REPORT

Israel and Palestinian leaders have agreed to develop a framework for a permanent peace deal during talks held in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to meet for direct talks every two weeks in the region. They’ve also pledged to work towards a resolution of all the core issues of disagreement within a year with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel. From Washington Daniel Ryntjes reports.

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REPORT

A new round of direct MidEast peace talks is underway in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended a working dinner at the White House, hosted by US President Barack Obama, along with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, representing the MidEast Quartet. They will launch direct negotiations with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later [on Thursday]. Despite the earnest proclamations that both sides are ready for a deal, there’s no sign yet that either is willing to compromise. Kate Moody reports from Washington.

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REPORT

The memoirs of Britains former Prime Minister Tony Blair have gone on sale today. In “A Journey” Mr Blair has said he was desperately sorry for the deaths that occured during the war in Iraq but that he could not regret the decision to go to war to remove Saddam Hussein. However the British media have been making much of what he has revealed about his relationship with Gordon Brown, the man who succeeded him as Prime Minister but went on to loose the general election earlier this year. Mr Blair called Mr Brown “maddening” and a “strange guy” who could also be capable and brilliant. From London, Catherine Drew reports.

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REPORT

The US combat mission in Iraq officially ended [at midnight local time in Iraq]. President Barack Obama hailed the end of combat operations, calling on the country to ‘turn the page,’ and paying tribute to the servicemen and women who have served there. He pledged to continue working with the people and government of Iraq in a long-term partnership, as the country faces continued obstacles. Vice President Joe Biden is in Baghdad to represent the US in an official ceremony marking the handover of responsibility later [on Tuesday]. Kate Moody reports from Washington.

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REPORT

U.S. President Barack Obama is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas for the first round of direct talks aimed at bringing peace to the Middle East. President Obama will be joined by Jordanian King Abdullah and Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak. Priscilla Huff sets the scene:
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REPORT

Cricket is engulfed in a betting scandal with several Pakistan players implicated in an alleged so-called ‘spot-fixing’ scam in England. There are calls for life bans for any players found guilty over the allegations, but Pakistan’s current England tour is set to continue. A British tabloid newspaper claims to have paid a middle-man who in turn paid players for their involvement in fixing certain incidents in a recent game. Olly Barratt reports from London.

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REPORT

A group of students in the southern state of Florida is taking its studies to the streets. Law students from Florida A&M University are going door-to-door in low-income neighborhoods to educate residents about property foreclosures and loan refinancing scams. The program is backed by a national nonprofit organization created by Congress to help revitalize communities. Steve Mort reports from Orlando, Florida.

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INTERVIEW: DR IRENE PEPPERBERG

Dr Irene Pepperberg has devoted the last 30 years of her life to studying the communicative and cognitive abilities of African grey parrots. So what has her research with the parrots Alex, Griffin and Arthur shown her.

REPORT

Authorities in Britain are battling against sham marriages being carried out to bypass immigration laws. One vicar has been convicted of carrying out hundreds of fake marriages between Eastern Europeans and Africans, often from Nigeria. And two Church of England clergymen have been suspended from their posts after being arrested in another sham marriages inquiry in London. Olly Barratt reports.

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REPORT

London’s first ever fish foot spa has opened and is doing a brisk, if slightly bemused,trade. Fish foot spas are common in parts of Asia but are only now arriving in European countries. Dozens of fish nibble at customers’ feet to exfoliate dead skin to give the latest pedicure in town. Olly Barratt has been dipping his toes in to test the water.

PASSION for the PLANET’s award winning news partner is FSN, providing global news from bureaus worldwide. You’ll find more world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG.