Saudi Crown Prince Ends Treatment

The Saudi Press Agency reported late on Sunday that the kingdom’s Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz is in “excellent health” after being treated for an unreported illness “after a few weeks” abroad, his son, Prince Khaled bin Sultan, was quoted as saying.

In April, state-run media reported that Abdul-Aziz had arrived in Morocco for “rest and recreation” after undergoing some treatment in the United States earlier in the year.

Saudi media at the time described treatment received by Prince Sultan, believed to be about 84, as successful but did not specify the ailment for which he was being treated.

Tunisian journalist gets 6 months in jail

Taoufik Ben Brik, a Tunisian journalist known for his anti-government stances, was sentenced to 6 months in jail last Thursday on assault charges. His lawyer, and rights groups, have said the charges are trumped up in order to jail the reporter.

The French government expressed regret over the court ruling. Brik, 49, had written stories critical of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali for French media, including Le Nouvel Observateur.

He was arrested last month, shortly after Ben Ali’s election to a fifth term. He was convicted of damaging a woman’s car during an altercation in the street and engaging in physical violence that resulted in injuries.

Amnesty International’s Middle East Director, Malcolm Smart, said “this is a very disappointing outcome. Taoufik Ben Brik should not have been prosecuted, let alone convicted and sentenced to a prison term.”

Israeli PM Netanyahu ill, Germany trip postponed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly become ill and will postpone a planned trip to Germany on Monday until the new year. He supposedly has a fever.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Netanyahu, said on Sunday that the Israeli leader, 60, was “not seriously ill, but his doctor advised him to rest at home.”

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said his doctor had “diagnosed a viral infection and fever” and that talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel were to be rescheduled for January.

Ulrich Wilhelm, a German government spokesman, said Netanyahu had postponed his trip due to a “high fever” and that the Israeli and German leaders had decided to delay their meeting until after the new year.

PNA denies blocking prisoner exchange deal

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Sunday denied reports that it attempted to block a prisoners exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, PNA’s bitter rival.

“The reports are false. They are Israeli claims aimed at covering its bids to evade the swap’s obligations,” Ziad Abu Ein, Palestinian deputy minister of prisoners’ affairs, told reporters.

The reports allegedly said the PNA, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, feared that such a deal would increase Hamas’ popularity and weaken the ruling West Bank-based regime.

Israeli radio reported that Washington hinted to the West Bank-based PNA that the prisoner exchange will weaken it.

“The PNA, with all its officials, supports the swap and calls for completing it as soon as possible,” Abu Ein added.

Lebanon Cabinet deal signals Syrian return

After four months of wrangling, Lebanese politicians have signed a new government deal, but diplomats worry it will bring the Syrians back to the country en force.

One Western diplomat told BBC News that “officially, I am supposed to tell you that this is a fresh start, a new era; that this government will work towards the national unity. But, believe me, everyone is very depressed.”

They are worried that a larger role from Damascus will increase tensions already building in the region and continue to stymie efforts by Beirut to choose their own course of action.

The two opposing Lebanese sides finally agreed on the assignment of portfolios two weeks ago. The opposition got the seats and power it wanted.

Many believe that behind the deal to end the deadlock was the recent improvement in relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

U.S. hopeful of Iraq breakthrough

American Vice-President Joe Biden pressed Iraqi leaders in a series of telephone calls on Saturday to break a deadlock that has stalled preparations for an election seen as critical for U.S. troops to withdraw, officials said.

A senior administration official said Washington was hopeful a tentative deal on Iraq’s election law would allow a national vote to be held and for a new parliament to be elected and seated by March 15, when the term of the current assembly is due to expire.

The hope is that a new deal will speed the withdrawal process and create a new government in Baghdad capable of fending for itself.

Iran says UN pressure responsible for Nuclear plans

Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi told state radio that Iran needed to give a strong response to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s resolution Friday demanding that Iran halt to construction of its newly revealed uranium enrichment facility and end all other enrichment activities.

Any new enrichment plants would take years to build and stock with centrifuges — if the material could even be obtained under U.N. sanctions — but the ambitious plans were a bold show by Iran that it won’t back down amid a deadlock in negotiation attempts.

The U.S. and its allies fear the facilities give Iran the capability to produce weapons-grade nuclear material and have called for an immediate halt to the enrichment of uranium.

Iran has rejected such claims, saying its uranium enrichment facilities will only produce fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity.

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