Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today began courting ultra-nationalist MPs in a bid to rebuild his coalition, which was left in a shambles by the departure of the centre-left Labour Party.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s cabinet today banned a UN fact-finding mission into the battle at the Jenin refugee camp.

The Palestinian Authority today said it had uncovered an Israeli plot to assassinate Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat - an accusation immediately dismissed by Israel.