Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for fresh parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible amid rising tensions between his Fatah party and Hamas. During a major policy speech today, Mr. Abbas said he has the right to dismiss the Hamas-led government and that he does not believe the move will spark a civil war. Hamas officials have rejected the call for earlier elections calling such a move a coup attempt. Mr Abbas also said there must be a political agreement to ease friction between the rival factions which have engaged in recent violence street battles. Tensions have been rising since Thursday when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a convoy carrying Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh . The Prime Minister's son was among 20 people wounded in the gunfire that Hamas called a assassination attempt by Fatah. President Abbas strongly denied the allegation. He blamed Hamas officials for the Palestinian economic crisis saying their refusal to renounce violence let to western sanctions and internal political deadlock.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has invited former members of Sadam Hussein aero army to join Iraq's new military .Mr Maliki made the announcement at the opening of Iraq's national reconciliation conference in Baghdad today. He said those who are unable to rejoin the army will be given pensions. Hundreds of delegates from the Iraq's rival ethnic and religious factions are meeting to discuss ways to stop the firing sectarian violence that is now killing nearly 100 Iraqis each day. The VOA correspondent in Baghdad says representatives from at least one Sunni party have already withdrawn from the talks in protest over groups were not invited to participate. Meanwhile US and Iraqi forces have detained 6 suspects in a raid in Baghdad S city .The US military said one fighter was killed and another wounded during the raid.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his nation is ready to begin sharing its nuclear technology with nearby states. Iranian state media quoted later today a saying the technology represents a clean source of energy and will replace them for oil. The US and other western nations say Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says the program is for peaceful ends. In Moscow, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says he hopes the UN Security Council can reach a deal to resolve the nuclear dispute in coming weeks. He says the international partners should encourage talks with Iran and not seek to punish the Islamic Republic. Britain's UN's embassador says diplomats may agree next week to impose sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear program. But Russia's UN embassador says the plan is not ready yet.

US senator John McCain criticized the America's NATO allies for not doing enough to help defeat Teliban insurgence in Afghanistan.McCain widely considered the candidate in the America's next presidential election wrapped up a two-day visit to Afghanistan. VOA correspondent Benjim Sand reports from the Afghanistan capital Kabul. Speaking to reporters in Kabul Saturday morning US senator John McCain said NATO's European members need to accept responsibility for combat operations in the war-torn country." It is very important that the other countries represented here in Afghanistan remove their national cavyyards which will strain the ability of their military to perform and make it extremely difficult for our NATO commanders to call on them for assistance we needed in the combat zones, particularly in southern part of the country." NATO currently has about 32,000 troops in Afghanistan, but a number of countries including France and Germany have resisted efforts to deploy their national troops to combat areas. Senator McCain said that sort of stipulation makes it very difficulty to work as a team. He also urged European countries to provide additional funds to help fight Afghanistan's massive illegal opium industry. Benjim Sand VOA news Kabul.

A Somalia lawmaker acting on his own record on the nation's powerful Islamis have pledged to end hostilities and resume peace talks in what seen as a symbolic gesture.