Global News Post: Middle East

Israel Minister Warns U.S. Secretary Of State Over 'Surrender' To Iran

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">JERUSALEM
(NNN-MA'AN) - Israel's intelligence minister slammed as unacceptable, comments
by US Secretary of State John Kerry, on negotiations with Iran over its nuclear
programme, which he said, indicated a "surrender" to Tehran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"The
things Kerry said in Congress are worrying, they are surprising and they are
unacceptable," Yuval Steinitz, who is also strategic affairs minister, told
public radio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We
watch the negotiations with concern. We are not opposed to a diplomatic
solution, but we are against a solution which is entirely a surrender to Iran
and which leaves it a threshold nuclear state," Steinitz said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In
remarks to US lawmakers last week, Kerry warned that the Islamic republic was
two months away from breakout capability to produce enough nuclear material for
a bomb, should they resume their mothballed enrichment process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Responding
to reports that international negotiations with Iran should focus on extending
the time it would take for Iran to produce nuclear weapons to between six and
12 months, Kerry said, the ultimate goal was assurance that Iran never build an
atomic bomb, but slowing the process would be an improvement on the current
situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"I
think it is fair to say, I think it is public knowledge today, that we are
operating with a time period for a so-called breakout of about two
months," Kerry said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"So
six months to 12 months is -- I'm not saying that's what we'd settle for -- but
even that is significantly more," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Steinitz
insisted that Israel would not allow such a scenario.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We
will not be able to adopt and accept any agreement, which leaves Iran months or
a year from a nuclear weapon," he insisted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel,
like the United States, has refused to rule out military action, to prevent
Tehran from acquiring nuclear arms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Under
an interim agreement reached last year that expires on July 20, Iran froze key
parts of its nuclear programme, in return for limited sanctions relief and a
promise of no new sanctions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Talks
on a permanent agreement are under way between Iran and UN Security Council
permanent members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, along
with Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After
a session in Vienna last week, the powers' chief negotiator, EU foreign policy
chief, Catherine Ashton said, the next round from May 13 would see negotiations
"move to the next phase." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
West and Israel have long suspected Iran of using its nuclear energy programme
as a cover for developing atomic weapons, a charge denied by the Islamic
republic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel
is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the region, though it
has never officially confirmed or denied having such an arsenal.-- NNN-MA'AN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Israel Minister Warns U.S. Secretary Of State Over 'Surrender' To Iran

JERUSALEM (NNN-MA'AN) - Israel's intelligence minister slammed as unacceptable, comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry,...

18 Saudi Firms Keen to Explore Malaysian Halal Market

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">KUALA
LUMPUR <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(NNN-Bernama) -- Some 18 Saudi
Arabian exhibitors participating in the Malaysian International Halal Showcase
2014 (Mihas 2014) are keen to enter the Malaysian market, said Saudi Export
Development Authority (Seda) Marketing and Public Relation Director, Feras Abal
Khail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Feras,
who is also Seda's spokesperson in Malaysia, said 18 out of the total of 20
food and beverage (F&B) firms taking part in Mihas 2014 see Malaysia as a
potential market due to the Muslim population in the country, as well as the
Indonesian halal market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Two
F&B companies are already exporting their products to Malaysia, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"Due
to huge Muslim population here and in neighbouring Indonesia, we see some
potential for us to offer our high quality products and strengthen our presence
in the market," Feras told reporters at Mihas 2014 Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
11th Mihas is held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here from April 9-12,
2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Feras
said by understanding the Malaysian market, it would allow the Saudi Arabian
companies to understand the market in the neighbouring countries as well as the
Asian market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He
also said Seda is looking forward to increase the participation of Saudi
Arabian companies in the exhibition next year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"We
are exploring the market this year, and our pavilion consists of 43 booths. For
next year, we might increase the number of booths," he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"Mihas
is a strong pillar in the F&B sector, and I can say that we will definitely
be here again," Feras said, adding that Seda might bring more halal
products such as cosmetics next year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Joining
Mihas for the first time this year, the Saudi Arabian companies perceived the
exhibition as a platform for them to outline strategy, understand the Malaysian
consumers' behaviour and to build a network of distributors before entering the
market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Mihas
2014 has partnered with Saudi Arabia, through Seda, to further strengthen their
relationship and to create more opportunities for both countries to collaborate
and tap into the huge halal market within the Gulf Cooperation Council. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
global halal market has been growing consistently over the last decade as an
increasing number of discerning customers seek halal products and services in
their everyday life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Saudi
Arabia's per capita food consumption is projected to expand by 31.24 per cent
this year, reflected by the emergence of a network of hypermarkets in the kingdom
where the number of imported goods is steadily rising. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
number of Saudi Arabian exporters of halal products and services has also been
growing and they are ready to gain market share in the estimated US$2.3
trillion market.--NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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18 Saudi Firms Keen to Explore Malaysian Halal Market

KUALA LUMPUR (NNN-Bernama) -- Some 18 Saudi Arabian exhibitors participating in the Malaysian International Halal Showcase 2014 (Mihas ...

CHINA URGES ISRAEL TO MAKE "BRAVE" DECISIONS ON PEACE TALKS

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">BEIJING (NNN-XINHUA) - China's President Xi
Jinping urged Israel to make "brave" decisions on the latest round of
peace talks with the Palestinians, after negotiators ended another U.S-mediated
session with no sign of a breakthrough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"At present, the Israeli-Palestinian talks
process has entered a crucial stage; there are opportunities and also many
difficulties," Xi told visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres, China's
foreign ministry said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"(China) hopes that Israel keeps in mind the
broader picture of peace, shows strategic wisdom, makes brave decisions as
early as possible, and pushes along with the international community and
Palestinians, for substantive progress on peace talks," Xi added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The U.S.-brokered negotiations, which began in
July, plunged into crisis last week, after Israel, demanding a Palestinian
commitment to continue talking beyond an Apr 29 deadline for a peace deal,
failed to carry out a promised release of about two dozens Palestinian
prisoners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">China has traditionally had a low profile in
Middle East diplomacy, despite its reliance on oil imports from there, but is
keen to assert its role as a force in international politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Last year, Xi met both Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, urging them to revive
discussions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Xi, who took office in Mar last year, did not
outline any specific proposals for the peace talks, saying simply that China
would keep "playing a constructive role."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Xi said, the Chinese and Jewish peoples had long
had friendly relations, pointing out China's role in fighting "fascism and
militarism" during World War Two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Beijing has maintained close relations with the
Palestinians for decades. In recent years, it has also cultivated ties with
Israel, though Israel is wary of China's links with Iran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">China, Iran's top oil customer and a permanent
member of the U.N. Security Council, has opposed unilateral sanctions on
Tehran, such as those imposed by Washington and the European Union, and has
called repeatedly for talks to resolve the standoff over Iran's contested
nuclear programme. -- NNN-XINHUA<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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CHINA URGES ISRAEL TO MAKE "BRAVE" DECISIONS ON PEACE TALKS

BEIJING (NNN-XINHUA) - China's President Xi Jinping urged Israel to make "brave" decisions on the latest round of peace tal...

Friends of Syria Group ‘Encourages Extremists’ - Moscow

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<st1:city w:st="on"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW</span></span></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (RIA Novosti) -
A resolution adopted by the Friends of Syria Group in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place> on Thursday encourages extremists there to
seize power by force, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich
said on Friday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US, EU and Arab
officials who met in Rome on Thursday pledged more assistance to the Syrian
opposition fighting against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, recognizing the
National Coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“There is a
general understanding within the international community that there is no
military solution to the Syrian crisis,” Lukashevich said in a statement posted
on the ministry’s website.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Meanwhile,
judging by incoming reports, the decisions made in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place>, as well as the statements that were
made there, both in letter and in spirit encourage extremists to seize power by
force, regardless of the inevitable suffering of ordinary Syrians.” He did not
elaborate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place> statement praised the
opposition National Coalition for its reform efforts, urged Assad's regime to
end “indiscriminate bombardments against populated areas,” and deplored “the
unabated arms supply to the regime by third countries.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place>
pledged $60 million in “non-lethal” assistance for the Syrian political
opposition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Secretary of
State John Kerry said on Thursday the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> would send the Syrian opposition
an additional $60 million in non-lethal aid, but still refuses to supply the
weapons and sophisticated military supplies the rebels have said they need.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city>’s
position on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>
stems from its concern for the Syrian people, and not the fate of President
Bashar al-Assad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region> has called for Assad to step down,
but <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
says it is concerned that the Syrian president’s forced departure would make
the conflict worse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said last Tuesday foreign military supplies to
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
armed opposition have been growing. He reiterated <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>’s
official position that <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city>
will not carry out fresh arms deliveries to the Syrian government, but is only
supplying arms and military equipment under contracts signed before the civil
war, which has claimed some 70,000 lives according to the latest UN estimates.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Last Monday,
Lavrov denied <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city> had tried to smuggle arms
components into <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> via <st1:country-region w:st="on">Finland</st1:country-region>, and said there are no Russian troops in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>
apart from several dozen technical staff at the Tartus naval support facility. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>’s state-run arms dealer Rosoboronexport
said on Wednesday it is supplying air-defense missile systems and maintenance
and servicing equipment to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
but not combat aircraft. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>

Friends of Syria Group ‘Encourages Extremists’ - Moscow

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - A resolution adopted by the Friends of Syria Group in Rome on Thursday encourages extremists there to seize po...

Syria: UN-Arab League Envoy Calls for Transitional Government with Full Powers

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint
Special Representative of the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> UN and the League of Arab States for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>. UN
Photo/Mark Garten<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UN News---Calling for “real change” in
Syria, the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of
Arab States for the war-torn country, Lakhdar Brahimi, said today a Syrian
transitional government with full executive powers “must be” created until
elections can be held.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Speaking in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Damascus</st1:place></st1:city>, Mr. Brahimi also elaborated on the
idea of deploying an international peacekeeping force to the country to monitor
a hoped-for peace deal that would end violence that has killed tens of thousands
of Syrians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The change required is not cosmetic,” Mr.
Brahimi told journalists in the Syrian capital at the end of a five-day trip to
the country, during which he met with President Bashar al-Assad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place> and the Syrian people need,
want and look forward to real change. And the meaning of this is clear to all,”
he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mr. Brahimi’s call reflects a plan that
emerged six months ago from an international meeting in <st1:city w:st="on">Geneva</st1:city>
on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>
for the establishment of a national unity government for the country, which has
been gripped by violence since protests that began against Mr. al-Assad 21
months ago turned into a revolt amid a crackdown by authorities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Since the unveiling of the so-called “<st1:city w:st="on">Geneva</st1:city> communiqué,” forces opposed to Mr. Assad have
gained territory as well as a number of military installations in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s north,
media reports say. Anti-Assad forces are also reported to be expanding their
presence in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Damascus</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mr. Brahimi said that a failure by the
Syrians themselves to find a solution to the conflict meant that the
international community needed to step up its collective efforts to help them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The solution is in bringing closer Syrian
points of views,” he said. “If the Syrians are incapable of doing this on their
own, then the international community, their neighbours and everyone else must
assist them in doing so, and assist them in doing good.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The UN-Arab league envoy will be in <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city> this Saturday for talks, and said he plans to hold
additional meetings with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
  States</st1:place></st1:country-region> and Russian officials after two
earlier rounds of talks with top officials of those countries earlier this
month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“These two countries have influence and a
global responsibility, which qualifies them to help in searching for solutions
that we look forward to in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>,”
Mr. Brahimi said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The official noted that statistics no longer
conveyed the full horror of what was unfolding in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The truth is, when one mentions figures,
they appear cold,” he said. “When one says there are (four) million internally
displaced (people), what does it mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mr. Brahimi warned that current projections
placed the number of people driven by the conflict to other countries in the
region as refugees would exceed one million by the middle of next year, up from
half a million registered refugees now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The situation is bad and is worsening (and)
the Syrian people are suffering unbearably…” he said. “Those who can have mercy
on the Syrian people should do so.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In calling for a transition government, the
Joint Special Representative signalled that there could be no compromise over
its level of powers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“What must be established is a government
with full executive powers…” he said. “All the powers of government should be
with this government.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">While he also said that the transitional period
should not be allowed to lead to the collapse of the state or its institutions,
he left open the possibility that the eventual elections could be for a
reformed leadership structure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“These elections will be presidential if it
is agreed that the system will remain presidential, as is currently the case,
or parliamentary elections if there is agreement that the system in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place>
is to be changed to a parliamentary system,” Mr. Brahimi said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The envoy said peacekeepers were needed to
provide “strong observation” of a peace deal, but insisted that such a
deployment would not constitute an international occupation of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“These are not foreign forces; they only
come with the agreement of the parties,” he said. “When we reach a stage of
speaking about peacekeeping forces, it means that there is an agreement, and,
thankfully, the parties have agreed that they need these forces.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mr. Brahimi’s talks in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> marked his third visit to the country
since becoming the international <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region> envoy in August. He said he
told not only Mr. Assad, but also opposition groups he met both “inside and
outside” the country, of his proposals for peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The talks are still ongoing,” he said,
adding that Syrians have to resolve their differences, but with “a lot of help
from the outside.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mr. Brahimi has also been engaged in a
series of other meetings in the region and elsewhere as part of his efforts to
bring about a negotiated, political solution to end to the fighting in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He has previously stated that a peace process
could be based on the <st1:city w:st="on">Geneva</st1:city> communiqué, which
was issued after a meeting in the Swiss city of the so-called Action Group for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> in late June and which lays out key steps
in a process to end the violence in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Amongst other items, the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:city> communiqué called for the
establishment of a transitional governing body, with full executive powers and
made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other
groups, as part of agreed principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political
transition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Action Group is made up of the
Secretaries-General of the UN and the Arab League; the Foreign Ministers of the
five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, the
United Kingdom and the United States – as well as the Turkish Foreign Minister;
the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy; and the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, in their
respective roles related to the Arab League.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Syria: UN-Arab League Envoy Calls for Transitional Government with Full Powers

Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab States for Syria . UN Photo/Mark Garten UN ...

Russia Invites Syrian Opposition for Talks

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<st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-QNA) -- <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region> has sent an invitation for talks to the
head of the opposition Syrian National <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Coalition</st1:city>,
 <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s Deputy
Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"<st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>
is ready to hold talks over the 21-month-old Syrian conflict with National
Coalition head Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib either in <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city>
or any foreign location like <st1:city w:st="on">Geneva</st1:city> or <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city>," Bogdanov
said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The invitation has been passed on.
Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib has received it," Bogdanov said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The UN-Arab League envoy for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region>, Lakhdar Brahimi, is scheduled to arrive
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city> on
Saturday to discuss the Syrian crisis with top Russian officials. -- NNN-QNA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Russia Invites Syrian Opposition for Talks

MOSCOW (NNN-QNA) -- Russia has sent an invitation for talks to the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition , Russia ’s Depu...

Palestinian Cabinet Calls for Steps to Stop Israel's Settlement "Onslaught"

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">RAMALLAH  (NNN-WAFA) -- The Palestinian cabinet has
called on members of the United Nations Security Council and other powers to
put a stop to Israel’s settlement policy, which it described as “onslaught”
that aims to undermine efforts to form a Palestinian state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It condemned in a statement issued after its
weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday “the unprecedented settlement onslaught on
our land, particularly the Israeli government’s decision to build thousands of
settlement units in <st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:city> with the intent of completing the isolation of
the capital from the rest of its natural surroundings and further strangling
and isolating <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:place></st1:city>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It condemned as well an Israeli government
decision to grant university status to a college in the illegal settlement of
Ariel in the <st1:place w:st="on">West Bank</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It stressed that “the danger of this
onslaught lies in its aim to undermine the possibility of materializing the
state of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
on the ground.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The cabinet welcomed the position of the 14
member states of the Security Council as well as regional groups at the United
Nations “who unanimously rejected settlements and settlement construction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It said the settlements are “a flagrant
violation of the rules of international law as well as a violation of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s legal
obligations and responsibilities as an occupying power towards our people,
their rights and occupied land in accordance with international norms.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The cabinet called on those countries “to
assume their legal and political responsibilities and translate these valuable
positions into practical steps that compel Israel to end these dangerous and
destructive violations in a way that also accelerates at the same time ending
the occupation and enabling our people to exercise self-determination and to
materialize the state on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.” --
NNN-WAFA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Palestinian Cabinet Calls for Steps to Stop Israel's Settlement "Onslaught"

RAMALLAH (NNN-WAFA) -- The Palestinian cabinet has called on members of the United Nations Security Council and other powers to put a ...

Israel Suspends Palestinian Funds after UN Vote

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">TEL AVIV (RIA Novosti) – Israel is halting
tax payments it collects for the Palestinians in response to their successful
bid to raise their UN status, local media reported on Sunday, citing Israeli
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I have no intention of transferring
the tax payments to the Palestinian Authority this month. I plan to use them to
offset Palestinian debt to the Israel Electric Corporation," Steinitz said
at the beginning of a weekly cabinet meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We have said from the beginning that the
raising of the status of <st1:city w:st="on">Palestine</st1:city> at the UN
would produce a reaction from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that
a total of 460 million shekels (about $120 million) would be withheld from the
Palestinians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The move comes after the UN General Assembly
recognized on Thursday the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a non-member observer
state.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Palestinian bid, submitted by President
Mahmoud Abbas, was approved by 138 UN members, while nine voted against and 41
abstained from voting. The bid faced fierce opposition from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The move amounts to an implicit recognition
of the Palestinian statehood and increases PA’s chances of joining other UN
bodies. It also allows the Palestinian Authority to challenge the continuing
construction of Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian land in the
International Criminal Court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Abbas urged the UN General Assembly before
the historic vote “to issue the birth certificate of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He also reiterated that the Palestinians
would continue their efforts to achieve a fully-recognized statehood. ---VOA
News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Israel Suspends Palestinian Funds after UN Vote

TEL AVIV (RIA Novosti) – Israel is halting tax payments it collects for the Palestinians in response to their successful bid to raise...

India Hopes UN Vote Will Help Resume Palestine, Israel Talks

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UNITED NATIONS (NNN-Bernama) -- India has
expressed hope that Palestine's enhanced status at the United Nations will pave
the way for resumption of "serious and direct" talks with Israel as
it voiced concern that the continued impasse between the two parties over
settlement activities threaten the two-state solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> was among the 138 nations that
voted in favour of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
at a historic UN General Assembly vote that upgraded the status of the
Palestinian Authority to non-member observer state from an entity, Press Trust
of India (PTI) reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
 States</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
and were among only nine nations in the 193-member UN body that voted against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> in Thursday's
vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We hope that the vote in the General
Assembly will pave the way for the resumption of serious, direct talks between
the Palestinians and the Israelis,"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">India's Permanent Representative to the UN
Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri said at a General Assembly session here on Friday
on the 'Question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Puri regretted that while democratic
aspirations of people in several Arab countries was being addressed through
national political processes over the last two years, the Palestinian question
and related Arab-Israeli issues remained largely un-addressed and unresolved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"For more than two years now, there
have been no direct talks between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>.
Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories has been
deteriorating due to settlement activities in the West Bank and <st1:place w:st="on">East Jerusalem</st1:place>," Puri said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"These activities are creating new
realities on the ground, and threaten the very premise of a two-state
solution," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Settlements, roadblocks and the related
infrastructure of occupation have exacerbated the humanitarian problems of the
Palestinian people and are adversely affecting the normal functioning of state
institutions, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Palestinian Authority is also facing a
severe financial crisis that could erode significant progress made by it in
building state institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">With the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> blockade entering its sixth year, the
humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate and essential services,
economic activities and infrastructure development have been disrupted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We strongly condemn the violence and
deeply regret the loss of human lives during the recent hostilities. We hope
both the parties will uphold the ceasefire agreement and implement its
provisions in good faith," Puri said referring to the Nov 21 ceasefire
between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas which brought an end to eight
days of violence that left an estimated 158 Palestinians dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tensions had escalated in the region earlier
this month following rocket attacks against <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
from <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> and Israeli air-strikes on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Puri also lamented that <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>'s application for full membership
of the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">United Nations submitted more than a year
ago had not evinced any positive action from the Security Council, despite
overwhelming support from the UN member-states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Reiterating <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s
continued support for the Palestinian cause, Puri congratulated the leadership
and people of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
on winning the General Assembly vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"While we have long supported the
aspirations of the Palestinian people and leadership for the full membership to
the United Nations, the vote in the General Assembly is an important milestone
towards that goal," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Noting <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s
long history of solidarity with the Palestinian people, Puri said <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> was the first non-Arab country to
recognise the state of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city>
nearly 25 years ago. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>

India Hopes UN Vote Will Help Resume Palestine, Israel Talks

UNITED NATIONS (NNN-Bernama) -- India has expressed hope that Palestine's enhanced status at the United Nations will pave the way f...

Gaza, Israel Calm as Cease-Fire Holds

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Palestinians and Israelis went about their
day blanketed in relative calm Thursday, after a cease-fire brokered hours
before gave citizens in the volatile area their first quiet night in more than
a week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">If Israel and the Hamas militants who run
the Gaza Strip can maintain peace until 9:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), border
areas from Gaza will be opened, allowing people and goods to move in and out of
the territory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The truce brokered by <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> took
effect at 9:00 p.m. local time Wednesday. 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr made the truce announcement
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city> with
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at his side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gazans poured into the streets after the
cease-fire began, with some firing guns in celebration. In the West Bank
Palestinian territory, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
army said Thursday it arrested 55 suspected senior-level Palestinian militants
that were members of various armed factions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> is monitoring both sides for violations
of the cease-fire agreement. The truce follows several days of intense aerial
assaults on both sides of the border between <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the Gaza Strip, leaving
more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The deal was reached amid hours of intense
diplomacy involving <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Clinton</st1:place></st1:city>,
as well as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Clinton</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> called the truce "a critical moment
for the region.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The people of this region deserve a
chance to live free from fear and violence and today's agreement is a step in
the right direction that we should build on," said <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Clinton</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Clinton</span></st1:city><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> also praised <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>'s
new government for assuming a key role in the effort and for pledging to work
with <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>
to ensure the cease-fire holds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On Wednesday, a bomb blast on a bus in
central Tel Aviv wounded at least 27 people, some seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">New rounds of missile and air attacks
rained down on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
following the Tel Aviv attack. Palestinians medics Wednesday said at least 10
people were killed, including a young boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 16.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> and Hamas had traded rocket fire since an
Israeli missile killed Hamas's military chief in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
last week. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> says the
attack was a direct response to months of almost daily rocket fire into
southern <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city></st1:place>. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Gaza, Israel Calm as Cease-Fire Holds

Palestinians and Israelis went about their day blanketed in relative calm Thursday, after a cease-fire brokered hours before gave cit...

World Powers Want New Nuclear Talks with Iran Soon

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Six world powers have agreed to seek renewed talks on <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>'s contested nuclear program as fast as
possible, reflecting a renewed sense of urgency to resolve <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tehran</st1:place></st1:city>'s disputed nuclear activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said
Wednesday after talks between senior diplomats from Britain, China, France,
Russia, the United States and Germany that the group was "committed to
having another round of talks with Iran as soon as possible."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Analysts warn that a window of opportunity for a negotiated
solution is narrowing because of growing alarm over <st1:city w:st="on">Tehran</st1:city>'s
nuclear activities in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
Experts say any Israeli air strikes, which many believe would escalate into a
wider Middle East war, is unlikely before Israel's January 22 election, giving
the six powers some time for diplomacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">, the Middle East's only nuclear power,
has refused to rule out a military strike on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> to stop it from also getting
the bomb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The last high-level talks attended by <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>, which all but failed, were held in <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city> in June, with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Tehran</st1:city></st1:place>
rejecting Western calls for it to scale back its nuclear program which the West
suspects is a cover for efforts to build an atomic bomb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

World Powers Want New Nuclear Talks with Iran Soon

By VOA News Six world powers have agreed to seek renewed talks on Iran 's contested nuclear program as fast as possible, reflec...

Gaza Ceasefire Efforts Step Up as Death Toll Mounts

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN9TclWS5Xqbvlzho1rJzFF2och7I1STWekL1U-qeC6rOmavTqQFX-X7MYw8d2Db9O6CTI6IKyi4O3R8v4xUvoDyaXNsC6DmJbLjlyU1tx4LnImCqq1Uoyo62yl8KLlU2j-xU_sjPnTM/s1600/2012112015281444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN9TclWS5Xqbvlzho1rJzFF2och7I1STWekL1U-qeC6rOmavTqQFX-X7MYw8d2Db9O6CTI6IKyi4O3R8v4xUvoDyaXNsC6DmJbLjlyU1tx4LnImCqq1Uoyo62yl8KLlU2j-xU_sjPnTM/s1600/2012112015281444.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">NNN---</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">Osama Abdel Aal is rescued after his family’s house collapsed during an Israeli strike in the Tufah neighborhood of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> on 19 November 2012. Photo courtesy Bernat Armangue---NNN</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">  </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW/GAZA   (RIA Novosti) – Israel carried out some 100
airstrikes on Gaza overnight as the bombardment of the Palestinian enclave
entered its seventh day amid frantic negotiations to stem a rapidly rising body
count.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gaza’s
health ministry said on Tuesday at least 111 people, many of them children, had
been killed in the densely-populated city of 1.7 million since Israel began its
airborne assault on Wednesday in response to a surge in rocket attacks from the
enclave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Israeli military said 29 rockets had been fired from <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city>,
ruled by the Hamas Islamist group, towards <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place> since early Tuesday. Most
were intercepted, but three landed in the town of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Beersheva</st1:place></st1:city>. A rocket - the second of the
current conflict - also landed near <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>,
Israeli media said. No injuries were reported in either attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Three
Israelis have been killed by rocket fire from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> since the start of the military
campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"My
message is clear - all sides must halt fire immediately,” UN Secretary Ban
Ki-moon said in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city>
during talks with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby ahead of a meeting with
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Mursi
- a member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement that gave rise to Hamas - hinted
late on Tuesday afternoon that a truce was imminent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The
farce of Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip will end on Tuesday,"
he said. "The efforts to conclude a truce between the Palestinian and
Israeli sides will produce positive results in the next few hours."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ban
is also due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Tuesday,
before traveling to the West Bank city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ramallah</st1:place></st1:city>
to speak to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> officials said on Tuesday that Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton was heading for the region to press for a truce and would
visit <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> and the <st1:place w:st="on">West Bank</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
and Palestinian officials were also reported to be negotiating via an Egyptian
mediator in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city></st1:place>
on Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
developments came as an Israeli government source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday
that Israel would put off an invasion of Gaza for another 24 hours to give
“diplomatic efforts a chance.” He also admitted that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
was coming under intense “international pressure” to halt its bombing of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> is demanding a complete cessation of rocket
fire from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
before it halts its attacks on “terrorist” targets in the densely-populated
city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tel
Aviv has called up 75,000 reservists and a ground force is massed near the
border with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>,
awaiting orders to enter the enclave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ban
warned that any Israeli ground invasion of <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city>
would be a “dangerous escalation,” but said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> had “legitimate concerns that
must be respected in international law.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s last invasion of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, in 2008-2009, killed 1,400
Palestinians, the majority of them civilians. Thirteen Israelis died in the
22-day military operation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
Haaretz-Dialog poll taken on Sunday indicated that 84% of the Israeli public
supports the present military campaign, with 12% opposing it. But only 30% of
the Israeli public would support a ground offensive in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, the pollster reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US
President Barack Obama reiterated on Sunday <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>’s
insistence that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has the right to self-defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There's
no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens
from outside its borders... we are fully supportive of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s right
to defend itself," said Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
ordinary people in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
were scornful of Obama’s comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Since
when does the occupier have the right to defend itself from the occupied?” said
north <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
resident Sameh Alborai. “Many people here believe <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> is being attacked because of the Israeli
elections that are coming up. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
has an internal conflict and, like always in these situations, they are
targeting <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> votes in parliamentary elections in
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan alleged on that Friday Israel’s attack on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> was a pre-election
ploy aimed at drumming up support for Netanyahu’s Likud Party. On Monday,
Erdogan labeled <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
a "terrorist state."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Netanyahu
dismissed the accusations: “We are defending ourselves,” he said last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged
Israel on Tuesday to "scrupulously meet its legal obligations to
distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The
high commissioner reiterates her condemnation of the continuing indiscriminate
attacks and targeting of civilians in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
by militants in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city></st1:place>,"
the spokesman, Rupert Colville, also said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>

Gaza Ceasefire Efforts Step Up as Death Toll Mounts

NNN--- Osama Abdel Aal is rescued after his family’s house collapsed during an Israeli strike in the Tufah neighborhood of Gaza C...

Gaza Death Toll Rises as UN Chief Seeks Truce

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEI4UTea_GeJsvzO6xNOZ1qRFhzd3vfiXgbX1LvzsWIzubNQSXzBKwChoip-QOaZRHGmSv3h_ICfc7lIqFFPLmm7jGf2nv2sov50vXf3IL0sYpkoqz71o83G7X_9fPh_lpQep9t3oiiI/s1600/2012111915305866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEI4UTea_GeJsvzO6xNOZ1qRFhzd3vfiXgbX1LvzsWIzubNQSXzBKwChoip-QOaZRHGmSv3h_ICfc7lIqFFPLmm7jGf2nv2sov50vXf3IL0sYpkoqz71o83G7X_9fPh_lpQep9t3oiiI/s640/2012111915305866.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">NNN---</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shifa hospital in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gaza</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
struggles with the number of casualties following Israeli attacks. Over the
past 48 hours, the Israeli army has escalated their aerial and ground attacks
against the Gaza Strip. Seventy two Palestinians were killed and more than 660
others, including 224 children, 113 women and 50 elderly people, were injured
by the recurrent air strikes, Palestinian medical sources said on 18 November
2012. Photo courtesy Anne Paq ---NNN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">MOSCOW/GAZA
(RIA Novosti) – The death toll in <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> climbed
to at least 90 on Monday as <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
continued to strike targets within the Palestinian enclave and UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> to attempt to secure a
ceasefire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Plumes
of smoke rose across <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> as <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> pummeled
the city of 1.7 million from sea and air for a sixth straight day in response
to a surge in Palestinian rocket fire earlier this month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gaza</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s Health Ministry said 94 Palestinians,
many of them women and children had been killed since <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
military campaign began on November 14. The Israeli Defense Forces put the
figure at 95, with one third of the dead civilians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gaza</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> health officials said 25 people have been
killed so far on Monday, including three children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“When
Israeli forces strike a house, they destroy all the houses next to it,” said
north <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
resident Sameh Alborai, 25, by telephone. “The Israelis are not warning anyone
before they attack houses and have been targeting civilians from the first
day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel was doing all it
could to minimize civilian casualties as its military attacked what it says are
“terrorist” targets in densely populated Gaza.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Three
Israeli civilians have been killed since November 14 by rockets fired from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, which has been
ruled by the Hamas Islamist group since 2007.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">UN
chief Ban was expected to meet Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city> later today amid
international attempts to end the violence. Mursi, a member of the Muslim
Brotherhood movement that gave rise to Hamas, warned last week that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> would not abandon <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ban’s
visit to <st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city> came as the radio station of the
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
had told Palestinian representatives via Egyptian mediators in <st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city>
that it would widen its operations if rocket attacks from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city> did not cease in the next 36 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Although
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> reported a dramatic
drop in rocket attacks on Monday, an IDF spokesperson tweeted later in the day
that a <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> missile had hit a school in the
southern Israeli town of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ashkelon</st1:place></st1:city>.
The school had earlier been evacuated and there were no injuries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
development came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on
Sunday that the Israeli military was prepared to “significantly expand” its
military operation in Gaza.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“We
will force Hamas and other terrorist organizations to pay a high price,”
Netanyahu told a Cabinet session. “The Israeli army is ready to significantly
expand its operation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> has put 75,000 reservists on stand-by and
troops and military equipment are massed near the border with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A
Haaretz-Dialog poll taken on Sunday indicated that 84% of the Israeli public
supports the present military campaign, with 12% opposing it. But only 30% of
the Israeli public would support a ground offensive in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>, the pollster reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">US
President Barack Obama reiterated on Sunday <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>’s
insistence that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has the right to self-defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"There's
no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens
from outside its borders... we are fully supportive of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s right
to defend itself," said Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But
ordinary people in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
were scornful of Obama’s comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“Since
when does the occupier have the right to defend itself from the occupied?”
asked Alborai. “Many people here believe <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
is being attacked because of the Israeli elections that are coming up. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> has an internal conflict and, like always
in these situations, they are targeting <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> votes in parliamentary elections in
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan alleged on Friday <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>’s
attack on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
was a pre-election ploy aimed at drumming up support for Netanyahu’s Likud
Party. On Monday, Erdogan labelled <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> a "terrorist
state."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Netanyahu
has dismissed the accusations: “We are defending ourselves,” he said last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>

Gaza Death Toll Rises as UN Chief Seeks Truce

NNN--- Shifa hospital in Gaza City struggles with the number of casualties following Israeli attacks. Over the past 48 hours, the Isr...

Iran to Export Electricity to India-Pakistan

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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">TEHRAN,
Iran (NNN-Bernama) -- Minister of Energy Majid Namjou said on Sunday that
Iranian experts will construct a power plant soon on Iranian border with
Pakistan to export electricity to that country and India, Iran's IRNA reported.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He
said the plan is under negotiations between the two countries' officials, and
will be implemented upon a request made by the Pakistani President to his
Iranian counterpart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Pointing
to the signing of a relevant agreement between both countries, Namjou said <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> will export 1000 MWs of electricity to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> based
on the agreement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He
said <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region> also has asked
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>
to construct CGP and DG small power plants which will be built by MAPNA Company
once a consensus is reached. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
minister also expressed <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>'s
readiness to construct another power plant with the capacity of 6,000 MWs with
Indian investment to export power to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> based on his negotiations
with his Indian counterpart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Some
4,000 MWs of electricity to be generated will be consumed in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> the remaining 2,000 MWs will be exported
through under water cables to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>,"
Namjou added. --NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Iran to Export Electricity to India-Pakistan

TEHRAN, Iran (NNN-Bernama) -- Minister of Energy Majid Namjou said on Sunday that Iranian experts will construct a power plant soon on ...

Israel, Hamas Exchange Fierce Attacks

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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> and Hamas exchanged fierce attacks
Saturday, as Israeli forces continued massing along the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city></st1:place> border in preparation for a possible
ground invasion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Israeli military carried out more t</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">200 air
strikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip Saturday, targeting government buildings
including the office of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and the Hamas Cabinet.
Haniyeh was not there at the t</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">ime.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israeli
missiles also hit rocket launching sites and weapons smuggling tunnels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> has positioned tanks and other armored
vehicles along the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>
border, and has shut down main roads around the territory, a sign it could be
ready to launch a ground offensive.  <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
Cabinet has authorized the mobilization of up to 75,000 reservists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Meanwhile,
Hamas rocket fire continued as far north as Tel Aviv, where sirens wailed
Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Israel</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">'s military said its new "Iron
Dome" missile defense system shot down a rocket bound for Tel Aviv, one of
several Hamas has fired at <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
commercial center.  The Israeli
government said "Iron Dome" has intercepted nearly 250 of the
hundreds of Hamas rockets fired since the conflict began a few days ago. One rocket
landed Friday in a field outside <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Palestinian
officials say 42 people have died in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>,
including militants and civilians, since the Israelis began their air strikes a
few days ago. Hamas rockets have killed three Israeli civilians. About 10
Israelis including some soldiers were injured</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> by rocket fire on Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
<st1:city w:st="on">Cairo</st1:city> Saturday, Arab League foreign ministers
held an emergency meeting and condemned <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> for its attacks in the Gaza
Strip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
White House said President Barack Obama was in touch with Egyptian and Turkish
leaders about ending the conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">An
Israeli missile Wednesday killed the top military commander of Hamas in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.  <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
said the killing was in direct response to the almost daily rocket attacks on <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Gaza</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
the last <st1:city w:st="on">Gaza</st1:city> war, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> carried out a fierce air and
ground offensive during a three-week period between 2008 and 2009.  More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis
were killed. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>

Israel, Hamas Exchange Fierce Attacks

Israel and Hamas exchanged fierce attacks Saturday, as Israeli forces continued massing along the Gaza border in preparation for a po...