* Arab leaders agree on appeal to Israel Arab leaders at their summit Thursday agreed on a call for Israel to accept their land-for-peace offer and open direct negotiations with the Arabs.

* Saudi: US Iraq presence illegal The Saudi monarch has made a forceful appeal for Arab unity, denouncing US policy in Iraq and the embargo imposed by western nations on the Palestinians.

* Iran delays female sailor’s release An Iranian official says that Tehran will not yet release a female British sailor held with 14 male colleagues due to London’s “incorrect attitude”.

* EU foreign policy chief calls for debate on U.S. missile plans The European Union’s foreign policy chief said Thursday that EU states should discuss Washington’s plans to deploy elements of its missile defense system in Central Europe.

* Abbas warns of violence if ‘peace’ rejected Palestinian Authority president accuses Israel of evading peace by demanding Arab peace initiative be amended, says region could slide into violence if peace not achieved in near future

* EU wants Israel-Quartet meeting soon The Quartet of Mideast negotiators hopes to meet with Israel before the summer for the first time, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday.

* Archaeologists find Ethiopia’s lost Islamic kingdom French archaeologists said they have uncovered the remains of three large towns that may have been the heart of a legendary Islamic kingdom in Ethiopia.

* Poland to fight for ‘square root’ law in EU treaty Poland plans to propose a new voting system in the upcoming EU treaty talks that will be based on square roots of populations instead of simple populations.

* Russia Calls for Equal Partnership With U.S. Russia has warned the U.S. against unilateral behavior and urged an equal partnership between the two countries, underscoring a newly assertive foreign policy in Moscow.

* New U.S. envoy to Iraq: Security ‘central issue’ The new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, was sworn in Thursday, as car bombs and bullets killed at least 11 people in two Iraqi cities.