وكالة سولا برس - قسم: Solaa News

Abbas dismisses idea of dismantling PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday dismissed the idea of dismantling the Palestinian Authority, during an interview with Japanese media. "Where do the writers of such reports get their ideas and information from," Abbas replied when asked by Japanese media about the proposal raised in a US magazine. Yossi Beilin, one of the authors of the Oslo Accords, made the appeal in Foreign Policy magazine. Regarding a letter being sent t

2012-04-15 08:54:00 Olfat Imam

Bethlehem governor bans Israeli agricultural produce The governor of Bethlehem on Sunday signed an order banning the entry of Israeli agricultural products into Bethlehem, effective from May 1. Abdul-Fattah Hamayil gave orders to security services to enforce the ban and monitor agricultural produce in the southern West Bank city. The decision follows the ban on Israeli imported watermelons, onions, strawberries and potatoes implemented by PA Minister of Agriculture Ahmad Majdalani e

2012-04-15 08:44:00 Olfat Imam

Salafist militants kill 2 police officers in north Sinai Radical Salafist militants shot dead two Egyptian police officers and injured another in the northern Sinai early Sunday, security officials said. The group launched a surprise ambush on a police patrol in the south of El-Arish city at daybreak, using pick-up vehicles and machine-guns, the officials said. They opened fire, killing Muhammad Abdul-Latif Eid, 22, and Muhammad Fawzi Sharaf, 22, by gunshots to the head. Ahmad Ramada

2012-04-15 08:41:00 Olfat Imam

UN council approves deployment of monitors to Syria Russia and China joined the rest of the UN Security Council on Saturday to authorize the deployment of up to 30 unarmed observers to Syria to monitor the country's fragile ceasefire as called for by UN-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan. It is the first resolution the 15-nation council approved since the anti-government uprising in Syria began 13 months ago. Moscow and Beijing twice vetoed council resolutions condemning Syrian President

2012-04-15 06:37:00 Olfat Imam

Egypt disqualifies Islamists, Mubarak VP from vote The body overseeing Egypt's presidential election disqualified 10 candidates from the race on Saturday, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat al-Shater, former spy chief Omar Suleiman and ultra orthodox Salafi sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail. Farouk Sultan, head of the presidential election commission, told Reuters the disqualified candidates had 48 hours to appeal against its decision. He declined to give details on the reasons f

2012-04-15 01:35:00 Olfat Imam

Israeli forces raid West Bank civil defense office Israeli forces raided the headquarters of the civil defense forces in a northern West Bank town on Friday evening, officers told solaa Israeli soldiers questioned two officers in Azzun, east of Qalqiliya, over stone-throwing at Israeli vehicles near the town's main road, they said. An Israeli army spokeswoman said forces investigated two suspects in Azzun after a firebomb was hurled at a junction near the town. The Qalqiliya di

2012-04-15 01:32:00 Olfat Imam

Syrian forces shell Homs on day 3 of truce Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar Assad shelled the battered city of Homs on Saturday, opposition activists said, the first bombings since a ceasefire began two days ago. The United Nations Security Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on a Western-Arab draft resolution authorizing an advance UN team to monitor the fragile ceasefire which aims to end 13 months of bloodshed during the uprising against Assad. It is still u

2012-04-15 01:29:00 Olfat Imam

Powers seek to ease nuclear deadlock with Iran Iran and world powers have a rare chance on Saturday to halt a downward diplomatic spiral over Tehran's nuclear program and ease fears of a new Middle East war when they resume stalled talks, but diplomats warn against expecting quick results. The negotiations in Istanbul, the first between Iran and the six powers in 15 months, are unlikely to yield any major breakthrough but Western diplomats hope at last to see readiness from Tehra

2012-04-14 11:14:00 Olfat Imam

PA 'shuts down' Palestinian rights group The Palestinian Authority has shut down the West Bank branch of a human rights organization, officials said Friday The Palestinian Human Rights Foundation, or Monitor, said the PA interior minister, Said Abu Ali, ordered the closure after claiming the group's activities were not consistent with the interests of the Palestinian people The minister is basing the decision on a decree by the foreign minister, Riyad al-Malki, the group

2012-04-14 09:10:00 Olfat Imam

Islamists rally in Cairo against Mubarak old guard Thousands of Egyptians packed into Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to protest against a run for the presidency by former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, in an Islamist show of strength against Hosni Mubarak's old guard. The Muslim Brotherhood - the biggest group in parliament - called the protest after Suleiman announced his candidacy last week. Both Islamists and secular reformists view it as a threat to democratic reform. "Sul

2012-04-14 08:54:00 Olfat Imam

Lufthansa bars passengers en route to Palestine Germany's national airline is canceling tickets of passengers who intend to visit the occupied West Bank, a group organizing a visit by foreigners said Friday. Lufthansa canceled the tickets of dozens of people who are signed up to join the Welcome to Palestine week which begins Sunday, the group said in a statement. "Passengers on Lufthansa flights have not committed any offense, and do not accept these mafia-methods, favored by

2012-04-14 08:51:00 Olfat Imam

Public university employees threaten to resume strike Employees in Palestinian government universities and colleges on Saturday threatened to restart a strike over salary complaints after warning that authorities were not taking their demands seriously. Public university staff have been taking strike action since February, primarily calling for a raise in wages to match other Palestinian universities. Strike coordinators announced a deal to end the strike in late March, thanking the

2012-04-14 08:05:00 Olfat Imam

British airline bars 3 women traveling to Palestine British airline Jet2.com has canceled the flight tickets of three women from the UK planning to travel to the occupied West Bank, British media reported Friday. Earlier, Germany's national airline Lufthansa canceled dozens of passengers who are signed up join a program visiting the West Bank which begins Sunday, organizers said. Jet2.com emailed the women from Manchester to inform them they would not be permitted to travel after I

2012-04-14 08:03:00 Olfat Imam

Tamil activists urge Abbas to raise war crimes on visit Tamil activists on Friday urged President Mahmoud Abbas to address alleged war crimes by Sri Lankan authorities on his upcoming visit to the country. Abbas is due to arrive in Sri Lanka on Sunday as part of an international tour including Japan and the Maldives. Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa is a vocal supporter of Palestinians, and Palestine's envoy to the country said earlier the leaders would sign a number of agreement

2012-04-14 07:58:00 Olfat Imam

Three hurt in Nabi Saleh demonstration Palestinians and two internationals were injured during a weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh, activists said. Usama Bilal Tamimi, 16, was injured near his eye while the unidentified internationals were injured in the hand and one of them in the back. They were taken to the Palestine medical complex. The demonstration was to support Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. Demonstrators held photos of the prisoners in addition to Pa

2012-04-14 05:45:00 Olfat Imam

Israel opens fire at fishing boat off Gaza coast Israeli forces on Friday opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the northwestern Gaza Strip. Witnesses said the gunfire caused the boat to sink, with no injuries reported. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the vessel "deviated from the designated fishing area" and that naval forces fired warning shots at the boat's engine after it failed to respond to calls to turn back. After shots were fired, the boat r

2012-04-14 03:37:00 Olfat Imam

Settlers 'destroy olive trees' in Hebron Settlers destroyed dozens of olive trees belonging to Hebron villagers on Friday, a local committee said. Settlers from Maon settlement southeast of Hebron chopped down dozens of trees belonging to Jebril Mousa Khalil, a spokesman for the popular committee against the wall and settlements said. The settlers also chased shepherds and international activists who were present at the time, following the group to nearby Tuwani village

2012-04-14 00:34:00 Olfat Imam

Abbas: NATO could fill security gaps after Israel peace deal President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that NATO could fill any security gaps in a future peace deal with Israel Speaking to diplomats in Tokyo, where he is on an official visit, Abbas said completing a peace agreement and ending the occupation were theoretically and practically possible Security between the Palestinians and Israelis could be handed to NATO forces if Israel fears it will be insecure after withdrawing from territory i

2012-04-14 00:02:00 Olfat Imam

All settlements on occupied Palestinian land are illegal

PA official: 3 injured in Nablus settler attack Three people were injured by settlers on Thursday in the northern West Bank village of Yanun, a PA official said. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors settlement activities in the northern West Bank, told solaa that settlers threw rocks and physically assaulted villagers who were tending their land in Nablus. Five villagers were arrested by Israeli forces and taken to an unknown destination, Daghlas said.

2012-04-12 10:29:00 Olfat Imam

Quartet seeks to revive peace talks Middle East peace mediators on Wednesday criticized Israeli settlement building and called on donors to meet aid pledges to the Palestinians as they sought to revive moribund peace talks. The so-called Quartet - the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States - said they stood behind their Sept. 23, 2011 call for the parties to reach a peace deal by the end of 2012, an objective that seems increasingly remote.

2012-04-12 10:17:00 Olfat Imam

القسم: Solaa News