ISRAEL

Washington's visiting Middle East envoy vowed on Thursday to vigorously pursue the creation of a Palestinian state, setting the stage for possible conflict with Israel's new right-leaning government.

Israel does not plan to cooperate with a U.N. agency's investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli troops and Hamas militants during fighting in Gaza, an Israeli government official said Wednesday.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul called on Wednesday for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, hoping that a U.S.-Russian pledge to join forces to eradicate nuclear weapons will encourage the region.

The United States on Tuesday held out the chance of attending a U.N. conference on racism in Geneva next week but said the final text must remove what Washington views as restrictions on freedom of speech.

Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will attend next week's United Nations conference on racism in Geneva, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

An Iranian-American journalist has gone on trial in Iran for spying for the United States and a verdict is expected soon, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

King Abdullah of Jordan will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on April 21 to lobby on behalf of Arab states for a stronger U.S. role in Middle East peacemaking, palace officials said on Sunday.

U.S. President Barack Obama ended his trip to Muslim Turkey on Tuesday by calling for peace and dialogue with Islam and the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.

U.S. President Barack Obama told the Muslim world on Monday the United States was not at war with Islam, using his first international tour to try to repair America's damaged image abroad.

South African judge Richard Goldstone urged Israeli and Palestinian authorities Friday to cooperate with a U.N. investigation he is heading to examine alleged war crimes in their recent conflict.

Israel’s new Prime Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has been questioned over corruption allegations for at least seven hours by police on Thursday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in remarks published Thursday it would be difficult to make progress in peace talks with Palestinians as long as armed Hamas Islamists control the Gaza Strip.

Incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday to make every effort to achieve peace with Israel's neighbors and the Arab world, but again made no mention of Palestinian aspirations to statehood.

Web entrepreneurs are increasingly embracing new technologies from cloud computing to new computer languages to try and slash costs as investors disappear because of the recession.

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday his government would be a partner for peace with the Palestinians, but made no mention of their U.S.-backed quest for statehood.

A Yemeni court sentenced an Islamist to death and handed down jail sentences against two others on Monday after convicting them of seeking to work for Israeli intelligence services.

Israel's right-wing Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu was given two more weeks on Friday to form a government, allowing further time to try to balance his coalition by including the center-left Labor party.

U.S. President Barack Obama sent Iran an unprecedented videotaped message on Friday offering a new beginning of diplomatic engagement after decades of U.S. hostility to the Islamic Republic.

Lebanon's president ruled out on Wednesday holding direct peace talks with Israel, saying that the best way to resolve his country's differences with the Jewish state was to hold a regional peace conference instead.

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's party secured its first coalition partner on Sunday, reaching an initial agreement with the ultra-right Yisrael Beiteinu party, an official said.

The world needs to act urgently to avoid a global water crisis due to increased population, rising living standards, dietary changes and more biofuels production, the United Nations warned on Thursday.