Woman appointed governor of West Bank’s most important district; joins other trailblazers

Women in charge in West Bank’s key district

RAMALLAH, West Bank – At 35, Leila Ghanem is the first woman to become a Palestinian governor, the latest in a group of trailblazing women leaders who are slowly winning acceptance in this traditional society.
Ghanem, a former intelligence agent, joins a cluster of women in senior positions in … Original source on Gaea Times at : Woman appointed governor of West Bank’s most important district; joins other trailblazers.

Clashing with fellow Dems nothing new for Mich. lawmaker at center of debate over health care

Lawmaker’s clash with fellow Democrats nothing new
WEST BRANCH, Mich. – Shortly after entering Congress in 1993, Rep. Bart Stupak withstood President Bill Clinton’s charm offensive and voted against free-trade legislation – an early display of the independent streak that has put him at odds with fellow Democrats many times since.
He’s now the unofficial …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Clashing with fellow Dems nothing new for Mich. lawmaker at center of debate over health care.

Preadom helps Houston Baptist top Chicago State 80-77 in Great West 1st round

Preadom, Houston Baptist top Chicago State 80-77

OREM, Utah – Wendell Preadom scored 22 points and hit the go-ahead basket to lead Houston Baptist to an 80-77 victory over Chicago State in the first round of the Great West Conference tournament Wednesday.
Andrew Gonzalez scored 18 points, Fred Hinnenkamp 16 and Mario Flaherty 12 for the second-seeded … Read more : Preadom helps Houston Baptist top Chicago State 80-77 in Great West 1st round.

East Jerusalem, home to Muslim and Jewish shrines, is crux of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

East Jerusalem lies at core of conflict
Israel’s plan to build 1,600 new apartments in contested east Jerusalem has thrown a spotlight on the city at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

-What’s the bottom line? Israel wants to retain control of an undivided Jerusalem. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as capital of a future state.
-Why is … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : East Jerusalem, home to Muslim and Jewish shrines, is crux of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed says he won’t run for Georgia congressional seat

Ex-Christian Coalition head won’t run for Congress

ATLANTA – Former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed announced Wednesday he will not run for Congress in Georgia, saying he can do more to push a conservative agenda through his work for a political startup.
Reed considered seeking the Republican nomination for Georgia’s 7th Congressional District northeast of Atlanta, but …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed says he won’t run for Georgia congressional seat.

UN official urges Iraqis to report election results quickly

First Iraqi vote results likely on Thursday

BAGHDAD – The top United Nations envoy in Iraq urged election officials Wednesday to release the results of this week’s historic vote as quickly as possible, saying Iraqis “have the right to know” the results as soon as possible.
The call by U.N. diplomat Ad Melkert came as Iraqi election …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : UN official urges Iraqis to report election results quickly.

Egypt’s top Muslim cleric, whose moderate views angered hard-liners, dies of heart attack

Egypt’s top Muslim cleric dies of heart attack

CAIRO – Egypt’s top cleric, Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, known for promoting the government agenda against female genital mutilation and the face veil, died of a heart attack Wednesday during a visit to Saudi Arabia. He was 81.
Tantawi was the grand sheik of Cairo’s Al-Azhar, the pre-eminent theological …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Egypt’s top Muslim cleric, whose moderate views angered hard-liners, dies of heart attack.