Washington - Democratic leaders in the US Senate have signalled they could be willing to accept the controversial appointment of Roland Burris to fill president-elect Barack Obama's vacated seat.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he will await the outcome of a legal case in Illinois. The Illinois Supreme Court is expected to decide in the coming days if Burris could take the seat without the required certification of the state's top election official.
Tel Aviv/Jerusalem - Israel welcomed Wednesday a Franco- Egyptian proposal to end 13 days of fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, which has left hundreds dead and thousands more injured.
Israel also instituted a three-hour lull in the fighting in the salient, to allow Palestinians living there to stock up on necessities.
"Israel welcomes the (Franco-Egyptian) initiative and is working on it and is interested in its success," government spokesman Mark Regev said.
Washington - President-elect Barack Obama's choice of former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans worried he is too inexperienced to take on the job.
Panetta, a former congressman from California who served as Bill Clinton's top aide, has never worked in the intelligence or national security community, but if confirmed by the Senate would be in charge of tracking down al-Qaeda leaders and cooperating with key allies like Pakistan in the war on terrorism.
Washington - US President George W Bush will host former presidents and his successor, Barack Obama, at the White House for a private meeting during lunch on Wednesday, the White House said.
The meeting will mark the first gathering of all former presidents at the White House since 1981, spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Bush and Obama will hold a private one-on-one meeting before the expanded presidential gathering, she said.
London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday urged "international engagement" to protect the security of Israel and create viable open borders for the Palestinians in Gaza in the wake of the current fighting.
Speaking to reporters in London, Brown described the escalating violence and the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the "darkest moment yet for the Middle East," but also said that he was hopeful that a ceasefire could be reached.
Washington - Democratic leaders in the US Senate have signalled they could be willing to accept the controversial appointment of Roland Burris to fill president-elect Barack Obama's vacated seat.
Tel Aviv/Jerusalem - Israel welcomed Wednesday a Franco- Egyptian proposal to end 13 days of fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, which has left hundreds dead and thousands more injured.
Caracas - Venez
Washington - President-elect Barack Obama's choice of former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans worried he is too inexperienced to take on the job.
Washington - US President George W Bush will host former presidents and his successor, Barack Obama, at the White House for a private meeting during lunch on Wednesday, the White House said.
London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday urged "international engagement" to protect the security of Israel and create viable open borders for the Palestinians in Gaza in the wake of the current fighting.
