* ‘Palestine to be freed only with force’ Pan-Arab Al-Jazeera TV on Thursday broadcast what it described as excerpts from a new audio tape by Osama bin Laden.

* Christian pilgrims mark Good Friday in Jerusalem Thousands of Christians are walking the stone alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City to mark Good Friday, retracing the route Jesus took to his crucifixion.

* Israel, Germany plan int’l summit to stop Iran nuke program Germany and Israel will try to initiate an international conference aimed at stopping Iran’s nuclear program.

* Saudis to retrain 40,000 clerics Saudi Arabia is to retrain its 40,000 prayer leaders – also known as imams – in an effort to counter militant Islam.

* Cheney, Saudis to discuss oil crisis High oil prices socking U.S. consumers will be a key topic of Vice President Dick Cheney’s talks Friday with Saudi King Abdullah.

* Palestinian rivals’ talks ‘fail’ Talks between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have collapsed, Palestinian Authority and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has said.

* Irreversible pollution looms at key Israeli water sources Israel’s natural water sources will drop so dangerously low by the end of this year that there is a major risk of some of them becoming irretrievably polluted and thus unusable.

* US lawmaker speaks out on Tibet A senior US lawmaker, Nancy Pelosi, has called on the international community to denounce China’s rule in Tibet.

* Horrific Arab Twist on an Ancient Blood Libel Palestinian Authority children in Gaza are being raised to believe the ancient Eastern European blood libel myth about Jews.

* Vatican Security Worries Over bin Laden Tape The Vatican on Thursday rejected an audiotaped accusation from Osama bin Laden that Pope Benedict XVI was leading a “new Crusade” against Muslims.