January 3rd

Palestinian mayor presides over boom times in Ramallah
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - (Interview) December 25, 2010 - 1:00am


The recent groundbreaking for a new Palestinian Authority presidential headquarters here in Ramallah underscored an unprecedented building and investment boom in the West Bank city. Land prices have tripled. International hotel chains are arriving. And master-planned housing projects are underway around town to accommodate a fast-rising population.


WEST BANK: Palestine National Orchestra has its debut
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - (Blog) December 31, 2010 - 1:00am


Today an orchestra, tomorrow a state. With these words, Suhail Khoury, director of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, introduced the Palestine National Orchestra in its debut Friday in the West Bank city of Ramallah.


West Bank: Calling for New Peace Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
December 31, 2010 - 1:00am


The Palestinian president called on the international community on Friday to draft a new formula for peace talks with Israel and set aside the current process, which he said was “managing the conflict but not solving it.” American mediators have turned to indirect talks to seek a way out of the impasse. But with those efforts in tatters and no clear way out, the president, Mahmoud Abbas, said in remarks in the West Bank that the international community should step in to devise a new vision for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.


Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Man in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - January 2, 2011 - 1:00am


JERUSALEM — Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian man as he approached a checkpoint in the northern West Bank early Sunday holding a glass bottle, the military said. Palestinian officials condemned the killing, noting that it was the second death of the weekend in the West Bank. A Palestinian woman died Saturday after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces a day earlier at a protest in the village of Bilin against Israel’s separation barrier nearby.



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