AP - Syria's leader said Thursday he offered a proposal for peace with Israel but also refused to break off ties with Hezbollah and militant Palestinians — a key Israeli demand.

Reuters - Police are likely to recommend on Sunday indicting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on corruption charges, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

AP - Tony Blair toured a Palestinian aluminum factory and was told it runs at one-third capacity because of Israeli import restrictions. He promised he'll take it up with Israeli authorities.

AFP - Israel's government will this weekend debate a plan to compensate West Bank settlers willing to leave their homes as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians, an official statement said Wednesdsay.

Reuters - Syria and Israel have postponed a crucial round of indirect peace talks due to the resignation of the chief Israeli negotiator, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday.

AFP - French President Nicolas Sarkozy held talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad at the start of a two-day visit aimed at sealing a rapprochement and advancing Syria's peace talks with Israel.

AFP - Israeli police said on Thursday they will decide within days whether to recommend that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert be charged in several different cases of suspected graft.

AFP - The Israeli High Court gave permission on Thursday for a demonstration by a far-right Jewish group to go ahead in an Arab town despite police objections on public order grounds, a judicial source said.

The Christian Science Monitor - While the prospect of Israeli-Syrian peace has been given a boost by French President Nicholas Sarkozy's visit to Damascus, any face to face dialogue between the two longtime enemies is likely to wait until new administrations are in place in both Jerusalem and Washington.