Blair to AP: West Bank downward spiral halted

Tony Blair toured a Palestinian aluminum factory Thursday, was told it runs at one-third capacity because of Israeli import restrictions and promised he'll take it up with the Israeli authorities — a typical encounter in the Mideast envoy's yearlong push to boost the West Bank economy. In an interview summing up his efforts, Blair said he'd like to see much quicker progress toward freedom of movement for... [read full story]