Palestinian leaders in the West Bank have agreed to start indirect peace talks with Israel. It'll be the first formal negotiations between the two sides in 18 months. The White House has welcomed the decision. Tim Franks reports.
The Palestinians refused to hold direct talks with Israel as long as there's continued building within Jewish settlements on occupied territory. For its part, Israel has offered a temporary and partial curb on building within the West Bank and says it's keen to move to face-to-face negotiations as soon as possible. But both sides have a very different idea, not just on the shape and powers of a future Palestinian state, but also what should be even discussed in the first phase of negotiations.
Hundreds of airline flights in Europe have been disrupted and airports have been closed by new cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano. The cloud stretches for some 2,000 kms. Nineteen airports in Spain have closed while others were affected in northern Portugal and southern France. Here's Sarah Rainsford.
Spain had been largely unaffected by the volcanic ash cloud, but early on Saturday morning, it drifted this way from over the Atlantic. Airports in the north were closed first, and as the cloud moved eastwards, Spain's second biggest airport Barcelona joined the list. The airport authority here says elsewhere more than 600 flights have been cancelled in and out of the country, affecting thousands of passengers. The restrictions will stay in place until early on Sunday morning at least.