SALVADOR, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil's President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva is joining his Palestinian counterpart in calling on Israel to stop building new settlements in areas claimed by Palestinians.
Silva says that his country "understands that any new settlement in Palestinian territory should immediately be halted." He says the expansion of settlements should be frozen and Palestinian borders of the future guaranteed.
Silva spoke Friday after a meeting with Palestine Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, who also plans to visit Argentina and Chile.
Silva earlier told two local radio stations that the United Nations should coordinate Middle East negotiations - not the U.S., which he said is "one of those responsible" for the crisis.
source: rockford register star
2. Georgia's Saakashvili doubts Russia will "risk" military conflict with Ukraine
Visiting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said Ukraine is “a hard nut to crack” for Russia.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said Ukraine has no reason to fear a military conflict with Russia anytime soon. “Ukraine is a hard nut to crack for Russia,” he told the Kyiv Post in a brief interview on Nov. 18. Contradicting previous statements, in which he has warned that Ukraine could be next on Russia’s list as a target, the Georgian president said: “Many fear that Crimea could become a second Abkhazia, but I don’t think [Russia will demonstrate aggression] here.”
...Warm Ukrainian-Georgian relations continue to be an irritant for Russia, accusses Ukraine of supplying weapons to Georgia last year, as well as soldiers. Ukraine insists its arm sales to Georgia were legal. Saakashvili told the Ready to Answer TV talk show on TRK Ukraine TV channel that Ukraine “never” illegally sold weapons to his country, and that Ukrainians “never took part in the war.”
According to the United Nations, Ukraine sold 74 tanks to Georgia in 2007. In 2008, Ukraine sold Georgia 25 armored personnel carriers, 15 infantry fighting vehicles, 60 light machine-guns and 17,404, assault rifles and submachine-guns.
read more @ kyiv post
3. Italian police arrest 2 Pakistanis linked to Mumbai attacks
Italian police on Saturday arrested two Pakistani men accused of providing logistical support for last year's terror attacks in Mumbai, officials said.
The two, father and son, were arrested in an early morning raid in Brescia, police in the northern Italian city said.
The suspects managed a money transfer agency and helped fund the Nov. 26 attacks, police said in a statement. The day before the attacks they transferred money to activate an Internet phone account that was used by the attackers and their accomplices, said Stefano Fonzi, the head of anti-terror police in Brescia.
Italian police began the probe in December after being alerted by the FBI that the money had been sent from Italy, Fonzi told The Associated Press.
The funds were transferred under the identity of another Pakistani man who had never been in Italy and was not involved in the alleged crimes, he said.
The two are accused of aiding and abetting international terrorism as well as illegal financial activity.
Transferring funds using the identity of other people was a common practice at the Brescia agency, Fonzi said in a telephone interview.
Two more Pakistanis were arrested in Saturday's raids for allegedly committing fraud and other crimes using the same system, but they were not linked to the Mumbai attacks. A fifth Pakistani man escaped arrest and was still being sought.
Under the same branch of the probe, 12 other people were flagged to prosecutors for possible investigation but were not arrested, Fonzi said.(AP)
source: naharnet news desk
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