WORLD NEWS MINNESOTA SENATE WIN FOR FRANKEN Mr Franken could help the Democrats stop Republican delaying tactics, BBCi Cont'd from Home Page Mr Franken won the recount, prompting an appeal from Mr Coleman. Earlier on Tuesday, however, Minnesota's Supreme Court rejected Mr Coleman's arguments. Mr Franken will now become the Democrats' 60th vote in the US Senate. Sixty votes are needed to overturn attempts by the Senate minority to block legislation using a technique known as a filibuster. Comedian Mr Coleman fought a long legal battle to overturn the results of the recount. His legal team argued that a number of absentee ballots had been unfairly rejected by local officials. But the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected Mr Coleman's arguments. "The Supreme Court has made its decision and I will abide by the results," Mr Coleman told reporters. Mr Franken hailed the result, saying he was "thrilled and honoured by the faith Minnesotans have placed in me". Mr Franken first came to prominence as a comedian, appearing on Saturday Night Live. He later became a best-selling author and a host on the liberal Air America radio station. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement to "congratulate Senator-elect Al Franken, the next senator from the state of Minnesota". He added: "The people of Minnesota will now finally get the brilliant and hardworking new senator they elected in November and the full representation they deserve."  ISRAEL APPROVES 50 SETTLER HOMES Cont'd from Home Page The move runs counter to a demand by Israel's major ally and backer, the US, that it stop all settlement activity on occupied Palestinian land.  It came hours before Defence Minister Ehud Barak was due to fly to the US.  Correspondents say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reluctance to comply with a freeze on building in settlements puts him on a collision course with the US. Israel argues that settlements must be allowed "natural growth", although recent official statistics showed many new homes are purchased by newcomers from Israel or abroad. The Palestinian Authority says settlements - which are illegal under international law - are one of the biggest barriers to peace, and has vowed to stay away from negotiations until building work is frozen.  Mr Barak will hold talks in the US with President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell. Mr Netanyahu and Mr Mitchell were due to meet in Paris last Thursday, but their talks were cancelled. Israel intends to remove about 200 people from the Migron outpost - deemed illegal by Israel as it is built on private Palestinian land - and re-house them in Adam settlement, north of Jerusalem. The disclosure comes in an affidavit from the Defence Ministry to the Israeli Supreme Court in response to a court case brought by the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now.  The document speaks of a master plan to build 1,450 more residential units at Adam, but only 50 of these have been given the go-ahead.  Any additional units would require separate approval from the Defence Ministry, the document said. A Peace Now spokesman said moving settlers from the small unauthorised camp on a hilltop to a 3,500-strong settlement established by the government sent the wrong message. "(Settlers) who set up illegal outposts and threatened to use violence if evicted have benefited because the outcome will be that their original settlement will have grown 30-fold," said Yariv Oppenheimer.  Lawyer Michael Sfard, who acts for the Palestinian landowners, told the BBC: "It is outrageous that this is how the government deals with outposts: providing outlaws with a new house." He also described the government's announcement as an "act of panic", before the final hearing on the fate of Migron is due to be held next Monday.  The Israeli authorities have repeatedly removed structures from the Migron site, but settlers have always returned to rebuild them. Some 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 war --BBCi  ADL WELCOMES INDICTMENT OF WHITE SUPREMACISTS IN ARIZONA MAIL BOMBING; SAYS CASE HAS 'THE HALLMARKS OF A HATE CRIME' Cont'd from Home Page Former Arizona residents and longtime white supremacists Dennis and Daniel Mahon, who are twin brothers, were arrested yesterday by federal agents at their northern Illinois home. According to the indictment in Arizona U.S. District Court, the brothers conspired with other unnamed individuals to carry out the bombing plot in an effort to promote racial discord on behalf of the "White Aryan Resistance" (WAR), a white supremacist organization. The exhaustive investigation spanned nearly five-and-a-half years and involved the dedicated efforts of several law enforcement agencies across the country. ADL's Center on Extremism, which monitors extremist individuals and organizations, has long followed the activities of the Mahon brothers and their associates. Throughout the investigation ADL provided to law enforcement information on the suspects and other persons of interest. Bill Straus, ADL Arizona Regional Director, issued the following statement: The arrest of two longtime white supremacists in the heinous mail bomb attack of the Scottsdale Office of Diversity and Dialogue is a long time in coming. The law enforcement agencies that pursued this investigation for more than five years are to be commended for their diligence and leaving no stone unturned in pursuing the perpetrators, and for never doubting that racism was a prime motive for the attack. It has long been suspected that Don Logan was singled out because of his race and his work for the city.The indictment shows that the attack had all of the hallmarks of terrorism and a hate crime. The arrest of the Mahon brothers sends a powerful message that hate crimes are unacceptable in our society, and that those who seek to intimidate others based on race or ethnicity will pay a heavy price for their actions.  The indictment paints a vivid picture of the lengths to which some white supremacists will go not only to carry out violent attacks in the name of a "race war," but also how they will try to avoid detection by carefully covering their tracks, disguising themselves and delegating tasks. The charges also show how the charged rhetoric of hate groups can and does inspire some followers to take matters into their own hands, and to act as lone wolves in carrying out violent attacks. HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION LEVERAGES $50M FOR JEWISH CAMPING Cont'd from Home Page These funds have leveraged nearly $41.5 million in gifts and pledges for a total infusion of $50,108,239 into the sector -- a five-fold increase in support since June 2007. Since 2004, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) has provided more than $20 million in services and matching grants to help put camping on center stage in Jewish life. One of the Foundation’s signature programs, the Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy, is working directly with 75 Jewish nonprofit overnight camps – approximately 50% of all camps in North America -- to strengthen their long-term effectiveness and economic vitality. Institute consultants help lay and professional leaders develop high-performing boards, plan strategically, implement new technology and increase their fundraising capacity. To date six matching grant programs have been completed, garnering more than 1,500 distinct gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations. The funds raised have been used for capital improvements, scholarships and operational improvements. Four additional grant programs are in progress with more than $3.5 million in matching funds reserved through 2010. It is estimated camps will use these funds to leverage an additional $6 million in contributions by December 2010. Harold Grinspoon, an award winning Jewish social entrepreneur, believes Jewish overnight camping to be a core resource for Jewish continuity - and one that has been sorely overlooked and under-resourced. "I love the feeling of well-being around a campfire at a Jewish camp, knowing that along with swimming and hiking, these campers are learning about Jewish values, rituals and traditions," remarked Grinspoon. "These positive Jewish experiences can have a transformational impact."  ISRAEL URGED TO HALT SETTLEMENTS Cont'd from Home Page The declaration follows a similar demand by US President Barack Obama. Israel says "natural growth" within existing settlements must be permitted, while Palestinians want a freeze. Mr Ban's comments came after a meeting of Quartet members on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of Eight industrialised nations in the northern Italian town of Trieste.  He said the Quartet members were "urging Israeli authorities to stop settlements, including natural growth, and remove all these blocks and open the crossings". "This will be the first beginning to make sure all our proposals are implemented," he said.  Mr Ban said the Quartet was "trying very hard to seize on the very favorable political atmosphere" following Mr Obama's attempts to reach out to the Israel, and hoped to see "meaningful signs of progress in the coming few months." The Palestinian Authority says it has ruled out restarting peace talks with Israel unless it freezes settlement activity and removes all roadblocks in the West Bank.--BBCi SUMMIT ADDRESSES NAZI-LOOTED ART Cont'd from Home Page The Nazis stole an estimated 650,000 religious items and works of art from European Jews during World War II.  While much of the art been returned, a great deal remains in museums and private collections. The BBC's Rob Cameron in Prague says there has often been considerable reluctance on the part of those in possession of the looted art to return it. Steps have been taken in countries such as Austria to make it easier for owners to claim back looted art. But the US Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Christian Kennedy, attending the conference, said many central and eastern European countries had not yet found a way to implement a restitution process.  He said any such process would have to be consistent with national law while also ensuring non-citizens seeking to reclaim property were given equal treatment. Delegates from the 49 states will be asked what progress they have made in returning looted Jewish property since the 1998 conference in Washington. That meeting introduced ground-breaking principles for dealing with such items. The Prague conference, the last major event of the Czech Republic's European Union presidency, is aimed at reinvigorating that process, says our correspondent. --BBCi

WORLD NEWS ISRAELI COURT JAILS EX-MINISTER Mr Hirchson was finance minister in the government of Ehud Olmert, BBCi Cont'd from Home Page Mr Olmert was forced to resign last year over multiple corruption probes. He denies all wrongdoing.  Separately, an appeals court lengthened the sentence of another former minister convicted of corruption. Shlomo Benizri, a member of the religious party Shas, had his term for taking bribes extended from 18 months to four years. Hirchson, who was finance minister in Mr Olmert's centrist Kadima-led government, was sentenced to five years and five months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of 450,000 Israeli shekels ($114,500).  Reading the sentence, Judge Bracha Ofir-Tom, said: "It's inconceivable that he did not understand that taking the money is not only against the law, but also damages the heart of good governance," Israeli news paper Yediot Ahranot reported. "The message coming out of this court must be loud and clear - a punishment which will not be different from that of a regular felon."--BBCi US-ISRAEL TALKS IN PARIS ABORTED A meeting between Israel's prime minister and a senior US envoy has been canceled amid growing differences over settlement building in the West Bank. Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot said the US put off the meeting in response to Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to heed US demands to halt settlement activity But Mr Netanyahu's aides say it was the prime minister who cancelled Thursday's meeting with George Mitchell in Paris. They said "more professional work" was needed, without adding further details. Instead, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak is now scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday to meet Mr Mitchell. Mr Netanyahu has arrived in Paris from Rome, on his first trip to Europe since he took office. He is promoting his hawkish line on Iran, seeking harsher sanctions over its nuclear program. US State Department officials confirmed that the bilateral talks in Paris had been postponed, but they did not explain why it was necessary for their envoy to see Mr Barak on Monday instead. US President Barack Obama has called for a freeze on construction of settlements, which are widely viewed as illegal under international law. Mr Netanyahu has said he will not build additional enclaves in occupied Palestinian territory - but he wants to continue building within existing settlements to foster what Israel views as their "natural growth". However, Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said on Wednesday that the rise in settler numbers is considerably greater than the birth-rate. They cite figures from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics which show that 36% of all new settlers in 2007 had moved from Israel or abroad. About 300,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and and another 180,000 in East Jerusalem. These were among the Arab territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war. The number of Jewish settlers in the West Bank was 116,300 in 1993 - when Israel and the Palestinians signed the landmark Oslo accords in which both sides undertook not to take any action that would undermine negotiations towards a permanent resolution. The Palestinian Authority wants to establish a future Palestinian state in the whole of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip - currently ruled by the rival militant Hamas movement. Mr Netanyahu finally bowed to US pressure to endorse the principle of Palestinian statehood in a speech 10 days ago, but he put a raft of conditions on its creation which Palestinian leaders called unacceptable --BBCi  BGU CONFERS HONORARY DEGREE ON PHILANTHROPIST ZUCKERBERG Cont'd from Home Page Zuckerberg serves on the board of directors of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc. He has been a long-standing supporter of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He received the honorary degree for his contributions as a generous philanthropist, and an enthusiastic Zionist, a concerned and influential member of the U.S. Jewish community. As chairman of the board of governors of BGU, Zuckerberg is committed to renewing the mission of the University through his strong belief in its bright future as a top-class scientific research institution. At BGU, he established and built the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in Sede Boqer, which has made significant contributions to the advancement of water research worldwide. Zuckerberg is also actively involved in BGU as a member of the Institute's scientific consulting committee. In the United States, he is a board member of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. In receiving this prestigious honor, Zuckerberg said, "I feel that this University has given me more than I’ve given it. It’s a thrill, an honor and I’m full of pride. I appreciate this honor tonight bestowed upon me and I’m very grateful to the University for what they have done for me." Zuckerberg serves as chair of the investment committee of the University of Massachusetts Foundation where he supports the Roy J. Zuckerberg Endowed Leadership Chair. The University of Massachusetts has honored Zuckerberg with its distinguished alumni award, a doctor of humane letters and the president's medal. He received his B.S. from Lowell Technological Institute (now University of Mass) in 1958. Zuckerberg has chaired the board of trustees of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Inc. and serves as a trustee of the American Red Cross in Greater New York, where he worked tirelessly to gain acceptance of Israel's Magen David Adom into the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies three years ago, and was recently recognized with the chapter’s lifetime achievement award for his efforts. He resides in both New York and Palm Beach, Florida. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and American Associates Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is a institute of research and higher learning with 19,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat in Israel’s southern desert. Founded in 1972, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev plays a vital role in helping the university fulfill a unique responsibility to develop the Negev, reach out to its local community and its Arab neighbors, and share its expertise with the world. BAGHDAD PARTIES AS US PULLS BACK Cont'd from Home Page US-led combat operations in Iraq are due to end by September 2010, with all troops gone by the end of 2011. Iraq has declared Tuesday National Sovereignty Day, a public holiday The country's security forces are set to take over the policing of cities and towns. The BBC's defence and security correspondent, Rob Watson, says that while the pull-back is significant, the actual withdrawal of US combat troops next year will pose a greater challenge. Some 131,000 US troops remain in Iraq, including 12 combat brigades, and the total is not expected to drop below 128,000 until after the Iraqi national election next January. Symbolic hand-over "Since 2003 [the year of the US-led invasion], I have never been to a party," Ahmed Ali, 20, told AFP news agency as the party got under way in Zawra. "But today I am coming to hear the singers I love." Popular Iraqi singers including Salah Hassan, Kassem Sultan and Abed Falek, who all live abroad, had travelled to Baghdad for the occasion, the agency said. Revelers had to undergo three security checks to enter the park but no-one seemed to complain amid a jubilant atmosphere, where an onstage banner declared that Baghdad's sovereignty and independence had been recovered. Even policemen joined in the fun, dancing with the party-goers, AFP reported. "Today is the day that we got back our country," said Salim Mohammed, from the sprawling Shia district of Sadr City. Despite the festive mood, Iraqi police and soldiers were manning checkpoints, inspecting identity cards and checking vehicles for weapons. Interior ministry spokesman Maj Gen Abdul Karim Khalaf said he had orders to deploy his forces "100% on the ground until further notice". The former defence ministry building in Baghdad, which was taken over after the 2003 US-led invasion, was handed back to the Iraqi government on Monday. Gen Abboud Qambar, commander of Baghdad Operation Command, received a symbolic key from US Gen Daniel Bolger, commander of US forces in Baghdad. "This marks the end of the rule of the multi-national force," the Iraqi commander said. American commanders are describing the withdrawal to base as an important milestone, our correspondent says. Yet it is not a dramatic break because US troops will still be embedded with Iraq's security forces and many American soldiers will remain a short drive away on the cities' outskirts. The pull-back is not without risks, our correspondent adds, and both the Americans and the Iraqis are expecting al-Qaeda and other groups to attempt to re-ignite sectarian unrest. While no-one believes there will be a return to the levels of violence seen a few years ago, the bigger challenge will come next summer when American combat troops are due to be withdrawn, rather than merely redeployed, our correspondent says.  He says for that to go well is in the hands of Iraq's political leaders and their ability to tackle the country's many outstanding problems and tensions. --BBCi