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unusual evening news ping! So in case I am running crazy tomorrow, you can have some news to read. That goes especially for you, Uncle Ike!

Evening News Roundup, 3/19/07

Haaretz News Tracker

06:16	Report: Russia threatens to withhold fuel unless Iran suspends enrichment (Reuters)

06:02	Saddam Hussein`s former deputy Taha Yassin Ramadan executed, says son (Reuters)

05:53	Municipal heads did not call up emergency staff during war in North (Haaretz)

05:04	Poll: More than half of Israelis support Diaspora Jews` right to criticize Israel (Haaretz)

04:35	Government makes last-ditch efforts to avert public workers strike (Haaretz)

03:51	Security forces to hold drill across country Tues. to test defense capabilities (Haaretz)

03:09	Security source says `IDF will react harshly` if attacks continue (Haaretz)

02:31	Shas-Ashkenazi deal produces 12 new ultra-Orthodox rabbinic court judges (Haaretz)

02:15	Security services detain 2 wanted Tanzim men between Ramallah, J`lem (Israel Radio)

01:19	Police arrest more than 100 anti-war protesters in San Francisco, New York (Reuters)

01:17	UN Security Council Pres. South Africa calls for 90-day `time-out` on Iran sanctions (AP)

00:42	Quartet decides to maintain embargo on direct aid to Palestinian Authority (AP)

Ynet News Tracker

More than 100 arrested in US Iraq protests in NYC
(02:15 , 03.20.07)
South Africa calls for 90-day 'time out' on sanctions against Iran
(01:44 , 03.20.07)
Security forces arrest 2 Tanzim activists near Ramallah
(00:32 , 03.20.07)
Beilin asks Peretz to evacuate settlers from palestinian house
(23:45 , 03.19.07)
MK Orlev: PA schools are hothouse for cultivating terrorists
(23:21 , 03.19.07)
Alleged owner of Hebron home raided by settlers complains to police
(22:39 , 03.19.07)
Italian FM denies reports of phone conversation with Haniyeh
(22:36 , 03.19.07)

Wire Reports via Yahoo News

U.S. seeks Palestinian views on Israel AP - 2 hours, 28 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The United States challenged Palestinian leaders Monday to explain an ambiguous stance on violence against Israel, amid signs that U.S. and European governments may disagree over whether to embrace the new coalition government.
Aid embargo remains against Palestinians Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 8:23 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World powers will continue an aid embargo against the Palestinian government but European officials said on Monday they were optimistic the new authority would ultimately meet conditions needed for it to be scrapped.
New Palestinian government sparks flurry of diplomacy AFP - Mon Mar 19, 7:57 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States and European Union agreed Monday to withhold recognition from the new Palestinian unity government grouping Western-backed moderates and Islamic radicals.
Hamas carries out first attacks since truce Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 6:24 PM ET
GAZA (Reuters) - The armed wing of Hamas said it carried out its first attacks against Israel since a shaky November truce in the Gaza Strip, shooting a utility worker near the border on Monday and firing two mortar bombs at soldiers.
Hamas militants wound Israeli civilian AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:33 PM ET
KARNI CROSSING, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants on Monday claimed responsibility for a shooting that wounded an Israeli civilian near the border with the Gaza Strip — the first serious violence after formation of the new Palestinian unity government.
US, EU wait-and-see on new Palestinian government AFP - Mon Mar 19, 3:16 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States and European Union withheld final judgement Monday on a new Palestinian government, saying they wanted first to judge the actions of the power-sharing deal grouping moderates and Islamic radicals.
EU extends aid to Palestinians three months AFP - Mon Mar 19, 2:56 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The European Union decided to continue its temporary aid to the new Palestinian government for three months, EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said here Monday.
Belgian FM urges direct Mideast talks AFP - Mon Mar 19, 2:28 PM ET
CAIRO (AFP) - Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht called on Monday for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to keep the situation in the region from getting any worse.
Major power ministers discuss new Palestinian government AFP - Mon Mar 19, 1:45 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice consulted with her major power counterparts Monday amid signs of differences over how to respond to the creation of a Palestinian unity government.
Israel declares Lebanon conflict a war Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 1:17 PM ET
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel formally declared last year's fighting with Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas a war on Monday, but it is searching for a name for the 34-day conflict.
BBC 'increasingly concerned' for Gaza kidnap reporter AFP - Mon Mar 19, 10:54 AM ET
GAZA CITY (AFP) - The BBC appealed on Monday for help to find a veteran British correspondent who was kidnapped at gunpoint in the Gaza Strip a week ago, saying concern was mounting for his well-being.
Militant killed in Gaza blast AFP - Mon Mar 19, 8:34 AM ET
GAZA CITY (AFP) - A Palestinian militant was killed in Gaza on Monday when a bomb he was preparing went off prematurely, setting off a blast that wounded nine other people, including two children, officials said.
Israel declares Lebanon conflict a 'war' AFP - Mon Mar 19, 6:37 AM ET
JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli ministerial commission on Monday decided to officially declare last year's conflict in Lebanon a "war," after the government had previously refused to use the term.

Iraq executes former Saddam aide AP - 2 hours, 14 minutes ago
BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein's former deputy was hanged before dawn Tuesday for the killings of 148 Shiites, an official with the prime minister's office said.
Egyptian parliament approves amendments AP - Mon Mar 19, 7:18 PM ET
CAIRO, Egypt - Egypt's parliament on Monday approved a controversial set of amendments to the constitution that the opposition has denounced as a blow to democracy in this top U.S. ally in the Mideast.
Deaths become a constant blur in Iraq AP - Mon Mar 19, 5:50 PM ET
BAGHDAD - Only the gravediggers, some distant relatives and a few cousins made it to Nidal Faleh's funeral.
S. Africa asks delay on Iran sanctions AP - Mon Mar 19, 5:44 PM ET
UNITED NATIONS - South Africa called Monday for a 90-day "time out" on sanctions against Iran and said a resolution drafted by six world powers should drop an embargo on arms exports and financial sanctions targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guards and an Iranian bank.
Yemeni military battles Shiite rebels AP - Mon Mar 19, 5:40 PM ET
SAN'A, Yemen - Government forces seized a number of bases belonging to Shiite rebels in northern Yemen following fighting that drove some 2,500 civilians from their homes, a military official said Monday.
Hamas militants wound Israeli civilian AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:33 PM ET
KARNI CROSSING, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants on Monday claimed responsibility for a shooting that wounded an Israeli civilian near the border with the Gaza Strip — the first serious violence after formation of the new Palestinian unity government.
Maker: Israeli 'drones' fly over Iraq AP - Mon Mar 19, 2:23 PM ET
JERUSALEM - Pilotless planes small enough for a single soldier to carry and operate are gathering intelligence for U.S.-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israeli manufacturer said Monday.

US envoy walks out of meeting with Zimbabwe foreign minister AFP - 1 hour, 37 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US ambassador to Zimbabwe walked out of a meeting Monday with that country's foreign minister after the official tried to justify a violent government crackdown on the opposition, the State Department said.
Sudan's Bashir denies government role in Darfur Reuters - 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sudan's president on Monday denied his government was involved in widespread human rights abuses in Darfur, where an estimated 200,000 people have been killed in what the United States says is the first genocide of this century.
Aid workers access to people in Darfur diminishing Reuters - 2 hours, 46 minutes ago
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Humanitarian access is shrinking rapidly in Darfur where relief workers are attacked and intimidated, a U.N. humanitarian official said shortly before making his first trip to the region on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe threatens to expel Western envoys Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 7:53 PM ET
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe on Monday threatened to expel Western ambassadors it accuses of backing a drive to oust President Robert Mugabe and barred opposition leaders from foreign travel until they appear in court.
Zimbabwe warns envoys of expulsions AP - Mon Mar 19, 6:32 PM ET
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's foreign minister warned a group of Western diplomats Monday that the government would not hesitate to expel them if they gave support to the opposition, and the U.S. ambassador walked out of the meeting, envoys said.
Afar rebels claim Ethiopia abductions in Eritrean TV interview AFP - Mon Mar 19, 2:23 PM ET
ASMARA, Eritrea (AFP) - Rebels in the remote Afar region on the Ethiopian-Eritrean border have claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of five Europeans released last week in an interview on Eritrean state media.
Zimbabwe summons, threatens to expel Western envoys Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 1:28 PM ET
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's embattled government on Monday summoned and threatened to expel Western ambassadors it accuses of backing an opposition drive to oust President Robert Mugabe from power.
Zimbabwe court orders release of opposition faction leader AFP - Mon Mar 19, 12:55 PM ET
HARARE (AFP) - A court in the Zimbabwean capital Harare ordered on Monday the release of the leader of a breakaway opposition faction after he was detained by police while trying to fly out of the country.
3 kidnapped in southeastern Nigeria AP - Mon Mar 19, 11:14 AM ET
LAGOS, Nigeria - Two Asians and one Nigerian were kidnapped in southeastern Nigeria over the weekend, police officials said Monday, raising fears that abductions once concentrated in the country's volatile but oil-rich south are spreading.
Darfur camps attract new economic migrants Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 11:02 AM ET
EL-GENEINA, Sudan (Reuters) - Ibrahim Shousha is unlike many who fled their Darfur homes in fear to squat in one of miserable camps in Sudan's troubled western region.

Iraq asks Japan to extend air force mission AFP - 27 minutes ago
TOKYO (AFP) - Iraq has asked Japan to extend its air force mission to the violence-racked country, the Japanese government said Tuesday, the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion.
Air pollution puts Hong Kong's overseas reputation on the line AFP - 32 minutes ago
HONG KONG (AFP) - News reports of chronic air pollution are putting Hong Kong's reputation as a top Asian tourist destination at risk, travel industry figures have warned.
Vietnam, U.S. sign nuclear conversion agreement Reuters - 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam has agreed to work with the United States to begin converting a nuclear research reactor to using low-enriched uranium fuel from highly-enriched uranium, state media said on Tuesday.
Australian opposition flying high in polls after government scandals AFP - 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia's opposition Labor Party has surged to a 20-year high in opinion polls after a series of scandals forced two government ministers to resign, according to a survey released Wednesday.
East Timor rebel looms over presidential poll AFP - 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
DILI (AFP) - A fugitive East Timor rebel leader, who has eluded a manhunt by crack Australian troops, is at the centre of fears that unrest could mar the country's landmark presidential election next month.
N.Korea talks to look beyond reactor closure Reuters - 1 hour, 33 minutes ago
BEIJING (Reuters) - Talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear threat will focus on Tuesday on how to disable the reactor at the heart of its nuclear program and begin mapping out future disarmament steps, the chief U.S. envoy said.
NKorea says Japan wants to wreck six-party talks AFP - 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea on Tuesday accused Japan of trying to sabotage this week's six-party nuclear talks in Beijing and said it does not need the aid which Tokyo has pledged to withhold.
North Korean nuclear talks inch ahead AP - 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
BEIJING - International nuclear negotiators inched closer Monday toward setting a timetable for North Korea's disarmament after the biggest obstacle hindering discussions was removed — $25 million in frozen North Korean funds.
Treasury secretary lauds biofuel push AP - 2 hours, 5 minutes ago
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Monday applauded the Inter-American Development Bank's backing of alternative fuels and expressed support for China's request to join the financial institution.
5 Pakistani judges quit over removal AP - Mon Mar 19, 6:50 PM ET
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Five judges resigned Monday and hundreds of lawyers demonstrated to protest President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's removal of Pakistan's chief justice, deepening a political crisis for the military leader.
Chinese cyber-dissident gets 6 years AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:31 PM ET
BEIJING - A Chinese activist accused of posting subversive articles on the Internet was sentenced to six years in prison for "defaming" the government, state media said Monday.
Kidnapped reporter saw decapitation AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:27 PM ET
ROME - An Italian journalist held for two weeks in Afghanistan said after his release Monday that he saw his captors cut off the head of one of the two Afghans kidnapped with him and thought he would be next to die.
China OKs plan to build commercial jets AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:14 PM ET
SHANGHAI, China - China's top leaders have approved a program to build large commercial aircraft, lending crucial government support to plans to challenge the domination of Boeing and Airbus in the country's fast-growing aviation market.
Afghan bomber hits U.S. Embassy convoy AP - Mon Mar 19, 3:18 PM ET
KABUL, Afghanistan - A suicide bomber exploded his car next to a U.S. Embassy convoy Monday, breaking months of relative calm in the Afghan capital with an attack that killed a teenage pedestrian and wounded five security guards on a notoriously dangerous stretch of road.
AP reporter witnesses Afghan bomb attack AP - Mon Mar 19, 1:59 PM ET
KABUL, Afghanistan - The three armored Chevrolet Suburbans from the U.S. Embassy caught my eye Monday morning alongside the donkey carts and rundown Toyotas that compete for space on the muddy, bumpy highway that heads east out of Afghanistan's capital.
Bomb hits U.S. Embassy convoy in Kabul AP - Mon Mar 19, 9:19 AM ET
KABUL, Afghanistan - A car bomb exploded near a three-vehicle U.S. Embassy convoy on a busy road in Kabul on Monday, wounding several people, one seriously, officials said.