Netanyahu proposes settlement suspension, East Jerusalem not included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a temporary halt in West Bank settlement construction, but East Jerusalem is not included in the proposal. This is deemed unacceptable by Palestinian leaders, who have also questioned Netanyahu’s commitment to halting the building. Under Netanyahu’s proposal, no new building permits for residential units will be issued in the West Bank for 10 months, although commercial construction can continue. More importantly, Netanyahu’s office has said that the freeze will allow for “natural growthâ€. Senior Palestinian officials from both Fatah and Hamas have rejected Netanyahu’s plan as “empty wordsâ€, with leader Mustafa Barghouti going further: “What Netanyahu announced today is one of his biggest attempts at deception in his history,” he said. “In reality he will continue settlement construction in the same pace as beforeâ€. Heavy rainstorms hamper Hajj pilgrims Unusually heavy rainstorms in Saudi Arabia have caused difficulties for Hajj pilgrims, and now pose an extra risk on top of swine flu. It is as yet unclear whether the rains could help spread the H1N1 virus, which has already claimed four lives on this year’s pilgrimage. Heavy rainfall has caused widespread minor flooding in Jeddah and nearby Mina, where many pilgrims find accommodation in tents, the floors of which are now covered in water. The rain is also expected to make the ritual climbing of Mount Arafat all the more difficult. Today sees 2.5 million Muslims ascend the mountain as part of the Hajj. Cash-strapped Dubai struggles to make loan payments The government of Dubai has asked banks for a six month stay on its loan payments as its financial problems continue to grow, according to the NYT. It is estimated that Dubai has total debts of $80 billion, and is now feeling the weight of that debt. In a bid to raise funds, Dubai had been seeking investment from Abu Dhabi – who earlier this year paid $10 billion dollars as part of a bond issue – but Dubai only raised $5 billion of the $20 billion it was hoping for, suggesting that Abu Dhabi may not be content to bankroll Dubai forever. India commemorates one year after Mumbai attacks As Pakistan formally charged seven people in connection with last November’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India commemorated the dead. One year on from the slaughter, which left 174 people dead and further increased tensions between India and Pakistan, India’s police force paraded past some of the city’s landmarks as onlookers flew the national flag. Pakistan has charged seven men under the country’s anti-terrorism law, one of whom is Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks. According to analysts, the indictments have come amid intense pressure for India and Pakistan to speed up the legal process and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice. All seven have pleaded not guilty. Syria back in control in Lebanon? A member of Saad Hariri’s March 14th coalition has told the BBC that Syrian influence has once again returned to Lebanon: “We are back to the Syrian hegemony. Officially, I am supposed to tell you that this is a fresh start, a new era; that this government will work towards the national unity. But, believe me, everyone is very depressed,” said the politician, who did not want to be named. Syrian influence has crept back into Lebanese politics as Prime Minister Saad Hariri was forced into making concessions to his Syrian backed oppositions by offering influential cabinet positions. In the struggle to agree on a cabinet, Hezbollah and the opposition block was able to dictate the seats, and the power, it wanted. BM
