Wednesday, January 09, 2008

01/09/08

* Bush: Our role is to foster a vision of peace (video) US President George W. Bush began his meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday afternoon.

* US releases Iran stand-off video The US military has released video and audio recordings of Iranian boats that it says threatened to blow up US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

* Gazans stage anti-Bush protests Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza staged protests against George W. Bush on Wednesday.

* Olmert, Abbas Agree to Negotiate Over Jerusalem Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas agreed Tuesday to begin negotiations over the three "core issues" on which Israel is expected to make concessions.

* Bush expedites Saudi smart bomb deal Amid Israeli security concerns and in an apparent effort by US President George W. Bush to go to Riyadh next week bearing gifts, the Bush administration has moved up by a day the date on which it will formally notify Congress.

* Clinton, McCain bids energized in New Hampshire Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain will carry much-needed boosts from New Hampshire into upcoming contests in the 2008 presidential campaign.

* PA rejects int'l troops in West Bank The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday rejected the idea of deploying third party troops in the West Bank.

* EU presidency to push for closer ties with Serbia Slovenia, currently at the helm of the European Union, is set to push for signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

* Jerusalem: Songs, Prayers and a Human Chain More than 2,000 people braved intermittent showers and cool temperatures Tuesday to form a human chain along the walls of Jerusalem's Old City.

* Sarkozy seen as backing Blair for top EU job Former UK prime minister Tony Blair will attend a conference of French president Nicolas Sarkozy's party.