http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news that matters. Covering current affairs, world news, environmental affairs and sport en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295516,brazil-asks-israel-to-scrap-planned-expansion-in-occupied-land.html Brasilia - Brazil on Thursday weighed in on the Middle East peace process, asking Israel to scrap new home building plans in occupied East Jerusalem just prior to a visit from Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. In the statement, ... Middle East,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:40:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295516,brazil-asks-israel-to-scrap-planned-expansion-in-occupied-land.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290297,1stlead-spains-zapatero-in-israel-to-contribute-to-peace.html Tel Aviv - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero met Israeli President Shimon Peres Thursday and said he was in Jerusalemto contribute to the peace process in the Middle East and reinforce the friendshipbetween the two countries. The ... Middle East,World Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:34:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290297,1stlead-spains-zapatero-in-israel-to-contribute-to-peace.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291046,lieberman-goldstone-trade-verbal-snipes-over-gaza.html Jerusalem - Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman Tuesday became the latest voice in Israel to condemn the Goldstone report on the Gaza war, calling it a danger to the Middle East peace process. The ultra-conservative Lieberman made his remarks d... Middle East,World Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:46:49 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291046,lieberman-goldstone-trade-verbal-snipes-over-gaza.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291544,israel-warns-un-discussion-of-gaza-report-will-blunt-peace-talks.html New York - Israel's Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom warned the United Nations on Friday that the Middle East peace process would suffer if the Goldstone report on the conflict in the Gaza Strip earlier this year were to be discussed by the UN Gener... US,World Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:10:41 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291544,israel-warns-un-discussion-of-gaza-report-will-blunt-peace-talks.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291528,3rdlead-nuclear-deal-awaits-iranian-ok-after-other-parties-approve.html Vienna - The United States, France and Russia approved a deal on Friday to process Iran's nuclear fuel abroad, which only left Iran to sign off on the confidence-building step designed to defuse the standoff over the country's nuclear programme. But ... Energy,Environment Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:46:51 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291528,3rdlead-nuclear-deal-awaits-iranian-ok-after-other-parties-approve.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290993,obama-hails-afghan-presidential-run-off-election-move.html Washington - US President Barack Obama hailed Tuesday the announcement by Afghan president Hamid Karzai of a run-off vote nest month. Obama called the announcement an important precedent that would help bring credibility to the electoral process. ... US,World Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:58:45 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/290993,obama-hails-afghan-presidential-run-off-election-move.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294283,netanyahu-sarkozy-meet-in-paris-amidst-peace-stalemate--summary.html Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Paris Wednesday for talks on the stalled Mideast peace process. In a terse joint statement issued after the meeting, the two leaders said they agreed to ma... Europe,World Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:52:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294283,netanyahu-sarkozy-meet-in-paris-amidst-peace-stalemate--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294260,bank-of-england-warns-of-long-road-to-recovery--summary.html London - The Bank of England offered a cautiously optimistic outlook on the economy Wednesday, saying the process of recovery had begun while an emergence from the recession was still some time off. The past year had been extremely painful for most... UK,Business Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:16:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294260,bank-of-england-warns-of-long-road-to-recovery--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294268,netanyahu-in-paris-for-talks-with-sarkozy.html Paris - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Paris Wednesday for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy on the stalled Mideast peace process. The meeting promises to be tense, as Sarkozy has repeatedly called for a total freeze on Israe... Europe,World Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:28:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294268,netanyahu-in-paris-for-talks-with-sarkozy.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293211,abbas-will-not-seek-re-election-without-peace-talks-official-warns.html Ramallah - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not seek re-election in January if there is no credible peace process with Israel, a senior Palestinian official said Wednesday. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that if Israel did not ... Middle East,World Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:46:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293211,abbas-will-not-seek-re-election-without-peace-talks-official-warns.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293102,leaders-of-jordan-kazakhstan-discuss-mideast-peace-bilateral-ties.html Amman - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev conferred Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah on efforts to spur the stalled Middle East peace process and ways of boosting bilateral ties, a statement by the Jordanian royal court said. Nazarbayev arrive... Middle East,World Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:34:34 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293102,leaders-of-jordan-kazakhstan-discuss-mideast-peace-bilateral-ties.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293004,ban-ki-moon-urges-karzai-to-end-corruption-in-afghanistan.html London - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to ensure good governance and eradicate corruption in the process of forming a unity government. I want him (Karzai) to take all necessary measures to meet the e... UK,World Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:04:34 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293004,ban-ki-moon-urges-karzai-to-end-corruption-in-afghanistan.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294093,un-warns-against-backwards-slide-in-middle-east-peace-process.html New York - The United Nations reiterated a call Tuesday for Israel to freeze all settlement activities in order to move forward the peace process with the Palestinians. Robert Serry, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said ... Middle East,World Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:28:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294093,un-warns-against-backwards-slide-in-middle-east-peace-process.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294602,final-step-for-lisbon-treaty-czech-document-handed-to-rome.html Rome - The final step in the arduous process of getting the European Union's reform treaty ready for implementation took place Friday in Rome when Czech Foreign Minister Jan Fischer handed over his country's ratification document. With the Czech docu... Europe,World Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:16:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294602,final-step-for-lisbon-treaty-czech-document-handed-to-rome.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294211,bank-of-england-warns-of-long-road-to-recovery.html London - The British economy has gone through an extremely painful year and the process of recovery has only just begun, the Bank of England said Wednesday. Presenting the bank's quarterly inflation report, governor Mervyn King warned that it would... UK,Business Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:46:30 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294211,bank-of-england-warns-of-long-road-to-recovery.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294534,syrian-president-demands-action-from-obama-on-mideast-peace-process.html Paris - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has criticized US President Barack Obama in an interview Friday for what he termed his passivity in relaunching the Mideast peace process. The weak point (of the peace process) is the American sponsor, Assad... Middle East,World Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:16:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294534,syrian-president-demands-action-from-obama-on-mideast-peace-process.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295255,eu-critical-of-israels-decision-to-expand-gilo-settlement.html Stockholm - The decision by Israel to expand a settlement in Gilo near Jerusalem on the West Bank will damage the peace process the Swedish presidency of the European Union said Wednesday. The move was counter to repeated calls by the international ... Europe,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:16:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295255,eu-critical-of-israels-decision-to-expand-gilo-settlement.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295245,preview-euleaders-head-for-top-jobs-conclave.html Brussels - As complex as a Rubik's Cube and as secretive as a papal conclave, the selection process for European Union president and foreign policy chief comes to a head on Thursday at a... Europe,World Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:46:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295245,preview-euleaders-head-for-top-jobs-conclave.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295230,1stleadrussia-insists-on-wto-ambitions-diplomats-say.html Stockholm - Russian leaders confirmed Wednesday that Moscow is determined to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) despite concerns that a planned customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan could derail the process, officials at a summit in Stockhol... Business Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:04:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295230,1stleadrussia-insists-on-wto-ambitions-diplomats-say.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295153,frances-kouchner-urges-abbas-to-stay-in-office.html Amman - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Tuesday urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stay in office, saying his leadership of the Palestinian people was indispensable to the success of the peace process with Israel. France wants ... Middle East,World Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:22:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295153,frances-kouchner-urges-abbas-to-stay-in-office.html