'Netanyahu, Abdullah met in Jordan to talk peace' | JPost | Israel News

'Netanyahu, Abdullah met in Jordan to talk peace' | JPost | Israel News: "According to AFP, the two leaders met to discuss the frozen Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The meeting comes in advance of a much anticipated visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories later this month by US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.

It will be Obama’s first visit to Israel since taking office in January 2009. It will similarly be Kerry’s first visit to Israel since he replaced Hillary Clinton as secretary of state in January.

It is hoped that Obama’s visit will rekindle the peace process and lead to direct negotiations. Direct talks between the Palestinians and Israelis broke down in December 2008, and with the exception of a few meetings in September 2010, they have not been renewed."

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French President François Hollande will be awarded the United Nations cultural agency's peace prize for his "valuable contribution" to peace and stability in Africa, in particular for the country's military intervention in Mali, the agency announced on Thursday. Former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano, who chaired the jury, said Africa caught the attention of the jury due to a number of threats that are affecting the continent. France has played a significant role in recent efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region, and as such the jury decided to award the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize to Hollande. "Having assessed the dangers and the repercussions of the situation on Africa, and on Mali in particular, as well as on the rest of the world, the Jury appreciated the solidarity shown by France to the peoples of Africa," Chissano said, adding that the jury condemned the ongoing conflict in Mali.

France’s Hollande to receive UN peace prize for Mali intervention | WireUpdate | Update to the Minute NewsWire: "The French government decided last month to deploy armed forces in Mali in an effort to prevent rebels from advancing south and reaching the country's capital.

"The Jury condemns the violation of Mali's territorial integrity, the violation of human rights, the taking of hostages and the destruction of the cultural heritage of humanity in Timbuktu," Chissano said. "The Jury therefore decided to award the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize to Mr François Hollande, President of the French Republic, for his great contribution to peace and stability in Africa.""
read more: http://wireupdate.com/frances-hollande-to-receive-un-peace-prize-for-mali-intervention.html
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