King Abdullah II makes surprise trip to Ramallah

Fazle Rashid NEW YORK, Nov 22: King Abdullah II of Jordan made a surprise trip to Ramallah to confer with President Mahmoud Abbas as both men begin risky reconciliation effort with Hammas. Abbas will begin power sharing talks with Khaled Meshal of Hammas in Cairo. King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas ducked the press and instead send their foreign ministers Naser Judeh of Jordan and Riad al-Malki of Palestine to do the talking. In a separate development, major western nations decided to cut Iran off from all international financial systems announcing coordinated sanctions aimed at its central bank and the commercial banks. The new move is in response to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report that Iran has developed nuclear bomb along with its delivery system. The message is clear, said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "If Iran continues to be stubborn, it will face more sanctions and isolation." The US, Britain and Canada have all announced measures aimed at shutting of Iran's access to foreign banks. The European Union (EU) will announce similar measures. In Southeast Asia, Daw Aung Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar's opposition party National League for Democracy will rejoin national politics and take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The party will be contesting all the 48 vacant seats in the parliament. The elections will be the first test of the popularity of both Suu Kyi and her party. The constitution bars her from becoming head of the government. Anyone with spouse and children foreigner cannot become head of the government. Suu Kyi's late husband was a British.