- Does Obama blueprint reduce budget deficit fast enough? (+video)
- Whitney Houston: a singing sensation silenced too soon
- Pentagon budget: Does it pit active-duty forces against retirees? (+video)
- Could Mitt Romney lose to Rick Santorum in Michigan? (+video)
- More than 30,000 Germans turn out against anti-piracy treaty ACTA
Palestinian Territories
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Hamas and Fatah overcome key roadblock to reconciliation (+video)
Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshal agreed in Qatar today that Mr. Abbas would lead an interim powersharing government.
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Religious trash talk goes mainstream in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Religious fundamentalists are gaining greater influence on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, complicating peace efforts.
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In Jerusalem, national parks seen by Palestinians as a land grab
Seven existing and planned parks in sensitive East Jerusalem, chosen in part for their archaeological significance, would expand areas of Jewish control where Palestinians envision a future capital.
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The man Israel didn't release from prison: Marwan Barghouti
Palestinians originally hoped that Marwan Barghouti, compared by some to former South African prisoner-turned-president Nelson Mandela, would be included in a prisoner swap finalized today.
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Terrorism & Security
Israel-Gaza violence: Testing the Arab world's appetite for fresh conflict?
Israel-Gaza violence has flared up again, with Israel killing two militants suspected of plotting attacks along the Israel-Egypt border.
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Israel-Gaza tensions: Pilot program to expand Gaza exports falters
Israel promised earlier this year to allow Gaza to export garments and furniture after a five-year blockade. But delays are damaging sales – and hope.
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Israel blames Abbas for choosing Hamas over peace. Is he?
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas vowed today to accelerate reconciliation with Hamas, a sworn enemy of Israel, with elections to be held in May.
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Israeli-Palestinian jolt? Why some want to dismantle PA.
Their UN membership bid failed. They don't want to resume Israeli-Palestinian talks without a settlement freeze. Now some Palestinian officials have a new idea: dismantle the Palestinian Authority.
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Eyes on Gaza flotilla, but Gazan activists looking at Hamas
Everyone in Gaza is as angry about Israel's blockade of the strip as the Gaza flotilla activists stopped by the Israeli navy today. But a growing number of young activists see their leaders as a big part of the problem.
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Backchannels
After UNESCO Palestine vote, could US defund nuclear watchdog IAEA, too?
The US withdrew funding after UNESCO's Palestine vote yesterday. There's no reason that Palestinians won't be able to muster the votes for recognition in other UN agencies like the International Atomic Energy Agency.
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Palestinian statehood bid adds urgency for Israeli-Palestinian peace
Quartet envoy Tony Blair held talks today to prod Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table amid concern about a looming UN vote on Palestinian statehood.
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Gilad Shalit deal boosts Hamas, but also reveals group's weaknesses [VIDEO]
Hamas scored a victory with the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli solder Gilad Shalit. But its concessions to Israel show fragility.
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Terrorism & Security
Initial euphoria over Gilad Shalit prisoner swap fades (video)
As details emerge of the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, in which 1,000 Palestinians will be exchanged for one Israeli soldier, Palestinians are disappointed with who won't be released while Israelis worry about renewed violence.
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Hamas popularity hits a new low after opposing UN statehood bid
The UN statehood bid, led by Hamas rival Mahmoud Abbas, has deepened the rift between Gazans and their Islamist rulers.
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Backchannels
Egypt gas pipeline attack raises questions about Sinai security
The latest attack on an Egyptian gas pipeline is a relatively minor event. But it's another reminder of the public anger that is likely to cause Egypt to draw further away from Israel.
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Palestinian statehood bid wins broad support in Gaza, West Bank (video)
Everyone from Hamas supporters to shopkeepers in Ramallah have backed the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN, but some warn that failure could lead to a third intifada.
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Tensions over Palestinian UN bid spur new patrols in West Bank
Palestinian, Israeli, and foreign activists have launched a neighborhood patrol project to protect Palestinians from Israeli settler violence, rising amid tensions related to the Palestinian UN bid for statehood.
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Palestinian statehood bid: Why Hamas has stayed on sidelines
Hamas has yet to officially declare its stance on the Palestinian statehood bid, to be launched at the UN this week. If the bid fails, the Islamist movement could expand its power in the West Bank.
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Backchannels
Amid Palestinian statehood push, a grim World Bank report on the West Bank, Gaza
The World Bank report underscores the extreme dependence of the Palestinian Authority on foreign aid. It is now facing a fiscal crisis due to unmet aid promises.
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Palestinians forge ahead with UN statehood push. Are they ready?
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas yesterday confirmed a push to seek full membership at the UN as a sovereign state. But despite support for recent Palestinian Authority reforms, the UN move could backfire.
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Can green energy help Palestinians unplug from Israel?
Green energy proponents hope to convince Palestinians that renewables can give them greater autonomy from Israel and is more affordable in the long run.
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Intense Israeli lobbying stalls Gaza flotilla
A US contingent is bringing Arabic translations of a book about Martin Luther King Jr., saying they want to show Palestinians that nonviolent resistance can work. But they're stuck in Athens.
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Global News Blog
In the West Bank, passport stamps come before statehood
A Palestinian man has taken it upon himself to design a passport stamp for the 'State of Palestine' that he offers to people entering the West Bank.
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Terrorism & Security
Fatah-Hamas leadership dispute could jeopardize Palestinian statehood campaign
Fatah and Hamas are meeting in Cairo today to choose the leader of the Palestinian unity government. But strong disagreements could derail their reconciliation pact.
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Feeling winds of Arab Spring, Israel douses sparks of Palestinian uprising
The trial of Palestinian protest leader Bassem Tamimi underscores Israel's eagerness to prevent small-scale demonstrations from turning into a broader movement.
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