Christopher Meyers says the two governments were looking for justification for their 2003 invasion

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says peace talks cannot resume until Israel also halts settlement activity in East Jerusalem. His comments come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a 10-month halt for new building permits

A vast sea of white-cloaked pilgrims gathered inside and outside the Namera mosque on Mount Arafat to hear the afternoon call to prayer on the second day of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

The day-long downpour flooded streets, causing traffic jams and electricity outages, and prompting people to stay indoors.