Dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on a "day of rage" Hamas Islamists declared in protest at Israel's consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city

Dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on a “day of rage” Hamas Islamists declared in protest at Israel’s consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city.The violence presented another challenge to U.S. efforts to revive Middle East peace talks after Israel angered Palestinians and touched off a dispute with Washington by announcing plans last week to build 1,600 homes for Jews near East Jerusalem.Palestinians hurled stones at police and burned tires and trash bins in several areas of East Jerusalem, which Israel captured along with the West Bank in a 1967 war.

Police responded with tear gas and fired rubber bullets, witnesses said. Some 40 Palestinians were treated at East Jerusalem hospitals for minor injuries, medical officials said.A police spokesman said some 3,000 officers were put on high alert after Hamas, an Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip and wields influence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, called for anti-Israeli protests.”We call on the Palestinian people to regard Tuesday as a day of rage against the occupation’s (Israel’s) procedures in Jerusalem against al-Aqsa mosque,” Hamas said in a statement.

Hamas and Palestinian officials affiliated with its rival Fatah movement have said the restoration work at the ancient Hurva synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s walled Old City endangered al-Aqsa, situated some 400 meters (yards) away.Israel has denied the allegation.An inauguration ceremony was held Monday at the synagogue, which was blown up by Jordanian forces when they overran the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 Middle East war. Israel captured the area 19 years later.

Sporadic violence has erupted in recent weeks in Jerusalem after Israel decided to include West Bank religious sites in a Jewish national heritage plan stoked Palestinian anger.Citing biblical and historical links, Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its capital, a claim not recognized internationally. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In Washington Monday, a State Department spokesman voiced concern about the tensions over the rededication of the synagogue and appealed for calm.”We’re deeply disturbed by statements made by several Palestinian officials mischaracterizing the event in question, which can only serve to heighten the tensions that we see,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

A crisis in U.S.-Israeli relations over the settlement housing project, opposed by Washington, deepened Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s said he would not curb construction of homes for Jews in and around Jerusalem.After Netanyahu’s defiant comments, U.S. officials said U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who had planned to leave Washington Monday for discussions with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on getting indirect negotiations under way, had put off his departure.Announcement of the housing plan during a visit last week by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden embarrassed the White House and Palestinians, who had just agreed to begin indirect talks with Israel, demanded the project be scrapped first.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in unusually blunt remarks, called Israel’s actions an insult.Clinton telephoned Netanyahu Friday to convey unspecified demands about the housing project as well as about demonstrating commitment to the U.S.-mediated peace talks, the State Department said, without elaborating.U.S. officials said they were still waiting for Israel’s formal response. Israeli media reports said Clinton had asked for the settlement plan to be scrapped and for Israel to agree to discuss core statehood issues with the Palestinians.(Reuters)

general who led the army to victory in Sri Lanka's civil war and then was roundly defeated in his bid for the presidency appeared before a court-martial

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  The general who led the army to victory in Sri Lanka’s civil war and then was roundly defeated in his bid for the presidency appeared before a court-martial Tuesday on allegations of sedition, the military said.Military spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe said Sarath Fonseka and his lawyer appeared before a three-member panel for the hearing at the country’s navy headquarters.

Samarasinghe said Fonseka faces charges that he prepared the groundwork for his presidential campaign while still in military uniform.A second charge that Fonseka violated regulations in purchasing military ware will be taken up Wednesday, he said.The military proceeding against former army chief has been condemned by the opposition and human rights groups, who accuse the government of retaliating against a man who dared challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his re-election bid.

“Sarath Fonseka’s arrest continues the Rajapaksa government’s postelection crackdown on political opposition,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director.Police used tear gas and batons to disperse a protest in support of Fonseka and arrested 14 people, according to a member of Fonseka’s party, the Democratic National Alliance.

The proceedings against Fonseka were shrouded in secrecy. Reporters were barred from the event, and the military did not release details of the proceedings.Fonseka’s wife, Anoma, said she opted not to attend the hearing because the charges against her husband were “a joke.”Soon after Fonseka’s arrest on Feb. 8, government officials went public with various allegations against him including a plot to assassinate Rajapaksa and capture power. But they are not among the official charges.Fonseka’s supporters have denied the charges brought against him, saying the government is punishing the retired general for challenging Rajapaksa and is attempting to cow the opposition before April 8 parliamentary elections.

Police used tear gas to disperse a protest against the court-martial in the town of Panadura, south of the capital, Colombo, according to Democratic National Alliance party member Nalindra Jayatissa.He said 14 protesters were arrested and two others were hospitalized after being beaten by police.Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said he would not comment until he receives a report from local police.

Rajapaksa and Fonseka were once strong allies in their campaign to defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels and end their 25-year armed campaign for an independent state.After routing the rebels last May, both were hailed as heroes by the country’s Sinhalese majority. But they quickly turned on each other. Fonseka quit the army, challenged Rajapaksa in the Jan. 26 election and lost by 18 percent.His arrest has raised concerns that Rajapaksa’s government is using all the levers of power to quash any opposition to its rule.

Violence erupted in the Swiss city of Geneva

Violence erupted in the Swiss city of Geneva Saturday as a scheduled peaceful protest of a World Trade Organization conference turned violent and police had to use tear gas and rubber bullets.Thirty-three arrests have been made and police were on the streets working to maintain order, authorities said. There was one minor injury reported: An 80-year-old woman in a walker suffered a head bruise when she fell during the tumult of the demonstrations.The demonstration started around 2:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) and about 3,000 people turned up in the central part of town, Geneva police spokesman Patrick Puhl told CNN. World Trade Organization ministers will hold a conference next week.”There were three groups who came seeking violence,” Puhl said.”The troublemakers quickly began attacking banks, hotels and shops, smashing windows and burning four cars, so we had to stop them using tear gas and rubber bullets,”The general theme for discussion at the conference is “The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment.”