Top story: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will resume direct negotiations this morning at the State Department. At a group dinner last night, both leaders pledged to do everything in their power to reach a settlement, but hinted at the serious difficulties that remain.
In his remarks at the dinner, Netanyahu turned to Abbas and called him his "partner for peace." Abbas in turn condemned the two recent Hamas attacks in the West Bank, saying "we do not want any blood to be shed" by Israelis or Palestinians.
Foreshadowing the difficulties to come, Abbas also pointedly called on Israel to freeze its settlement activities in the West Bank. This requirement, he said "is not setting a precondition [on negotiations] but a call to implement an agreed obligation." Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who attended the dinner with Jordanian King Abdullah II, echoed Abbas's demand.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be present when the talks begin this morning. There is some urgency to make quick progress in the negotiations, as Netanyahu's 10-month partial moratorium on settlement construction is set to expire on Sept. 26, and the Israeli prime minister has shown no willingness to extend it. Abbas has said that he will withdraw from the talks if settlement activity resumes.
Somalia's pirates find new allies: The war-torn country's powerful pirate clans have recently begun to ally themselves with both government forces and al-Shabaab, and appear poised to play a more significant role in the country's political battles.
Middle East
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An Egyptian group plastered Cairo with posters supporting Omar Suleiman, the country's intelligence chief, for president.
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Human Rights Watch called on the Bahraini government to investigate allegations of torture made by four imprisoned Shiite activists.
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A top Hamas leader delivered a speech rejecting any compromises with Israel.
Asia
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One of the Australia's independent lawmakers backed Julia Gillard for prime minister, leaving her just two seats short of the majority.
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The European Union called on China to crack down on the production of counterfeit goods.
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NATO forces in Afghanistan are investigating claims that 10 campaign workers had been killed by an air strike.
Europe
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Two Yemeni men arrested in Amsterdam on suspicions of terrorism were released.
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Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's allies criticized the portrayal of him in Tony Blair's memoirs as unfair.
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Pakistan's ambassador to Britain declared that he believes the three Pakistani cricketers accused of match-fixing are innocent.
Africa
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The number of rape claims in a city seized by rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo rose to 240.
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South Africa's public sector worker strike is set to continue after the primary trade union federation rejected the government's offer for a wage increase.
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A suicide bomber exploded himself in front of a military convoy near the Algerian capital of Algiers, killing two soldiers.
Americas
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Evacuations have begun on the east coast of the United States that look to be hit hardest by Hurricane Earl, a category four storm.
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The Honduran foreign minister criticized Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa for revealing that a second citizen survived a massacre of 72 migrants near the U.S. border.
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Brazilian authorities arrested almost the entire local government of a southern city on corruption charges.
TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images
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