WEST BANK
Palestinian leader seeks talks with Hamas
RAMALLAH | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is pushing for reconciliation with Hamas, even if unity would cost him hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from Washington, which lists Hamas as a terrorist group, an aide said Monday.
Azzam Ahmed’s comments indicate that Mr. Abbas may be giving up on stalled peace talks with Israel to reunite the Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas, with the West Bank, governed by the Palestinian Authority. The sides have been divided since Hamas overran the Gaza Strip in 2007, expelling forces loyal to Mr. Abbas.
Mr. Ahmed said Monday the Palestinians need American money, “but if they use it as a way of pressuring us, we are ready to relinquish that aid.”
RUSSIA
Report says corruption soaring under Putin
MOSCOW | Opposition figures claim corruption in Russia has worsened under Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and that his friends and relatives have abused their positions for personal gain.
Ex-Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, former deputy premier Boris Nemtsov and two other opposition figures presented a report on Monday alleging that graft under Mr. Putin increased 10-fold between 2001 and 2005 to well over $300 billion, or one-fourth of Russia’s economy.
Mr. Putin became prime minister in 2008, after serving two presidential terms.
Former lawmaker Vladimir Ryzhkov added that the report by the respected think-tank Indem also found Mr. Putin’s friends and relatives have accumulated fortunes with the help of state companies.
ISRAEL
Israel warns Hamas against rocket attacks
JERUSALEM | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Monday that the Israeli military will retaliate, if they resume firing rockets at southern Israeli communities.
Israel will not tolerate even “a drizzle of rockets and missiles” on its cities, he said.
Mr. Netanyahu spoke at a meeting of his Likud party, after two days of relative quiet along the border with the Palestinian coastal strip. Violence escalated last week with Gaza militants bombarding southern Israel, and Israel retaliating with airstrikes.
ETHIOPIA
African bank warns of uprising from youth, poor
ADDIS ABABA | The head of the African Development Bank on Monday warned African nations to heed the lessons from uprisings in North Africa by being more inclusive and reaching out to youth and the poor.
Bank President Donald Kaberuka said during a meeting of African finance ministers in Ethiopia’s capital that countries should govern for all, not just for the elite.
“The youth of North Africa has now spoken,” he said.
Mr. Kaberuka said the bank has committed nearly $7 billion in North Africa but that growth was uneven and government programs failed to reach the poor.
UNITED KINGDOM
Aircraft carrier for sale on Internet
LONDON | For sale: one aircraft carrier, slightly used.
Britain put the mothballed carrier Ark Royal up for sale Monday on a military auction website.
The former flagship of the Royal Navy was decommissioned this month, four years ahead of schedule, as part of defense spending cuts. Bidders have until June 13 to make an offer at www.edisposals.com. No minimum price was set.
The Ark Royal could be sold for scrap, but there has also been a proposal to park it on the Thames river as a heliport.
Britain is reducing the army by 7,000 soldiers and slashing billions from its defense budget as part of deficit-reducing cuts.
From wire dispatches and staff reports
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