Haniyeh vows to never recognize Israel Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed on Friday that his Hamas-led government would never recognize Israel and would continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem.

Initiative: Middle East peace conference without Israel Insight magazine reports recent American government proposal to hold peace conference without Israeli presence.

Hezbollah calls for more protests The leader of the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, said that the opposition will not back down in its mass protests to bring down the Western-backed government.

Bush, Blair want to ‘unlock peace door’ “Extremists do not want a Palestinian state,” said US President George W. Bush during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday.

Bush says U.S. ‘will prevail’ in Iraq President Bush, standing alongside chief Iraq war ally Tony Blair of Britain, asserted Thursday that the coalition forces “will prevail” in Iraq.

UN appeals for Palestinian funds The United Nations has launched an appeal to raise $450m in humanitarian relief funds for the Palestinian territories next year.

Annan to press world on ‘horror’ of Sudan Outgoing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will ask Friday how the international community can allow the “horror” in Sudan’s Darfur region to continue.

Islamist warning for Somali force The Islamists who control much of southern Somalia have warned they will fight any peacekeepers sent there, after the UN approved a peace force.

Saudis Reportedly Funding Iraqi Sunnis Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

Turkish surprise move confuses EU diplomacy Turkey’s last-ditch offer to open one port and one airport to Cypriot traffic appears only to have complicated EU efforts to find a common stance on the fate of Ankara’s membership talks.