Amman  - The Jordanian government Tuesday signed a 132- million-dollar contract with Chinese firm Sibco for the expansion of the Samra power plant, the Ministry of Energy said.

The expansion, which raises the plant's capacity to 500 megawatts from 400 megawatts, will be financed by a loan from the Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Economic and Social Developent (AFESD).

The expansion plan, which seeks to meet the growth in demand for electricity, will go into operation in June 2010, Energy Minister Khaldoun Qteishat said.

Cairo  - The ruling Fatah faction is looking to current Cairo peace talks to end the split among the Palestinians, a senior Fatah official said Tuesday.

Nabil Shaath, heading the Fatah delegation to a meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Soleiman, said he hoped the talks would produce agreement on a viable government that eventually would lead to presidential and legislative elections.

"Now everybody is waiting for a government that will put an end to the blockade of Gaza, open the borders and be accepted by everybody," said Shaath.

Johan

Washington  - The treasury secretary and head of the US central bank sought Tuesday to convince a key Senate panel to act rapidly and adopt a mammoth White House rescue plan for the nation's finance system.

Members of the Senate banking committee expressed anger at the prospect of being forced to act by week's end and outrage at bailing out Wall Street risk takers. But they also acknowledged the urgency of the issue.

New York  - Serbia's President Boris Tadic asked the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to support his country's request for a legal review of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.

Tadic said Serbia has renounced use of force to retain Kosovo, which it still claims as its province.

A draft resolution asks the 192-nation assembly to support Belgrade's request to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for an advisory opinion on whether Kosovo's independence is legal.

New York  - Turkey announced plans Tuesday to run for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, which, if successful, would break a 50-year hiatus.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said his country's candidature for a non-permanent seat for 2009 and 2010 will be presented to the UN General Assembly, which is scheduled to select five new council members in October.

"Turkey has not been represented in the council for nearly half a century," Gul said in an address to the annual assembly session.