A snake on a plane caused chaos in the air resulting in an emergency landing.

THE Palestinians yesterday accused US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of undermining progress toward Middle East peace talks after she praised Israel for offering to curb some Jewish settlement construction.

Arab officials today reacted with concern to the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, criticising Israel for causing suffering to Gaza residents and citing Israeli warplanes’ buzzing of the Syrian president’s home as especially troubling.

Syria has warned that if Israel elects hardliner Ariel Sharon it will herald "a new ominous era" which threatens the Middle East peace process.