Rice to go to Paris for donors' conference for Palestinians

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will go to Paris this weekend to attend an international donors' conference aimed at helping the Palestinians build institutions in preparation for establishment of a government. Announcing her Dec. 16-17 trip, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that at the conference Rice would meet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other international leaders, including Tony Blair, the former British prime minister who is serving as a special envoy to the Middle East. In addition, McCormack said Rice will meet with French leaders to discuss a range of international issues.