolution.

IAEA to Israel: Iran nuclear row must be resolved peacefully

Source :  Maan News Agency

VIENNA (Reuters) -- The UN nuclear watchdog chief has underlined to Israel's president the need to resolve differences with Iran diplomatically, Yukiya Amano's office said on Friday, rather than war as Israeli leaders have mooted.

Israel, widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has threatened possible military action if diplomacy and sanctions fail to prevent arch-adversary Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful energy purposes only.

Amano said in a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday that the International Atomic Energy Agency had intensified "dialogue" with Tehran, the IAEA said in a statement.

That was a reference to the IAEA's year-long push -- so far fruitless -- to negotiate a framework deal with Iran allowing the Vienna-based UN agency to resume a long-stalled investigation into suspected nuclear weapons research by Tehran.

Director-General Amano "made clear the Agency's commitment to dialogue, and the need to resolve issues with Iran by diplomatic means", the IAEA said in a statement.

Analysts say any brewing or actual military action against Iran will dim the chance of Iran opening up to IAEA investigators and spur Tehran to expel IAEA inspectors tasked with ensuring civilian safeguards on Iran's nuclear activity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an election victory speech on Wednesday, said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear arms would be the next government's main challenge.

Iran, which denies Israel and Western accusations that it is seeking to develop the capability to make nuclear bombs, says it is Israel's assumed nuclear arsenal that poses a threat to peace and stability in the volatile Middle East.

Amano also "stressed the importance of a successful conference" on a Middle East free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the IAEA statement said.

Talks on banning nuclear weapons in the region had been due last year. But the United States - a co- sponsor of the planned conference - said in November the meeting would not occur and did not make clear when it would take place.

US and Israeli officials have said a nuclear arms-free zone in the Middle East could not be a reality until there was broad Arab-Israeli peace and Iran curbed its nuclear program.

Iran and Arab states have criticized the decision to put off the talks, with Tehran blaming Washington for what it called a "serious setback" to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iraqi army pulls out from Falluja after deadly clashes with protesters

Source : Alarabiya

The protests, all of which have taken place in majority-Sunni areas of Iraq, have hardened opposition against Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. (AFP)

The Iraqi army has withdrew from Falluja, a city in the Sunni province of Anbar, after deadly clashes with protesters that left five anti-Maliki demonstrators killed, Al Arabiya correspondent reported Friday.

After the army’s withdrawal, Anbar operation command imposed curfew on Falluja, Al Arabiya correspondent added.

An agreement has been reached between Anbar province and the office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to withdraw the army from Falluja, a local website, Al-Sumaria News, reported. Instead, the federal police will substitute the army within 24 hours, the website added.

It was the most serious violence since Sunni protesters began taking to the streets in late December to challenge Prime Minister Nuri Maliki's Shiite-led government and rally against what they see as the marginalization of their minority sect.

The protest had been moving to an area in east Fallujah but was blocked off by soldiers, an army captain said. Protesters began throwing bottles of water at the troops who then opened fire, the officer said.

A doctor at the main hospital in Fallujah, 60 kilometers (35 miles) west of Baghdad, confirmed the toll.

It was not immediately clear whether the soldiers fired directly into the crowd, or into the air.

The protests, all of which have taken place in majority-Sunni areas of Iraq, have hardened opposition against Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and come amid a political crisis less than three months ahead of key provincial elections.

Demonstrators began by criticizing the alleged exploitation of anti-terror laws to detain Sunnis wrongfully, but have since moved on to calling for Maliki to quit.

They were sparked by the Dec. 20 arrest of at least nine of the guards of Finance Minister Rafa al-Essawi, a top Sunni politician.

The government has sought to curb the rallies by claiming to have released nearly 900 prisoners in recent weeks, with a senior minister publicly apologizing for holding detainees without charge.

Dialogue only way to settle Palestine-Israel issue: Chinese UN envoy

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- China said here Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations remain the only way to settle the Palestine-Israel dispute, and called for early resumption of the peace talk between the two sides.

"The question of Palestine-Israel constitutes the core of the Middle East peace process," Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council open debate on the Middle East.

"China has always advocated that the parties concerned should resolve their dispute through political negotiations on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, the principle of Land for Peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Middle East Peace Roadmap so as to eventually lead to the establishment of an independent state of Palestine and peaceful coexistence between the two states of Palestine and Israel," Li said.

China welcomes and supports all measures which could help break the deadlock of Palestine- Israeli peace talks and push forward a renewed dialogue between the two sides, Li noted.

"China is always firmly opposed to settlement constructions by Israel in Occupied Palestine territories in East Jerusalem and the West Bank of the Jordan River," Li said, voicing China's serious concern over Israel's suspension of transfers of tax payments to Palestine

"We call on Israel, who is in a stronger position, to stop the building of settlements, to lift the blockade on Gaza and to release Palestinian prisoners. We also urge Israel to take measures to remove obstacles to the resumption of peace talks," he urged.

China supports the endeavor of the Palestinian people to establish, on the basis of the 1967 border; an independent state of Palestine with full sovereignty and with East Jerusalem as its capital, the ambassador noted.

"An independent state of Palestine, which is the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, is the basis and precondition to achieve peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine," Li said. "Palestine's successful bid to be recognized as a UN non- member observer state is a positive step on the road of establishing itself as an independent state."

Deeply worried by the long halt of the peace talks between Palestine and Israel, China hopes the international community increase its sense of responsibility and urgency for advancing the Middle East peace process, Li added.

Report: Israel plans to complete wall around E1

Source :  Maan News Agency

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak plans to finish building the separation wall around planned Israeli settlement zone E1 which cuts off the West Bank from Jerusalem, Israeli media reported.

The proposal to close a three-kilometer gap in the wall will prevent Palestinian access to E1, where activists erected a tented protest village last week, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday.

If completed, the wall would surround Palestinian village al-Zayyem on both sides, the newspaper said.

Barak also decided to move ahead with building a road past al-Zayyem fo Palestinians to travel from the southern to northern West Bank withou entering Israeli settlements in E1.

The plan will be put to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu for approval nex week.

The Beirut Music Hall opens a branch in Dubai

Source : Alarabiya.net

The Beirut Music Hall, which was established in 2003, is thought of as a large part of the nightlife of Lebanon’s capital. The venue which celebrates international music hope to expand it’s locations globally including Istanbul, Barcelona and Dubai, The National recently reported.

Michel Elefteriades the owner of The Beirut Music Hall told The National that Dubai fit the Beirut Music Hall's ethos perfectly saying that “There is something miraculous about Dubai, The city is doing well while the world is in crisis. A lot of people thought Dubai would never be the same after the financial crisis, but what happened was the opposite - the city is continuing to grow while others, especially in Europe, are still suffering.”

Elefteriades said that another reason he was drawn to Dubai was the venue which will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 audience members, the 500 square meter hall is larger than the one in Beirut, however the interior will be similar to the original in Lebanon. The stage will be detailed with draping red velvet curtains and hand-sculptured roses.

Elefteriades said “A big stage without creativity is not art and a small stage with creativity leads to frustration, Dubai will allow me to be more creative in the lighting and projections. I can really create something good here,” he also said that although the stages are almost identical the Dubai Music Hall with technically be better.

Elefteriades explained that his initial idea for the music hall was “to DJ- but in a live music kind of way.” He said that “we want people to come and enjoy the night, not have the feeling of just watching the show.”

The music hall doesn’t host cover bands or headline act, however they are famously known for keeping the identity of performers a mystery to the audience as they take to the stage and perform a ten minute set.

The music that will be showcased at the music hall will be mostly world music ranging from traditional and classic Arab songs, reggae, bossa nova and gypsy music from the Balkans, the key to a lot of the artists being originality. Artists will also have the opportunity to cover a pop song if they wish as long as they are able to put their own twist on it.

Elefteriades has promised that the Dubai venue will be even more eclectic then the original and will cater to Dubai’s cosmopolitan crowd. “There will be some new acts that have never played in Beirut. There will be some Indian music at a later stage, and there will also be a Russian folk music band performing,” he said.

The first few months will be dominated by acts that Elefteriades is familiar with and have previously performed in the Beirut Music Hall, however he has said that he will eventually scout for local talent.

Activists set up new protest village northwest of Jerusalem

Source :  Maan News Agency

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian activists on Friday established a new tented protest village northwest of Jerusalem, the second such initiative against Israeli settlement building in as many weeks.

Activists set up three tents and a small building in the area near Beit Iksa, naming the village al-Karamah (Dignity).

Locals said around 400 Palestinians performed Friday prayers in the open area.

Saed Yakrina, an activist from nearby village Beit Ijza, said the camp was "a message to Israel and all democratic societies that we are human, and we want peace."

Activists from across the political spectrum, mainly from nearby villages, have gathered and will sleep in the tents overnight, he told Ma'an.

Beit Iksa, surrounded by Israeli settlements, is set to be entirely encircled by Israel's separation wall, cutting it off from Jerusalem.

Israeli authorities ordered the confiscation of 500 dunams of the village's land three weeks ago, and do not permit any new building in the town, Yakrina said, noting that Israeli settlements were still expanding.

"We are looking for a life without checkpoints, walls and settlements," he said.

Israeli forces immediately shut down the military checkpoint at the entrance to Beit Iksa to prevent more activists and supporters from accessing the protest site, witnesses said.

On Wednesday, Israeli forces tore down the tented village Bab al-Shams, set up to protest Israel's plans to build the "E1" settlement on the land, severing the West Bank from Jerusalem.

Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouthi on Friday said Bab al-Shams and al-Karama were a new dimension in the Palestinian struggle and that more protest villages would be established.

"The spirit of popular resistance which Bab al-Shams disseminated is being strengthened today in other areas including Izbat al-Tabib and Beit Iksa," the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative said in a statement.

A rally was held in Izbat al-Tabib in the Qalqiliya district of the northern West Bank on Friday to protest Israeli plans to demolish a school in the village.

The rally showed that popular resistance against Israel's occupation is spreading, Barghouthi said.

Algeria's gas field attackers from Libya: minister

Source :  Xinhua | English.news.cn

ALGIERS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Algeria Interior Minister Daho Ould Kablia said Thursday that the militants who assaulted a gas- field in southern Illizi province were from Libya.

The local Echoroukonline website quoted Ould Kablia as saying that "All the facts show that the assaulters came from the Libyan territories," adding that "the attack was plotted by terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar in the Libyan territory."

On Wednesday, Ould Kablia told a state-run television that "the assaulters are from the region of Illizi, and they covered their face so as not to be recognized."

"Well, I preferred saying that they are from the region, because I didn't have enough information," he explained to Echoroukonline.

As for the number of the hostages, the minister said "We have requested the facility administration to provide us the list of the workers, so we can identify the number." Meanwhile, a medical source in a local hospital near Illizi, told Xinhua that about 15 militants were killed in the operation and their dead bodies were subject to identification.

Earlier in the day, as many as 30 Algerian and foreign hostages managed to escape from their captors and were received by army helicopters, according to local media.

Algerian Minister of Communication Mohamed Said Oubelaid confirmed later Thursday the deaths and injuries among the hostages detained by the armed group in the ongoing gas field attack.

The Communication Minister said that "the operation launched by the National Army to free the hostages left many militants killed, " adding that "Unfortunately, there were some deaths and injuries among the hostages."

"The purpose of this terrorist attack is to destroy the ( Algerian) national economy which depends 98 percent on oil and gas exports," the minister said.

At dawn on Wednesday, an armed group attacked a gas-field in the locality of Tiguentourine in Illizi, killing two people and injuring six, according to official source. At least 41 foreigners were also kidnapped by the armed group called "Battalion of Blood.

Vice president nominated as Vatican ambassador, diplomatic sources say

Source :  Egypt Independent

President Mohamed Morsy has named former Vice President Mahmoud Mekky, who resigned from his post last month, as ambassador to the Vatican.

Diplomatic sources at the Foreign Ministry told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the ministry started procedures to complete the nomination after Morsy reportedly made the decision Monday.

Mekky officially announced his resignation on 22 December, having served as vice president since 12 August when he was appointed by Morsy.

“I would like to point out to the Egyptian public opinion that since I assumed the position of vice president I have made my utmost effort to achieve the national interest in every area, and [did so] while meeting with political and revolutionary figures," he said in a statement announcing his resignation.

"I realized a while ago that the political nature of the work does not fit my career as a judge," he added.

Mekky, the former vice president of the Court of Cassation, was a leading member of the independent judges movement and was known for his opposition to the regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, contributing to the detection of many cases of election fraud during his tenure.

In October, Morsy appointed then-Public Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud as ambassador to the Vatican in an attempt to remove him from office, but Mahmoud rejected the move. Morsy later succeeded in removing him from the prosecutor's office in November.

 

Moroccan Salafis condemns French war in Mali as ‘Zionist crusade’

Source : http://english.alarabiya.net

Salafist leaders in Morocco have condemned the French military intervention in Mali, calling it a “Zionist crusade” and labelling all Muslims who participate in it “ungodly.”

“No Islamic state should provide facilities, such as the use of airspace, to non-Muslims against a Muslim state. It is forbidden by Islam,” wrote Omar Haddouchi, a well-known Salafist, on his Facebook page late on Wednesday.

“Whoever has given support to non-Muslims (in the conflict) is considered ungodly,” Haddouchi added.

Another radical Islamist, Abderrazak Ajah, said Moroccans must “choose between supporting the Islamist fighters as best we can or the Zionist crusade and its agents,” also posting his comments on social media.

Morocco and Algeria have authorised overflights by French fighter planes, which began air strikes in northern Mali last Friday as part of efforts to help Malian troops contain hardline armed Islamists who have occupied the region.

Rabat has also expressed solidarity with Mali in dealing with the militants.

Sheikh Mohamed Rafiki, another Moroccan Salafist, wrote on his Facebook page that there was “no case for supporting the occupying forces in their aggression against Muslim countries.”

“No foreigner has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of a Muslim state, whatever the reason,” added prominent Salafist leader Hassan Kettani.

The four hardline Moroccan Islamists were sentenced to 10 between to 30 years in jail for inciting violence linked to the Casablanca bombings in May 2003, in which 45 people were killed, including the 12 suicide bombers.

All four were later pardoned.

Israeli security forces complete evacuation of E1 Palestinian outpost

Source :  Xinhua | English.news.cn

JERUSALEM, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli security forces completed the evacuation of the Palestinian outpost in the E1 territory early Thursday morning with the removal of 25 tents.

Police spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld confirmed to Xinhua that the evacuation took place late Wednesday night and lasted an hour without any unusual incidents or disturbances.

Early Sunday the outpost was evacuated from its inhabitants yet the tents remained standing due to a court injunction.

The eviction was made possible after the Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled a temporary injunction it had issued over the weekend barring Israeli security forces from taking down the 25 tents.

The court accepted the state's claim that the tent-city is a " magnet for disturbances of public order." However, the ruling also stated that the removal of the tents was not an "irreversible step " and it would continue discussion petitions against the removal of the tents. One petition was filed on Tuesday night charging the outpost was erected on private Palestinian lands.

On Friday, about 250 Palestinian activists, part of the group called the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, erected the tents-city called Bab al-Shams (Gate of the Sun) at the controversial territory as protest of the Israeli government decision to expand settlements there with 3,500 housing units.

The E1 territory connects east Jerusalem with the West Bank. By building Jewish settlements there, the Israeli government is in fact obstructing a possible territorial continuity for a future Palestinian state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an order to evacuate the premises over the weekend, as Israel charged that at least some of the settlements are erected on a military exclusion zone.

The Supreme Court halted the decision to remove the tents after four Bedouin families claimed the land was theirs. The government appealed the decision, saying there's an urgent need and security concerns that demand quick evacuation, fearing a nationalist- motivated uprising among Palestinians.

The State Attorney's Office said that letting the outpost remain could cause unrest and prompt "national and international consequences" and maintained that the court could evacuate the people but leave the tents.

Early Sunday, the activists were evacuated. About 60 of them tried to return to the camp on Tuesday but were pushed back by Israeli border guards.

Bahrain: Teargas, Clashes during Protester Funeral

Source : http://www.almanar.com

Bahraini government forces clashed with protesters on Sunday at the funeral of a demonstrator killed by teargas at a previous rally. Violent crackdowns continue as the demonstrators protest against the royal family, ruling for more than 40 years.

Scores of Bahrainis attended the funeral of the protestor Haj Habib Ibrahim Abdullah, which resulted in another demonstration against the ruling Al-Khalifa family’s regime.

Peaceful protesters raised slogans against the regime and called fo release of jailed activists. Al-Khalifa forces fired teargas and birdshot to disperse the crowd.

The demonstration was held at the funeral of Abdullah, who died afte inhaling poisonous teargas. He and his grandson were exposed to letha gas fired by government forces during a peaceful anti-regime demonstration in Malkiya village last Monday. The nine-year-old grandso is now suffering from side effects and is being treated abroad, Ahlul Bay News Agency reports.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstration across Bahrain since February 2011, calling for an end to the Al-Khalifa family rule which continues in the country since 1974.

Eighty people have been killed and thousands arrested since the unres began. Many opposition figures have been arrested on the allegation o planning to topple the government.

Lebanese Rally at French Embassy to Protest Delay in Freeing Abdallah

Source : www.islamicinvitationturkey

Lebanese demonstrators blocked the road outside the French embassy in Beirut on Monday after a French court postponed the release of Lebanese leftist striver George Abdallah, who has spent 28 years in jail, as Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the “unjustified” delay.

According to Naharnet news website, dozens of supporters of Abdallah rallied in front of Paris’ embassy in the Mat-haf area, condemning the policies of France and accusing it of being a proxy for the United States, which has openly rejected the release of the Lebanese activist, Almanar reported.

A number of young demonstrators tried to storm the embassy but were repelled by security forces who reinforced their presence in the vicinity of the French diplomatic building. Both the organizers of the protest and the family condemned any attempt to attack the embassy or security forces protecting its premises, local media reported.

“We reject to be turned by some enthusiastic youths into guards for the embassy. We urge everyone to abide by democratic means and refrain from hurling any object at the embassy’s building,” Joseph Abdallah, George’s brother, told reporters at the scene.

Meanwhile, PM Mikati telephoned French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrice Paoli, inquiring about the reasons behind delaying Abdallah’s release.

“The delay in freeing Abdallah is an unjustified step that violates his civil rights,” Mikati told Paoli during the phone call, according to a statement released by the premier’s office.

“The relevant French authorities must speed up his release so that he returns to his homeland and family,” Mikati added, stressing that “the Lebanese government has been following this case ever since it assumed its responsibilities and was preparing to welcome Abdallah upon his arrival in Lebanon.”

Earlier on Monday, Abdallah’s brother, Joseph, threatened to organize protests outside the French embassy after France’s interior minister refused to sign the Lebanese leftist’s expulsion order.

A French court ruled last week that Abdallah can be released on condition he is expelled from French territory.

The 61-year-old was granted parole in November on condition of his expulsion but was not released pending a decision on an appeal by prosecutors.

The court in Paris confirmed the parole decision and said the interior ministry had until January 14 to issue the expulsion order

Egypt resumes Qatar fuel shipments to Gaza

Source : Maan News Agency

EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma'an) -- Egyptian authorities have resumed shipping Qatari fuel into the Gaza Strip via an Israeli- controlled crossing after unrest blocked the delivery route for over two months, a Palestinian official said Monday.

Amr Hadhoud, the Palestinian representative at the Al-Auja crossing, said all obstacles to the shipments have been overcome.

Violent clashes between Sinai armed groups and Egyptian forces in November led to a suspension in deliveries.

Hadhoud said that ten trucks carrying 450,000 liters of diesel arrived at al-Auja crossing on Sunday. Four trucks then crossed into the Gaza Strip, Sunday, and the other six are scheduled to cross Monday.

The Qatari fuel is part of 27 million liters donated by the Gulf state to ease Gaza's energy crisis. It was delivered to Egypt and is being transferred to Gaza with Israeli cooperation through the Sinai border region.

Palestinian officials said 10 million liters have already arrived in Gaza

Egyptian delegation concludes its visit to Gaza

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

Egyptian sports delegation ended its visit to the Gaza Strip after a two-day visit with a friendly footba match in Gaza between former players in the national team and a team formed from the visiting delegation.

The Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh has received the Egyptian sports delegation on Sunday at his home i Gaza City, saying that “this historic visit of the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports Ameri Farouk to th Gaza Strip came as a clear declaration to break the siege imposed on the Palestinian sports.”

The meeting was attended by heads and representatives of sport unions accompanying the delegation wit the Palestinian Olympic Committee, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Gaza.

The delegation has visited the Islamic University in Gaza City, and the home of Hamas founder martyr Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the Council of Ministers, which was destroyed by Israeli warplanes in the recent war on Gaza and the solidarity tent with prisoners outside the Red Cross building in Gaza City.

The Egyptian sports delegation has visited the Palestine Stadium ravaged by Israeli aircraft, where Farou said that he would work through the Council of Ministers of Arab Youth and Sports, Egyptian clubs and associations and media to establish a match between Arab elite stars Arabs led by player Mohammed Ab Trika and a team of international stars headed by Frederic Omar Kanoute Mali National football team player

Farouk pointed out that this match will take place on June 5, which marks the opening of the European championship to be held in “Israel” protesting against choosing “Israel” as a host for the tournament.

The Egyptian delegation visit was ended by a match between the members of the delegation, including th most prominent journalist and Egyptian former goalkeeper Ahmed Shuber and Egyptian Sports ministe Farouk, and a group of former Gaza players, including PM Haniyeh.

Israeli army shoots Gaza farmer

Source : Xinhua

GAZA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces shot and wounded a Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza Strip Monday, marking a violation of a recent Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

Ashraf Al-Qedra, a spokesman of the Hamas authority's health ministry, said the 21-year-old farmer was seriously wounded by a gunshot in his head.

The farmer was working his land in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, which is close to the security fence separating Israel and Gaza.

On Friday, the Israeli army also shot dead a Palestinian who was among a group of Gazans approaching the fence in eastern Gaza City. The victim became the third Palestinian killed near the border since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Nov. 21 and ended a eight-day fighting that left over 170 Palestinians and six Israelis killed.

Hamas said the terms of the ceasefire granted the Palestinians access to a strip of land along the border with Israel, which has been a no-go zone for years. Israel said it has eased restrictions along the border, but still prohibits people to come up right to the fence for security reasons.

The hamas health ministry said 50 Palestinians have been injured since Nov. 21, while the fishermen's syndicate said up to 30 fishermen have been briefly detained off the Gaza coast, where the ceasefire deal expanded the permitted fishing zone from three to six nautical miles.

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, said the group was keeping a record of what he described as "Israeli violations" and was informing Egypt about them.

Bangladesh Factory Fire Death Toll Soars to 121 - Fire Chief

Source : http://www.turkishweekly

The death toll from a fire at a Bangladeshi factory soared to at least 121 as rescue workers recovered 112 bodies Sunday, the national fire chief said.

"We've found 112 dead bodies this morning," said fire brigade director general Brigadier General Abu Nayeem Mohammad Shahidullah. "We resumed our search this morning and found the bodies lying on different floors of the factory building," he said.

The fire broke out in the ground-floor warehouse of the multi-storey Tazreen Fashion factory 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of Dhaka on Saturday evening, trapping hundreds of workers on the upper floors, police said.

Police inspector Mostofa Kamal had previously told that nine workers died and about 100 workers were injured. Kamal said many workers jumped from the factory's upper floors to escape the flames before firefighters arrived to put the blaze out.

The cause was not immediately known but fires as a result of short circuits and shoddy electrical wiring are common in Bangladeshi garment plants, which use cheap labour to produce clothes shipped to Western countries.

Dhaka factory fire kills

At least nine workers died when a fire ripped through a clothing factory at Ashulia, on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Saturday night, officials said.

Officials said the fire started on the first floor of the nine-story building and immediately spread to other floors, leaving hundreds of workers, mostly women, trapped.

Police said at least 200 people were injured as they rushed to get out of the building. "Many were injured in stampede and as they jumped off the building," said a rescuer.

Sixteen engines of fire service and civil defense had not put out the fire completely after more than eight hours.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the blaze.

Voice of Russia, CNN, AFP

Arab League urges new approach to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Source :  Your Middle East

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi on Monday called for a "new approach" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, slamming previous processes as a waste of time.

"In order to solve this problem, we should have a new mechanism and new methods and a new approach to dealing with the crisis," Arabi told reporters after talks with the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

"The main target after all these wasted years should be ending the Israeli occupation, not signing temporary agreements that would go round in circles and that would only lead to wasting time in a way that allows Israel to expand its settlements," he said.

Last month, Arabi had criticised the International Quartet -- which comprises the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia -- as ineffective.

For his part, Van Rompuy said there must be "concerted and coordinated actions by all key actors to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

"Now is the time to look forward and to take bold steps towards peace in the Middle East," he said.

© AFP 2013

UAE-Egypt Crisis: Mubarak and Iran Lurk in the Background

Source :  Al Akhbar English

Wednesday’s visit by the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Akbar Salehi to Egypt only added more fuel to the fire burning between Cairo and the United Arab Emirates.

Tensions between the two countries intensified after the recent arrest of 11 Egyptians in the UAE on charges of belonging to a secret Muslim Brotherhood cell that was plotting to destabilize the country.

Abu Dhabi fears that relations between its long-time foe Iran and, until recently, its close ally Egypt will improve as its relations with Cairo sour.

According to head of the Cairo-based al-Sharq Center for Regional and Strategic Studies Mustafa al-Labbad, Egyptian-Iranian relations have a long way to go before they return to normal.

He dismisses the idea that Salehi’s visit will significantly change the nature of the relationship between the two countries, arguing that it is intended to prevent relations from worsening.

As an example, he points out the collapse of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi’s attempt to bring together Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia to devise a solution for resolving the Syrian crisis.

In the case of the UAE, he attributes the increasing tensions to “threats that the regime is sensing, particularly from the rising star of the Islah Front in the UAE, which is seen as a shadow branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Saudi Arabia, too, shares the same concerns that the Muslim Brotherhood will one day influence a section of the Saudi elite that is independent of the regime, thus threatening Riyadh’s influential role in the Arab world.”

Former advisor to the Egyptian foreign minister Hani Khlaf largely agrees with Labbad, criticizing Mursi’s speech at the last Summit of the Non- Aligned in Tehran, in which the Egyptian president “reminded us of sectarian divisions between Sunnis and Shia.”

He adds that any new government in Egypt was bound to have problems with those Gulf countries that once had warm and close relations with the fallen Mubarak regime.

He suggests that one source of Abu Dhabi’s frustrations toward Cairo may be due to the fact that successive Egyptian governments after the revolution “refused an offer by the Emirates to pay a large sum of money – possibly amounting to billions of dollars – to keep Mubarak out of jail.”

Khlaf explains that the UAE did this out of loyalty to Mubarak, adding that Egypt’s current relationship with the Arab Gulf countries after the revolution is the opposite of what it was before.

“For example, the Mubarak regime maintained close ties with the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain before the revolution as compared to tepid relations with Qatar and Kuwait,” Khlaf says.

“These two countries,” he adds, “were therefore more supportive of any attempts to shed remnants of the old order, as opposed to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in particular.”

Khlaf further attributes the crisis to “the presence of symbols of the old [Egyptian] regime in the Emirates, in addition to businessmen who had ties to Mubarak.”

Many of them, he explains, are very influential, having developed close contacts with a number of powerful members of the Emirati ruling class and have been granted residency there as a result.

And it did not help that the Egyptian presidency showed such high concern for the alleged Muslim Brotherhood cell, according to Khlaf.

It was to such an extent that Egypt’s intelligence chief, Rifaat Shehata, joined the high-level delegation sent to the UAE to look into the case of those arrested.

Report: EU developing 2013 Mideast peace plan

Source :  Maan News Agency

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- The European Union is developing a proposal to restart peace talks between Israel and Palestine that it will put forward in March, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

The plan will set out the principles of a future peace accord, and a timetable for negotiating all the key issues during 2013, Israeli diplomatic sources told newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

It has been championed by British and French foreign ministers, is supported by Germany, and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is trying to get the rest of the union on board.

According to the report, the plan poses a regional Middle Eastern committee to oversee the process, and Palestinian officials have already said they will join the body.

"The Europeans can't force Israel to enter into an agreement, but they can certainly put us in an awkward position," a senior Israeli official told the newspaper.

"They are drafting a document which will present the principles of the future peace accord, putting it on the table as a challenge," the official said.

"It is likely the Palestinians will accept it and that Israel will have some difficulty. It will drive us into the corner."

Iraq Finance Minister Escapes Assassination Attempt

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, January 14 (RIA Novosti) - Iraqi Finance Minister Rafi al- Issawi, locked in a dispute with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has escaped an apparent assassination attempt, the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera reported on Sunday citing Issawi's office and security sources.

Issawi's convoy was hit by a roadside bomb between the towns of Fallujah and Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, on Sunday.

The explosion came amid a political crisis between the Shia premier and his mainly Sunni coalition partners in the government.

“A roadside bomb exploded near his convoy,” Issawi’s office said. “His car was not hit and he is safe, but two guards were wounded.”

Police sources said no one was injured but confirmed that the convoy had been hit by shrapnel.

Issawi, who has publicly called for Maliki to be replaced, has been one of the central figures in protests by minority Sunnis against the Shia-dominated Baghdad government after his bodyguards were arrested on terrorism charges.

Jewish settler runs over Palestinian boy

Source : Al Akhbar English

An Israeli settler ran over a seven-year-old boy with his car Sunday morning as he walked to school in the West Bank town of Abu Dis, Palestinian media reported.

The boy, Ali Jahalin, was hit near the illegal Kedar settlement east of Jerusalem on his way to the Jahalin school.

He was rushed to Makasid hospital after Israeli ambulances refused to transfer him, the school’s vice principal, Sa’ed Sabah, told WAFA news agency.

He is being treated for moderate wounds.

The incident occurred one day after Israeli soldiers shot dead an unarmed Palestinian man south of Hebron.

Soldiers shot Uday Darwish, 21, in the back on Saturday as he fled from their patrol south of Hebron.

He was trying to cross the Green Line into Israel where he reportedly works without a permit.

Gunmen shoot birdshot at Egypt protesters; 15 hurt

Source : TimesRepublican.com

CAIRO (AP) — A dozen masked attackers fired birdshot late Saturday at protesters who have camped outside Egypt's presidential palace in Cairo for the past month, wounding several along with security forces standing watch nearby, witnesses said. It was the latest in a series of shootings of protesters in Egypt.

Paramedic Mohammed Sultan put the total number of wounded in the attack at 15, including nine members of the security forces and six protesters.

The witnesses said attackers also threw Molotov cocktails at protesters' tents, setting some on fire. Footage on Egyptian TV stations showed more people coming to join the protests.

The sit-in was started Dec. 4 by opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. They are demanding the annulment of Egypt's new Islamist-backed constitution. The document deeply polarized Egyptians but passed by a 64 percent "yes" vote in a referendum in which around 33 percent of voters participated. Critics called the process flawed.

The political conflict has been accompanied by street violence. At least 10 people died in clashes outside the palace on Dec. 5 that broke out when supporters of Morsi attacked the sit-in. Some were reportedly killed by gunfire.

On Dec. 31, gunmen shot and critically wounded a well-known activist at the site of another sit-in in downtown Cairo's Tahrir square. Police said they arrested a cafe owner who told them that he fired on the square after people manning makeshift checkpoints there searched his car and shot at him.

The current attack comes two weeks before the anniversary of the Jan. 25 start of the 2011 uprising that overthrew Mubarak. Activists opposed to Morsi are expected to organize large protests that day.

Earlier Saturday, a Cairo court ordered a religious TV program hosted by a fiery preacher off the air on charges of libeling and defaming a well-known actress, one of three legal reverses that day suffered by Islamists in cases related to the media.

The court ruled that the program "In The Scale" be suspended for 30 days following a lawsuit by Elham Chahine. A widely circulated video clip shows the program's host, Abdullah Badr, accusing Chahine of practicing "prostitution" and "teaching Egyptians how to strip naked, make love and commit adultery."

"Go ask God for forgiveness for your scandals," he says in the August interview. Chahine's lawyer said in court that the actress had been exposed to "insults, cursing and humiliation."

Last month, Badr was sentenced to a year in jail over the same charges. The program is aired on el-Hafiz TV, one of several networks associated with the ultraconservative Salafi Islamist movement.

In another case, a court dropped one of several lawsuits filed against popular satirist Bassem Youssef, known as Egypt's Jon Stewart. Youssef had been accused of "corrupting morals" and violating "religious principles" in his show, "The Program," in which he frequently mocks ultraconservative clerics and Islamists.

He still faces trial on March 9 on charges of insulting President Mohammed Morsi, a lawsuit that was leveled by lawyers associated with the Islamist group from which Morsi hails, the Muslim Brotherhood. This is one of many cases brought against media personalities who criticized the president. Morsi's office maintains that the president has nothing to do with the legal procedures against his critics.

In a separate court cast, a court ruled that Dream TV, a private liberal- leaning network that is sharply critical of the Brotherhood, could resume broadcasting. Egypt's Islamist minister of information Salah Abdel-Makksoud suspended it for an alleged zoning violation and broadcasting from outside an authorized area.

Air attacks kill 15 in Afghanistan

Source : Voice of Russia

The planes of the InternationalSecurity Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan bombed a mosque on Sunday killing 15 people.

The tragedy occurred early in the morning in the district of Saidabad district of the Wardak province.

When those who survived the attack began to recover the killed and wounded from the debris the air forces carried out a second strike.

The military said that attack was conducted by the order of the ISAF command.

They claimed that the goal of the mission was to liquidate a storehouse with weapons no bombings of residential areas were conducted.

Saudi Intelligence Main Publisher of Nusra Front

Source : http://www.almanar.com

Saudi General Intelligence is the main publisher of al-Qaeda linked extremist group in Syria, al-Nusra Front, a report said.

The Itelligence Online Newsletter in Paris which receives information from foreign intelligence sources as saying that the Saudi intelligence, led by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Sultan took advantage of its communication with armed groups in Iraq to help making al-Nusra front.

"Thanks to funding from the General Intelligence Department and support from the Saudi Intelligence in Lebanon, al-Nusra was able to swiftly arm its forces, and make the Syrian regime suffer painful blows through its expertise in Iraqi bombings,” the Intelligence Online report noted.

The report confirms what some websites have said days earlier, concerning leaked Saudi confidential documents which said that the Saudi interior ministry had sent a military official who is in charge of supporting Syria insurgents with money and weapons.

Israeli Police Evict Palestinian Protesters from Tent Camp

Source : RIA Novosti

TEL AVIV, January 13 (RIA Novosti) – Israeli police evicted Palestinian activists from a tent village they had set up on a West Bank site designated as the area for a new Jewish settlement, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Sunday.

The Israeli police evicted over 100 protesters from the site near Jerusalem known as E-1 early on Sunday morning on instruction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who ordered to disperse the Palestinians.

Palestinians say Israel’s plans to build thousands of housing units as part of the E-1 project would cut off Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods from the West Bank and make it difficult for the Palestinians to create a cohesive state.

The Israeli settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories is the main obstacle for the resumption of the Israeli- Palestinian peace process, which has been stalled for more than a year.

The Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of West Bank, East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and want Israel to pull from the Palestinian territories occupied after the 1967 war.

Israel, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to raise the issue of Jerusalem, which it says is the indivisible capital of the Jewish state.

Israeli Forces Evict West Bank Palestinian Outpost Despite Court Ruling

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Hundreds of Israeli security forces have raided and evicted an outpost set up by Palestinian activists in the occupied West Bank, despite an earlier injunction by Israel's High Court preventing the government from such action.

Several activists have been detained. There were also reports of some protesters being injured, RT reported.

On Friday over 200 Palestinians and foreign peace activists pitched tents in the disputed E1 area to protest Israeli settlement plans there. Around 20 large, steel- framed tents were set up in the "Bab Al Shams" camp, in a bid to preserve the area for an independent Palestinian state.

Israeli forces entered the encampment early Sunday morning after surrounding the site late on Saturday and preventing activists from entering.

The eviction was ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came after an earlier injunction ordered by Israel's High Court preventing Israel from taking such action, Haaretz reported. The government told the court that the evacuation was a matter of "urgent security."

The eviction also comes despite the tents being pitched on private Palestinian land, according to Haaretz.

Late on Saturday the Israeli government managed to convince the High Court that "there is an urgent security need to evacuate the area of the people and tents," overturning an injunction on the action. Netanyahu's office has said that it planned to declare the area a closed military zone.

The building of Israeli settlements has been condemned by many international powers, which say the move will be detrimental to securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine broke down in 2010.

Israel has frozen building in E1 for many years, after coming under pressure from then US President George W Bush.

However, Netanyahu announced settlement plans after the Palestinians won de- facto state recognition at the UN General Assembly last year. Those plans involve building around 4,000 housing units in the area

Opposition Tent Camp Attacked in Cairo, Ten Injured

Source : RIA Novosti

CAIRO, January 13 (RIA Novosti) - About ten people were injured in the Egyptian capital Cairo when a group of unidentified men attacked an opposition tent camp, the country’s interior ministry said on Sunday.

According to the ministry’s emergency report, a group of armed men hurled Moltov cocktails at a tent camp outside the presidential palace in the Al-Ittihadia district. Several tents caught fire.

Sporadic fights broke out when the sit-in participants clashed with the attackers.

Palace guards used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Over ten people were wounded, some of them were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

The interior ministry said an officer and six police were injured the fighting.

The violence was eventually quelled, but the situation remains tense in downtown Cairo.

The area outside the presidential palace became a scene of deadly clashes a month ago, following a political crisis triggered by President Mohammed Morsi's November 22 constitutional declaration.

Masked attackers fire petrol bombs at Egypt’s presidential palace protesters

Source : http://english.alarabiya.net/

Unknown attackers threw petrol bombs at tents housing protesters outside the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo on Saturday, witnesses said.

Several tents were set on fire and ambulances were driving away from the scene late on Saturday evening, according to Reuters.

Protesters opposing an Islamist-backed constitution have been camped outside the residence of President Mohamed Mursi for several weeks.

A dozen masked attackers fired birdshot late Saturday at protesters, wounding several along with security forces standing watch nearby, witnesses said. It was the latest in a series of shootings of protesters in Egypt.

Paramedic Mohammed Sultan put the total number of wounded in the attack at 15, including nine members of the security forces and six protesters.

The witnesses said attackers also threw Molotov cocktails at protesters' tents, setting some on fire. Footage on Egyptian TV stations showed more people coming to join the protests.

The sit-in was started Dec. 4 by opponents of Islamist President Mursi. They are demanding the annulment of Egypt's new Islamist-backed constitution. The document deeply polarized Egyptians but passed by a 64 percent "yes" vote in a referendum in which around 33 percent of voters participated. Critics called the process flawed.

The political conflict has been accompanied by street violence. At least 10 people died in clashes outside the palace on Dec. 5 that broke out when supporters of Mursi attacked the sit- in. Some were reportedly killed by gunfire.

On Dec. 31, gunmen shot and critically wounded a well-known activist at the site of another sit-in in downtown Cairo's Tahrir square. Police said they arrested a cafe owner who told them that he fired on the square after people manning makeshift checkpoints there searched his car and shot at him.

The current attack comes two weeks before the anniversary of the Jan. 25 start of the 2011 uprising that overthrew Mubarak. Activists opposed to Mursi are expected to organize large protests that day.

Israel's Amazing Iron Dome

Source : Maryland/Israel Development Center

The Maryland/Israel Development Center is pleased to present ISRAEL’S IRON DOME, featuring Rafael Advanced Systems, Iron Dome’s developer and ELTA Systems Ltd., the designers and producers of the Iron Dome’s radar system.

Israel’s amazing Iron Dome anti-missile system exceeded all expectations for success in the recent conflict with Gaza. An untold number of lives were saved by the ingenuity of Rafael Advanced Systems, the primary developer of the system, and ELTA Systems Ltd., the designers and producers of the Iron Dome’s radar system. We are thrilled that both companies maintain their U.S. headquarters here in Maryland. The North American executives will discuss the development and recent success of the system. We expect a sellout crowd, so sign up quickly.

The program is free of charge to 2013 MIDC Members. Lite Refreshments will be served. Dietary Laws Observed. Should you have any questions about your 2013 Membership, please contact Nancy Boguslaw,

REPORT: 'Bab al-Shams', a novel turned into a reality

Source : LBCI News

Dozens of Palestinian activists spent their second night under the eyes of Israeli choppers in the village of “Bab el Shams” they built on Friday on a territory dedicated for the construction of a new Israeli settlement.

The activists camped where Israel wants to establish a link between the Maale Adumim settlement in the West Bank and settlement neighborhoods in East Jerusalem; they brought their tents, flags and blankets in addition to some food and beverages.

Israeli police declared the area a military zone and prevented Saed Orekat and other officials who came to show solidarity with the campers from entering. However, some managed to circumvent checkpoints and join the encampment.

On another note, the activists’ attorney managed to obtain a decision from the Supreme Court, freezing the evacuation order for six days.

The encampment's name, "Bab el Shams", which means "Gateway to the Sun" in Arabic, was taken from a novel by Lebanese writer Elias Khoury which tells the history of the Palestinians through a love story. In a message to the activists, he said “I only have one request; that you accept me as a citizen in your village where I can learn with you the meanings of freedom and righteousness.”

Iranian MP Asks for UN's Action against Violation of Human Rights in Bahrain

Source : Fars News Agency

The demand was raised by member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Fathollah Hosseini on Friday.

"The international organizations which claim to be the advocates of human rights in the 21st centur should deal with the crimes of a regime which tortures and detains its citizens merely over their legitimate demands," he said.

"Bahrain's revolution is currently the most oppressed revolution in the Arab world, because it has been completely subject to the media blackout by the Arab states," Hosseini added.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid- February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty's over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors. So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Al-Qaeda prisoners escape in Baghdad, officials say

Source : http://english.alarabiya.net

At least a dozen inmates, including several prisoners linked to Al-Qaeda who have been sentenced to death, escaped from a jail north of Baghdad early on Friday, security officials said.

Sources mooted the possibility of collusion on the part of prison guards in allowing the jailbreak, which occurred shortly after midnight in the town of Taji, 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the capital.

An interior ministry official said all 12 prisoners who escaped were Iraqis, but a military source put the number of escapees at 16.

"They escaped from Taji prison after they got hold of the guards' weapons," said the military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It could be there was cooperation from the guards."

The officer said most of the escapees were linked to Al-Qaeda's front group the Islamic State of Iraq, while the interior ministry official said several had been sentenced to death. Jailbreaks and prison unrest are relatively common in Iraq.

On September 27, more than 100 prisoners escaped from a jail in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, although several were killed or recaptured in subsequent weeks, officials said.

In March last year, 19 inmates escaped from a prison in the northern city of Kirkuk, and last January, 11 prisoners tunneled out of a prison in the northern Kurdish province of Dohuk.

Lebanon Muslim Brotherhood lauds Iran 6-point peace plan for Syria

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

The secretary general of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has lauded Iran’s six-point peace plan to settle the unrest in Syria, urging all parties to remain committed to the proposal to secure its implementation.

According to Press TV, Ibrahim al-Masri in a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut Ghazanfar Roknabadi on Friday said: “The fulfillment of such plans requires the commitment of all sides and we hope that we will witness the end of conflicts and implementation of reforms in Syria in the near future.” During the meeting, the two sides discussed regional developments. Roknabadi and al-Masri called for efforts to settle the unrest in Syria through negotiations and political approaches. They also stressed the importance of maintaining stability in Lebanon and adopting measures to prevent the impact of Syria crisis on the country. On December 16, 2012, Iran unveiled the details of its six-point plan to resolve the ongoing crisis in Syria, which calls for an immediate end to all violent and armed acts. The plan calls for sending humanitarian aid to Syrians following the end of all conflicts, lifting all economic sanctions imposed against the country, and facilitating the return of displaced Syrians to their homes. It also urges talks between the Syrian government and the representatives of all Syrian groups regardless of their political and social tendencies in order to form a national reconciliation committee.

@Op_Israel : http://branichild.blogspot.de/2013/01/ashrawi-praises-popular-resistance-in.html|#FreePalestine #News: Ashrawi praises popular resistance in #E1 area| #WorldNews #MiddleEast

Ashrawi praises popular resistance in E1 area

Source : Maan News Agency

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- PLO leader Hanan Ashrawi praised Palestinian activists on Friday after hundreds of people set up protest tents in the controversial E1 corridor area near Jerusalem.

"This initiative is a highly creative and a legitimate non-violent tool to protect our land from Israeli colonial plans," a statement said.

Earlier, Palestinian activists had erected over 25 tents, called Bab al-Shams, or 'Gate of the Sun', in protest against Israeli settlements, a local activist said.

"We will not be silent while settlements and the colonization of our land continues, and confirm that the village will endure until the rightful owners of the land are installed," Said Abdullah Abu Rahma, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bilin, told Ma'an.

Ashrawi lauded the "collective effort initiated by civil society, including youth, social, and political organizations, who came together to support the right of the owners of the land to make use of it as they see fit."

The PLO official said she fully supported and encouraged non-violent popular resistance against Israeli occupation.

The name of the village was inspired by Lebanese author Elias Khoury's novel, which tells the story of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Although there was no immediate response from the Israeli authorities, police and soldiers in the past have moved quickly to shut down any such spontaneous Palestinian camps.

"What is happening at Bab al-Shams is a reminder of the apartheid regime that Israel has imposed for the exclusive use of land for Jewish Israeli settlers all over Palestine," Ashrawi added.

In December, Israel announced plans to build some 3,000 settler homes in the E1 corridor near Jerusalem, drawing widespread international condemnation.

Britain, France and several other European countries summoned Israeli envoys to protest the plan, while President Mahmoud Abbas called the E1 area "a red line that cannot be crossed."

Construction in E1 would divide the West Bank and make the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state - as envisaged by the internationally backed two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - almost impossible

Palestinian activists set-up protest tents in E1 area

Source :  Maan News Agency

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Hundreds of Palestinian activists set up protest tents on Friday in the controversial E1 corridor area near Jerusalem as part of the non-violent resistance movement against Israel's occupation, a local group said.

Said Abdullah Abu Rahma, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bilin, told Ma'an that Palestinian activists had set up the village of Bab al-Shams, or 'Gate of the Sun', in protest against Israeli settlements.

"We will not be silent while settlements and the colonization of our land continues, and confirm that the village will endure until the rightful owners of the land are installed," Abu Rahma said.

Over 25 tents and a medical clinic have been set-up in the E1 area by protestors from all over the West Bank.

The name of the village was inspired by Lebanese author Elias Khoury's novel, which tells the story of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

"Israel has imposed facts on the ground for decades amid the silence of the international community, and the time has come to change the rules of the game, we are owners of this land and we will impose the reality on the ground," Abu Rahma said.

Although there was no immediate response from the Israeli authorities, police and soldiers in the past have moved quickly to shut down any such spontaneous Palestinian camps

In December, Israel announced plans to build some 3,000 settler homes in the E1 corridor near Jerusalem, drawing widespread international condemnation.

Possible methods of coalition withdrawal from Afghanistan

Source : Trend.Az

A plenty of time before the last NATO troops leave Afghanistan, but when the time comes in two years, they must all be out. Therefore, countries involved in this processes must begin preparatory measures now.

Perhaps these issues will be amongst the top issues in discussions at the Obama-Karzai meeting. It will be necessary to discuss the challenges, facing the 3,000 to 20,000 U.S troops that would remain in the country after the NATO withdrawal, at this meeting.

According to the U.S. Central Command's calculations, during these two years, the U.S army should take around 2,200 containers and vehicles from Afghanistan monthly for 2 years in order to completely remove all equipment and facilities. Around 500 containers and vehicles will pass through Central Asia. Some 400 units of this volume will be transported by railway through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia, and the remaining 100 by trucks through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus.

Head of U.S. Central Command, Gen. James Mattis visited Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan from March 28 - April 2, 2012 to fully discuss these issues and meet with the presidents of these countries to exchange views on this and other issues.

The conditions, developed by Central Command in respect to its return transit, were presented on maps and information slides in October of 2012. Around 1,200 units of rolling stock and 1,000 containers must start moving monthly.

Distribution via transport networks is as follows: Dubai multimodal transit - 200 units of rolling stock / 200 containers; Jordanian multimodal transit - 50 units of rolling stock / 50 containers; Russian route - 200 units of rolling stock / 200 containers; KKT route (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) - 100 containers; Pakistani corridor GLOC - taking out the rest rolling stock and containers.

It is interesting that some slides are a map, which shows all the routes through which the goods may be exported from Afghanistan. The "Russian route" by railway also runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, while the KKT truck route, which is interesting, ensures transportation via a longer route to the Caspian port of Aktau to Baku by sea, and then through the Caucasus and Turkey to Europe, rather than through Russia.

It is also interesting that multi-modal transit centers, organized by the U.S. and NATO in Eurasia, such as in Baku, Ulyanovsk (Russia) and Constanta (Romania), appear not to be a priority, because quite a large amount of cargo is expected to be delivered through Dubai and Jordan, rather than through them. The same volume of cargo as to Central Asia will be delivered to these Middle Eastern countries and this will be done despite the fact that the goods will have to be partially transported by air.

According to the slides, the motto of the U.S. Central Command is timely, convenient, flexible delivery without disruption of supply.

Half ton of explosives seized in Suez

Source : Egypt Independent

Suez police forces seized 500 kilograms of explosives on Friday believed to have been en route to South Sinai.

Major General Abdel Refaat, the Suez security chief, was notified that smugglers in Cairo were preparing to transport the explosives, which are used to create tunnels through mountains for mining.

Police set up ambushes along the Suez-Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel Road and apprehended the smuggler’s vehicle, arresting the suspect. The suspect confessed to being on his way to South Sinai to hand the explosives over to other smugglers.

Saudi Arabia appoints 30 female parliamentarians for first time

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

RIYADH, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia on Friday appointed 30 women for the first time to the 150-member Shura Council for the next four years, Saudi News Agency reported.

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a decree earlier in the day, announcing the names of the 30 women as part of an amendment to the Shura Council, which stipulates a no less than 20 percent quota for women in the previously all-male council.

According to the report, there will be a segregation between male and female members in the council as women would have their own gate to enter and leave the council's hall as well as the separate offices and utilities from their male colleagues.

The king highlighted that the amendment was made after reviewing the Governance Statute and regulations and consulting with a number of Ulema (scholars), said the report, adding that the newly appointed female members will share the same rights and duties of their male colleagues.

Turkish FM: Patriot missiles will be returned upon the cessation of tensions on its border

Source : Trend.Az

Patriot anti-air missiles will be sent back upon the elimination of tensions on the Syrian-Turkish border, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday, Anadolu reports.

He reiterated that the Patriot air defense system is not directed against any country and is aimed at defending Turkey.

As earlier reported, the shipment of Patriot missiles, equipment, and the arrival of 400 U.S. servicemen within a NATO mission for strengthening the air defenses of Turkey against possible Syrian missile strikes is expected to be completed by late January.

Turkey requested Patriot missiles from NATO in late November 2012 to protect against a possible air attack by Syria.

The Syrian army periodically bombs border areas with Turkey. In October, as a result of another attack conducted by the Syrian Air Force, 6 Turkish citizens were killed.

Anti-government disturbances have continued in Syria for more than a year and a half. According to the UN Human Rights Commissioner, the total number of victims of the conflict in Syria exceeds 60,000. More than 230,000 have become refugees and there are around three million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Syrian authorities say they oppose the well-armed militants.

Egypt says Fatah, Hamas agree to enact unity deal

Source : Maan News Agency

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -- An Egyptian official said the leaders of Hamas and Fatah factions had agreed at talks in Cairo on Wednesday to implement a long-delayed reconciliation pact, although it was unclear if the deal would extend beyond holding more talks.

President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah movement based in the West Bank and Khaled Mashaal of the Hamas group that controls the Gaza Strip met face-to-face for the first time in over a year to discuss how to implement their 2011 deal.

The rivals fell out badly when Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah by force in 2007. But the have drawn closer since Israel's assault on Gaza in November, in which Hamas claimed victory, an a diplomatic win by Abbas the same month in which the United Nations voted to recogniz Palestine as a "non-member state".

"It was agreed that sides would begin immediately to implement the previously agreed mechanism of the agreement signed," a senior Egyptian official involved in the talks, who declined to b named, told Reuters by phone from Cairo.

Nabil Abu Rdaineh, a senior aide to Abbas, said the president had held a lengthy meeting wit Meshaal in a "positive atmosphere". He said there was an agreement to hold more meetings, bu declined to give details. No comment was immediately available from Hamas.

The two sides have signally failed to put into practice the deal they signed in Cairo in May 2011 t reunify the leadership of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

The Egyptian official said discussions to find ways to do so had been held in a "positive spirit", an that the rival factions would meet again in the first week of February to work out a timetable.

Egyptian mediators had hoped to coax Abbas and Mashaal into a meeting with Egyptian Presiden Muhammad Mursi, but in the event they met without Mursi. Abbas is reluctant to accept an format that would imply giving the Hamas leader a status equivalent to his own.