UN envoy claims PA president told him Hamas would renounce violent struggle and adhere to previous agreements Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the unity agreement between his Fatah movement and Gaza’s Hamas rulers will be founded on the PLO’s commitments, including recognition…

Lance Franklin is again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, with the Swans forward issued with a negligent driving charge after crashing into four parked cars in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs while driving girlfriend Jessinta Campbell’s Jeep. SYDNEY Swans’ $10 million recruit Lance “Buddy”…

Hundreds of migrant workers who have had documents seized by employers are being held for months in deportation centre The “widespread” practice of confiscating low-income workers’ passports in Qatar has left hundreds languishing for up to a year in the Gulf state’s deportation centre, the…

Members of the U.N. Security Council called Wednesday for an investigation into new claims of a chlorine gas attack on a rebel bastion in Syria, expressing concern over the reports. The 15-member body was briefed behind closed doors by Sigrid Kaag, who coordinates a mission…

Rival politicians are gearing up for horse trading to reach agreement over a compromise president after Parliament failed Wednesday to elect a new head of state in the first round of voting. “Following Parliament’s failure to elect a president, rival factions will engage in tough…

Former minister says forces from the Gaza Strip invaded Egypt and helped break out Muslim Brotherhood figures from jail, including ousted president Mohamed Morsi Former interior minister Mahmoud Wagdy gave his testimony on Wednesday in the trial of deposed president Mohamed Morsi on charges of…

Spokeswoman Jen Psaki warns Hamas refusal to recognize Israel complicates talks; says ‘ball is in Palestinian court’ The announcement of a Hamas-Fatah unity plan was greeted coolly in Washington Wednesday, with State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki describing the news as “disappointing in terms of the…

Assembly to discuss ruling allowing Israelis to attend annual religious pilgrimage without special document from embassies Tunisia’s elected assembly accepted a petition Wednesday to question the tourism minister over a decision allowing Israelis to use their passports to enter the country for an annual religious…

While Hamas and Fatah hail the reconciliation deal, its on-the-ground execution is unlikely to succeed ‘The question is not about the agreement,” a leading Palestinian analyst said, addressing the Palestinian unity deal announced on Wednesday. “The question is about its implementation.” Like many of his…

Jibril Rajoub claims Hamas-Fatah reconciliation is an internal matter; adds that Netanyahu is leading a ‘racist, fascist, coalition’ senior Palestinian official attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for canceling a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators after Fatah and Hamas signed a seemingly game-changing…