WORLD NEWS RICE IN MID-EAST FOR FRESH TALKS No big announcements are expected during this visit BBCi Cont'd from Home Page She is due to meet Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak later on Sunday. She will then go on to the West Bank town of Ramallah to see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Speaking on the aircraft on her way to the region from London, Ms Rice said that everyone wanted to see things m ove more quickly, and that was why she kept going back to the Middle East. She said her talks with Israeli officials would deal with the growth of Israeli settlements, roadblocks and incursions into the Palestinian territories. She said she would press the Israelis to refrain from undermining the Palestinian Authority and its security forces. The visit will lay the ground for President George W Bush's trip to the region next month. The US administration is hoping it can bring about a deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis, but correspondents say that with just nine months to go before Mr Bush's term ends, time is running out. 'Little Progress' The talks are also expected to address the extent to which the Palestinians have honored their commitments, including cracking down on militants launching attacks against Israel. Several hundred members of the Palestinian security forces took up positions in the West Bank town of Jenin on Saturday as part of a security plan backed by the Americans and approved by Israel. Hundreds of Palestinian security forces have already been deployed under the plan in the town of Nablus. But Mr Abbas's government has complained that continued Israeli raids against militants in the West Bank undermine the efforts of the Palestinian forces. Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas are also set to hold a bilateral meeting in Jerusalem on Monday after Ms Rice's departure, according to Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. But the BBC's Kim Ghattas says that after months of talks, there is little evidence of progress as the economic situation of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, deteriorates. At a Middle East Quartet meeting of the EU, UN, Russia and US on Friday, Ms Rice urged international donors and Arab countries in particular, to live up to their pledges to the Palestinians. The Quartet also called on Israelis to freeze all settlement activities and urged the Palestinians to curb militant attacks, saying both sides should refrain from any actions that undermined peace talks. --BBCi SCHINDLER LIST SURVIVOR RECALLS SAVIOUR Cont'd from Home Page Mr Schindler is credited with rescuing nearly 1,200 Jews, whom he employed in his enamel and munitions factory in Krakow, in German-occupied Poland, shielding them from deportation to death camps. Dr Jonathan Dresner, 85, who has lived in Israel since 1949, was one of those on Mr Schindler's list of Jewish workers protected from the SS. "All those who were on Schindler's list were lucky people and we felt it at that time," he said. "When we saw Schindler walking around we felt safe. It was everything for us. It is the main reason why I am alive today, how I was able to build a new life after the war." Dr Dresner says he remembers Mr Schindler as a "very handsome, charming man" who naturally engendered trust. "He used his charm especially on women, and he used it very well, and when you looked at him his face told you that you could rely on him," he said. 'Nazis bribed' Along with his sister and parents, Dr Dresner was sent from Krakow's Jewish ghetto to work in Mr Schindler's factory. "Everybody who was young enough and strong enough had to work and mostly people were working for the Germans - we were forced to do it, but this was the way that we thought at that time that we could survive," he said. Mr Schindler saved his workers, known as the Schindlerjuden, from the camps by using charm and guile and by bribing Nazi officials. "He bribed everybody in Berlin and he got his permission," recalled Mr Dresner. "He told them he needs special men and women who will do the work he needs... 800 men and 300 women, and this was how Schindler's list was born." The story was immortalised in the book Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally and the film Schindler's List by Steven Spielberg. Mr Dresner's family was one of only four which worked for Mr Schindler and survived. 'We owe him' By the end of the war, Mr Schindler was virtually destitute and spent the following decades drifting from one failed business venture to another. "We [Schindler's surviving Jewish workers] decided to give him a monthly pension," said Mr Dresner. "[But] it wasn't enough for him because he was what he was - a drinker and a womaniser. When he got $100 he spent $110. He went bankrupt and he was left with a lot of debts. "At that time we, the survivors, especially those who were living in Israel, organised ourselves and we decided that we'd take care of him," he said. Mr Schindler died in 1974, aged 66, and was buried in Jerusalem in accordance with his wishes. Mr Dresner - one of only about 60 Jews saved by Mr Schindler still alive - says the legacy of his actions continues to be felt. "My grandchild was [once] asked what she thought of Schindler and she said she felt that he saved her also," he said. "We feel all the time that we owe him and we want him to know that we owe him." --BBCi ANNE FRANK GREETINGS CARD FOUND Cont'd from Home Page The Anne Frank museum has authenticated the card, which shows a clover-covered bell above a snowy field, and wishes "good luck for the New Year". Frank, who wrote her diary while in hiding from the Nazis, died in Belsen concentration camp in 1945. Paul van den Heuvel, a school teacher, was looking through items in his father's antique shop in Naarden, near Amsterdam, when he came across the card. "I just found it in a box, which probably came from an Amsterdam flea market," he told Dutch television. The card had been sent from Aachen, in Germany, where Frank was visiting her grandmother. A spokeswoman for the Anne Frank museum, Maatje Mostard, said she had seen another similar card, posted on the same day from the same town, and she was sure it was authentic. "I don't know what he will do with it," she said. "We hope we can get it for our collection." Frank, her family and four other Jewish friends hid from the Nazis in a small Amsterdam apartment, until their arrest in 1944. They were sent to Auschwitz and Belsen concentration camps. Anne died in Belsen of typhus shortly before the end of the war. --BBCi ISRAELIS WITHDRAW MOSLEY INVITE Cont'd from Home Page He was accused by a newspaper of taking part in a "Nazi-style orgy". He denies his deeds had Nazi connotations.  The news comes on the day Mosley denied avoiding F1 races and confirmed he will be at May's Grand Prix in Monaco, where he has a home. Majadle met Mosley this week at the inaugural Jordan Rally, but was unaware of the scandal surrounding the 68-year-old Briton. His ministry issued a statement on Friday claiming that "his invitation was not intended to be personal to Mosley himself, but rather to the representative of the FIA as a global organisation". The turnaround is a blow for the embattled Mosley, who has come out fighting after numerous calls for his resignation as motorsport's world chief. He was not at the Bahrain GP on 6 April, after the Gulf state's rulers made clear his presence would not be welcome. And some critics suggested his absence from this weekend's Spanish GP was to avoid any potential embarrassment to the King of Spain. But Mosley said he never had any plan to attend the Barcelona event and insisted he would be present at Monaco in May. "I never had any intentions of going to Barcelona, because I had nothing to do there," he said, despite the fact that the FIA launched an anti-racism campaign at the Spanish circuit this week. "I only went to one complete F1 race last year. That was Monaco, and that was because I live there. I will be going to the Monaco GP [in May]. I live there." The FIA also issued a statement saying it appreciated the nature of Majadle's position. "The FIA is grateful to Galeb Majadle for extending an invitation to visit Israel. "The FIA is delighted with the recent legalisation of motor sport in the country and intends to offer the minister every assistance in what promises to be a major addition to motor sport in the region. "The FIA understands the circumstances under which the minister's invitation has now been withdrawn." In the statement, Mosley was quoted as saying: "I fully understand the minister's position and look forward to resuming contact with him when the News of the World's deliberate and calculated lies have been comprehensively refuted." Mosley is suing the News of the World for unlimited damages, but the newspaper has repeatedly said it stands by its story. Former champions, several car manufacturers, and some FIA members have called for Mosley to quit. Mosley has said he will not seek another term beyond October 2009 - if he survives a vote of confidence.  That ballot will take place at an FIA general assembly in Paris on 3 June, nine days after the Monaco GP. "My inclination is to stand and fight," he said. "If they wish me to continue, I will continue, if they don't, I'll stop."  --BBCi  ISRAELI MP JAILED FOR CORRUPTION Cont'd from Home Page Shlomo Benizri, a former government minister, was convicted earlier this month of a variety of offences, including accepting bribes. After sentencing, Benizri, 48, a member of the Shas party, pleaded his innocence and said he was the victim of a "witch hunt". Benizri's spokesman says he will appeal against the ruling. The Jerusalem court also fined Benizri 80,000 shekels (£11,500). The MP insisted he was innocent during the trial, which lasted more than two years and saw about 200 witnesses called to testify. He was charged with a variety of offences including accepting bribes from a contractor to cover the cost of furniture and home renovations. According to court documents a contractor donated money to a Jewish seminary linked to Benizri, bought him furniture and an air conditioner and renovated his apartment. In return, Benizri intervened to help the contractor's business interests by passing on classified information and granting him valuable permits to bring foreign workers to Israel. Shas, which has 12 seats in the Israeli parliament, is a key member of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's governing coalition.  The party has threatened to leave the government over the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.--BBCi

WORLD NEWS PRINCE OPENS KRAKOW JEWISH CENTER The Prince of Wales attaches Mezuzah to doorpost. BBCi Cont'd from Home Page The community centre project was initiated by the Prince on a 2002 visit when he met Holocaust survivors. During their one-day trip the couple are also visiting St. Mary's Basilica, and Wawel Castle. Charles and Camilla were greeted by hundreds of tourists when they got out of their chauffeur-driven car in Krakow's main square. The city is a popular tourist destination renowned for its rich cultural heritage.  At the opening ceremony in the Kazimierz Jewish quarter, Charles spoke to several Holocaust survivors - some of whom had inspired him to initiate the project when he first met them in 2002. Local resident Ryszard Orowski, who lost his entire family to the Nazis, said: "Never did we imagine that we would have a centre, a home for the whole community of Krakow. "I stand here today remembering the family and loved ones whom many of us lost so tragically in the Holocaust but now I can look to the future with true hope that our wonderful community can again come alive," he added. Centre director Jonathan Orstein said the Prince had made a "substantial contribution" to help finance the project. "The reason we are here today is because of Prince Charles's idea and involvement," Mr Orstein said. The London-based charity World Jewish Relief (WJR) funded and oversaw the centre's construction. It will be used by around 1,000 people including the elderly and Jewish students studying at Krakow University. Jewish and non-Jewish community members will also be able to access facilities for social, educational and religious programmes. Earlier in the day Charles and Camilla were shown around St. Mary's Basilica, the gothic church in Krakow's main square, and toured the nearby cloth market. They will also visit Poland's former political and cultural centre, Wawel Castle.  World Jewish Relief was founded in 1933, and is credited with helping Jewish children escape from the Nazis. Prince Charles has visited Poland and Krakow twice - in 1993 and 2002. For Camilla this is her first visit. The Mezuzah is a piece of parchment inscribed with two Biblical paragraphs from the Torah which are said as prayers. It is fixed to the front door frame of Jewish homes. Observant Jews fix one to the doorway of all the main rooms. The parchment is prepared by a scribe who has undergone years of training. The verses are written in black ink with a quill pen and then placed in a case. --BBCi US MAN 'GAVE SECRETS TO ISRAEL' Cont'd from Home Page He was charged with four counts of conspiracy, including disclosing documents relating to national defence and acting as an agent of Israel. He declined to comment on leaving the Manhattan courthouse. "I'm not saying anything. I have no comment," said Mr Kadish, 84, who worked at the US army's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Centre in New Jersey from 1979 to 1985. He was released on bail of $300,000 and restrictions were placed on his travel. Mr Kadish is accused of giving the material to an Israeli consular official. His alleged handler has been named by justice officials as the former consul for science affairs at the Israeli Consulate General in Manhattan, reportedly the same person who dealt with Jonathan Jay Pollard, who is serving life in prison for spying for Israel. Pollard passed thousands of documents to Israeli agents while working at the US defence department. He was convicted in 1987. The Israeli government publicly admitted in 1998 that Pollard had been their agent and awarded him Israeli citizenship. 'Major weapons system' According to the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Mr Kadish borrowed several classified documents related to national defence from the army's research centre between 1980 and 1985 and took them to his home in New Jersey. Mr Kadish would then hand over the documents at his home to the Israeli consular official, who would photograph them in the basement, it added. The complaint said Mr Kadish appeared to have received small gifts and restaurant meals for his alleged spying - not cash. One of the documents "contained information concerning nuclear weaponry and was classified as 'Restricted Data'... because the document contained atomic-related information", the complaint said. Another, classified as "Secret" and "Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals", contained "information concerning a major weapons system - a modified version of an F-15 fighter jet that the United States had sold to another country". Modified F-15s have been sold to Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and South Korea. Documents relating to the US Patriot missile air defence, classified as "Secret", were also borrowed by Mr Kadish from the library. 'Don't say anything' The court documents also allege that Mr Kadish lied to US law enforcement officials on 21 March 2008, the day after he was told to do so by his Israeli handler during a telephone conversation.  In that conversation, Mr Kadish's handler was quoted in the complaint as telling him: "Don't say anything... What happened 25 years ago? You don't remember anything." The United States is a close ally of Israel and supplies more than $2 billion a year in military aid. The two countries also co-operate in developing some areas of military technology. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Israel would be informed of the case against Mr Kadish. "Twenty-plus years ago, during the Pollard case, we noted that this was not the kind of behaviour we would expect from friends and allies, and that would remain the case today," he said. ISRAEL FOCUS FOR ERDOGAN IN SYRIA Cont'd from Home Page Mediation would begin at a low level and, if successful, progress to higher-level officials, he said.  On Thursday Syria said Israel had indicated it would be prepared to withdraw from the Golan Heights in return for peace. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has declined to comment on the reports, but Mr Olmert has said that he is interested in peace in Syria. Israel and Syria remain technically at war, although both sides have recently spoken of their desire for peace.  The Syrian government has insisted that peace talks can be resumed only on the basis of Israel returning the Golan Heights, which it seized in 1967. Israeli authorities, for their part, have demanded that Syria abandon its support for Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups.  The last peace talks between the two countries broke down in 2000. "As Turkey, we will make whatever efforts we can on this issue," Mr Erdogan told a news conference on his return to Turkey.  "In this respect, there is a request from Syria and in the same way a request from Israel." The meeting "focused on ways to activate a just and comprehensive peace", Syrian state media reported. 'Positive contribution' The original purpose of Mr Erdogan's visit was to open the first Syrian-Turkish economic forum.  But correspondents say it gained added significance after reports of the Israeli offer. "The trust Turkey has makes it almost obligatory to take on a mediating role," Reuters news agency quoted Mr Erdogan as saying ahead of the visit. "The peace diplomacy we carry out will have a positive contribution ... whether in Iraq, between Syria and Israel or between Israel and Palestine." In June 2007, Israel's deputy prime minister confirmed his government had sent secret messages to Syria about the possibility of resuming peace negotiations through third-parties, one of whom was widely believed to be Turkey. But the Syrian reports have sparked outrage in the Israeli parliament, with several MPs saying they would seek to accelerate the passage of a bill requiring any withdrawal from the Golan to be dependent on a referendum. Correspondents say returning the Golan to Syria is not a popular concept in Israel, and the details of a possible Israeli withdrawal have bedevilled past negotiations between the two countries. --BBCi ISRAEL 'READY TO RETURN GOLAN' Cont'd from Home Page She said Mr Erdogan had informed the Syrian President Bashar Assad of the offer by telephone on Tuesday morning. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has declined to comment.  Israel and Syria remain technically at war although both sides have recently spoken of their desire for peace. The Syrian government has insisted that peace talks can be resumed only on the basis of Israel returning the Golan Heights, which it seized in 1967. Israeli authorities, for their part, have demanded that Syria abandon its support for Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups before any agreement.  The last peace talks between the two countries broke down in 2000. 'Friendly parties' In an interview with Al-Jazeera television, Ms Shaaban said the offer had come from the Israeli prime minister. "Olmert is ready for peace with Syria on the grounds of international conditions, on the grounds of the return of the Golan Heights in full to Syria," she said. The Syrian newspaper, al-Watan, carried similar news on its website on Wednesday. Mr Erdogan is due to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, this weekend to attend the opening of the first Syrian-Turkish economic forum.  Mr Olmert's office did not deny the Syrian reports, choosing only to state that they "refuse to comment on the matter". In June 2007, Israel's deputy prime minister confirmed his government had sent secret messages to Syria about the possibility of resuming peace negotiations through third-parties, one of whom was widely believed to be Turkey. The Syrian reports also came only days after the President Assad told the Central Committee of the Baath Party that "friendly parties were making efforts to organise contacts between Syria and Israel". "Syria is in favour of a just and lasting peace. Syria rejects any secret negotiations or contacts with Israel. Any action taken by Syria in this area will be revealed to the public," he said on Sunday. 'Expectations' On Thursday, Mr Olmert told Israel's Channel 10 television that he was interested in peace with Syria, and that both sides knew what the other wanted. "Very clearly we want peace with the Syrians and we are taking all manner of actions to this end," he said. "President Bashar al-Assad knows precisely what our expectations are and we know his. I won't say more." The former US President, Jimmy Carter, who held talks with the Syrian leader recently has said he believes "about 85%" of the differences between Israel and Syria have already been resolved, including borders, water rights, the establishment of a security zone and on the presence of international forces. "[Mr Assad said] the only major difference in starting good-faith talks was that Israel insisted that there will be no public acknowledgment that the talks were going on when Syria insisted that the talks would not be a secret," Mr Carter said earlier this week. Mr Carter said it was now "just a matter of reconvening the talks and concluding an agreement" between the neighbouring countries. The Syrian reports on Wednesday have sparked outrage in the Israeli parliament, however, where several MPs said they would seek to accelerate the passage of a bill requiring any withdrawal from the Golan to be dependent on a referendum. . --BBCi