According to Vitor Bento, a former Treasury Secretary and a member of the council of state which advises Portugal's president, it is now clear the EU's "piecemeal" approach to indebted countries cannot work.

BBC: Austerity: Views across Europe

The creation of a permanent "President" of the European Council (which brings together the heads of state and government of all 27 member states) was intended to provide leadership and strategic direction.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Europe after Lisbon

Moore is a public school teacher and active member of the Wisconsin Education Association Council union who is challenging state Sen.

FORBES: Social Hygiene, from Myspace to Morgan Freeman

Ironically, at the same time Clinton was attacking Israel's leader for killing the peace process, Abbas was at the UN asking the Security Council to accept as a full member an independent Palestine in a de facto state of war with Israel.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: With friends like these

Councillor Matt Deegan, executive member for community regeneration for Wokingham Borough Council, said the sale would help fund a new state-of-the-art secondary school planned for the Arborfield Garrison site five miles away.

BBC: Parents want to use former Wokingham school

Fatah has supported the peaceful two-state principle since the late 1980s, but half the 11-member Central Council opposed the terms of the agreement with Israel negotiated secretly in the Norwegian capital.

ECONOMIST: Palestine

In mid-December the European Council, which comprises the heads of state and government of the EU's 27 member states, had disappointed Turkey by endorsing the conclusions of an earlier meeting of EU foreign ministers, which criticised the limited progress Turkey had made on political reform in 2007 and warned that long-awaited reforms in the areas of freedom of expression and religion should not be delayed any further.

ECONOMIST: Lagging political reform may delay EU membership