07/31/07

* Iran 'biggest threat to Mid-East' US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has warned that Iran poses the biggest threat to US Middle East interests, as she begins a major regional tour.

* Syrian diplomat scorns Bush Mideast proposal Arab League governments were reluctant Monday to support US President Bush's call for an international conference to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

* Russia Backing Abbas, Supplying Iran Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has thus far received enthusiastic support from Moscow during his three-day trip to Russia this week.

* Golan residents call for talks with Syria The Peace with Syria movement held a conference Monday evening at Kibbutz Gadot with the participation of hundreds of Golan Heights residents.

* Corruption 'mars Iraq rebuilding' The US agency overseeing reconstruction in Iraq has told the BBC that economic mismanagement and corruption there are equivalent to "a second insurgency".

* US funds allies against Iran The US has announced military aid worth more than $43bn to Egypt.

* Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp Remember the mammoths, say the clean-cut organisers at the youth camp's mass wedding. "They became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia".

* Barak: Draft dodging a security threat Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned Monday that the growing number of youth who dodge the IDF draft will eventually harm national security.

* Army warns Hebron settlers to evacuate market willingly The Military Advocate General’s office on Monday warned Jewish families residing in Hebron’s old market that should the IDF be instructed to forcefully evacuate them from the site.

* Report: Olmert, Abbas are holding final status talks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas have been holding secret talks on a final status agreement on the critical issues between Israelis and Palestinians.

7/30/07

* Russian FM tells visiting Abbas he has Moscow's firm support Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday that Moscow supports him in his conflict with Hamas.

* An 'Intel Gap': What We're Missing Six years after 9/11 , U.S. intel officials are complaining about the emergence of a major "gap" in their ability to secretly eavesdrop on suspected terrorist plotters.

* US envoy accuses Saudis on Iraq The US ambassador at the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, has accused Saudi Arabia of undermining efforts to stabilise Iraq.

* J'lem wary of US arms sale to Saudis Despite the significant increase in US military aid to Israel, defense officials warned Sunday that the sale of satellite-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia had the potential to constitute a strategic threat to the state of Israel.

* Reports: Iran to buy jets from Russia Israel is looking into reports that Russia plans to sell 250 advanced long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter jets to Iran in an unprecedented billion-dollar deal.

* Coalition of Evangelicals Voices Support for Palestinian State In recent years, conservative evangelicals who claim a Biblical mandate to protect Israel have built a bulwark of support for the Jewish nation - sending donations, denouncing its critics and urging it not to evacuate settlements or forfeit territory.

* Nasrallah: War destroyed US's new ME The outcome of last summer's war between Israel and Hizbullah has left the American vision of a "new Middle East" in shambles, Hizbullah's leader told a south Lebanon rally late Saturday.

* Another Islam-Christian Blow-Up on the Horizon? "While Christians respect Islam and desire to dialogue with Muslims," Pope Benedict XVI's private secretary says, "[we] must act to protect the Christian identity of Europe."

* Russia subs make Arctic test dive Two Russian mini-subs have made a test dive to the floor of the Arctic Ocean near Russia's most northerly islands.

* Poll Finds Opposition to Withdrawals, and More Some 60% of Jews in Israel feel that the uprooting of Jews from Gush Katif and northern Shomron was an error - while only 18% support a similar move in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

07/28/07

* Diplomacy: The return of an Oslo state of mind All of a sudden, things are moving again on the diplomatic front. They are not moving a lot, they are not necessarily moving by leaps and bounds, but they are moving.

* US 'plans huge Saudi arms deal' The United States is reported to be preparing a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $20bn (£9.8bn) over the next decade..

* 'US making major strategic mistakes' Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Friday traced the chill in Russia's relations with the West right to Washington's door.

* Crisis deepens in Iraq's divided government Sunni ministers are boycotting government business, and the deepening crisis has cast doubt on the US-backed regime's ability to push through reforms designed to reunite the war-torn country.

* Egyptian FM: We await Israeli response Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Saturday that the Arab side is waiting for a practical answer from Israel regarding the renewal of negotiations.

* France fears new war in Lebanon The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, has warned that Lebanon faces the danger of renewed war if there is not a resumption of political dialogue.

* PRC threatens life of PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad and his government are a "group of traitors hidden in the Mukata 'presidential' compound in Ramallah."

* Palestinian faction threatens to kill PM Fayyad The Popular Resistance Committees, a Palestinian faction opposed to Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's government, has threatened to "physically hurt" Fayyad.

* EU treaty ratification may be difficult, experts say Even if the EU manages to avoid referendums on its new Reform Treaty, ratification of the text may prove less easy.

* Israel to help Palestinians enter Gaza Israel has agreed to allow Palestinians stranded in Egypt for weeks to pass into Israel and then into the Gaza Strip.

07/27/07

* U.S. Officials Voice Frustrations With Saudis’ Role in Iraq During a high-level meeting in Riyadh in January, Saudi officials confronted a top American envoy with documents that seemed to suggest that Iraq’s prime minister could not be trusted.

* Volatility sweeps global markets European shares wobbled on Friday after earlier sharp falls in world stock markets, prompted by worries over higher interest rate levels.

* Kosovo independence is threat to Europe peace: Putin Peace in Europe can only be built by respecting Serbia's territorial integrity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

* Israel urges 'damaging' Iran sanctions Concerned that the international community is "losing momentum" in its bid to use sanctions to deter Iran's nuclear drive, Israel is now energetically lobbying for the imposition of a new batch of stiffer sanctions.

* Thousands more rifles reach Palestinian Authority Three Jordanian trucks loaded with Kalashnikov rifles arrived Friday afternoon at the Muqataa compound in Ramallah.

* Report warns against too many 'Net rules Kazakhstan and Georgia are among countries imposing excessive restrictions on how people use the Internet.

* Report: 'Armed struggle' excluded from PA government platform for first time The Palestinian Authority government published its platform on Friday, which for the first time does not include a reference to armed struggle against Israel.

* Lebanese troops fight Islamists 'at close quarters' The Lebanese army claimed a significant advance Friday in its bid to rout Fatah Al Islam extremists from a Palestinian refugee camp.

* Security fallout worsens for Fatah It is now six weeks since Hamas security forces overran their Fatah counterparts to seize control of the Gaza Strip.

* Unseemly scramble for Libyan oil France has beaten potential competitors to the punch in the race to secure lucrative Libyan carbon and nuclear contracts.

07/26/07

* Arabs woo Israel over peace plan The two Arab countries with ties to Israel have paid an historic visit to the Jewish state to "extend the hand of peace" on behalf of their fellow Arabs.

* Secy. Rice: Israel Must End Occupation of 'West Bank' Speaking with Arabic-language Radio Sawa, based in Washington and Dubai, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice went further in her demands on Israel than President Bush.

* Olmert plans talks with Abbas over Palestinian state Eagerly seeking to restart long-stalled peace talks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday that he plans to hold negotiations with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Crisis warning on Iraq refugees The scale of the exodus of refugees fleeing violence in Iraq has prompted a "humanitarian crisis", a conference in Jordan has heard.

* 3,000 rifles arrive in Jericho Some 3,000 rifles were delivered to the Palestinian security forces in Jericho on Thursday.

* Jerusalem panel approves alternate plan for Mughrabi Bridge Jerusalem's Planning and Construction Committee approved Thursday an alternative plan to the controversial Mughrabi Bridge project.

* 'Israel, Turkey, as close as ever' The re-election of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the return of his Islamic Justice and Development party to power will have no impact on Turkish-Israeli relations.

* Lebanese army 'tightens noose' on camp Islamists The Lebanese army Thursday tightened the noose around Islamists at a refugee camp in a bid to end a near 10-week standoff that has cost the lives of 119 soldiers.

* Brussels embraces Libya after medics' release Libya can look forward to "a new era of relations" with the European Union on political and economic areas following the release of European medical staff.

* PA frets over Abbas murder plots Was Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas the target of an assassination attempt earlier this week?

07/25/07

* Israel hears Arab peace proposal The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan are in Israel to present the Arab League's Middle East peace plan.

* Iran ready for higher-level US Iraq talks Iran Wednesday said that it was prepared to consider higher-level talks with the United States over Iraq.

* Envoy Blair holds West Bank talks Tony Blair has been in the West Bank to meet Palestinian leaders as part of his first visit to the Middle East as the Quartet group's special envoy.

* Abbas is close to calling new elections Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said he is close to calling new legislative elections.

* Sarkozy to boost EU-Libya links French President Nicolas Sarkozy is travelling to Tripoli to meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a day after the release of six foreign medics.

* New plan for Temple Mount bridge aims to silence critics Jerusalem's Planning and Construction Committee will begin discussing an alternative to the controversial Mughrabi Bridge project.

* UN Kosovo plan a failure - Serbian prime minister The Serbian prime minister said Wednesday that the plan by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari, which would have ceded 15% of the Balkan state's territory, has failed.

* PM confirms intention to negotiate with Abbas on formation of Palestinian state Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confirmed Wednesday that he intends to engage in negotiations with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Egypt mufti denies saying Muslims can choose faith The body headed by Egypt's official religious advisor Tuesday denied that he had said that Muslims were free to change their faith.

* 600 olim from France arrive in Israel Two flights carrying 600 new immigrants from France landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday and were greeted by dignitaries including President Shimon Peres.

07/24/07

* 'Hizbullah's military might is restored' Hizbullah has restored its military capability and replenished its stockpiles of weapons and missiles since the end of the Second Lebanon War.

* Syrian Official: War with Israel will be Ballistic Syria sees the next war with Israel as involving missile attacks on civilian infrastructure and front-line guerilla warfare.

* Blair sees 'sense of possibility' in ME Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take advantage of a new "sense of possibility" in the region.

* US-Iran talks begin in Iraq Iranian and US officials have begun rare talks in Baghdad amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

* Tisha B'Av in a Gush Katif Tent in Jerusalem Prayers marking the fast day of the Ninth of Av, known as Tisha B’av, are being held in a tent erected opposite the Knesset in Jerusalem.

* Peres urges world to unite against Iran President Shimon Peres has called on the world to unite against Iran and to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

* $100 Oil Price May Be Months Away, Say CIBC, Goldman The $100-a-barrel oil that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said would prevail by 2009 may be only a few months away.

* Just like the constitution, say friends and foes of new EU treaty Both advocates and critics of the complete draft of the new EU treaty highlight its similarity with the bloc's failed constitution.

* Photo Essay: 100,000 Jews At Western Wall for Tisha B'Av 5767 Over one hundred thousand Jews flooded the Kotel (Western Wall) Plaza on Monday night and Tuesday.

* EU fears split over Kosovo As Belgrade and Pristina are heading for last resort negotiations on the future of Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo, the European Union is set to maintain its fragile unity over the issue.

7/23/07

* US and Iran to hold second talks Iran and the US are to hold fresh talks on the subject of Iraq, only their second one-on-one meeting in decades.

* Turkish PM vows to pursue reform Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to continue reforms and efforts to join the European Union, following his party's election victory.

* Olmert Reiterates Stance to Give Away Judea and Samaria Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated his belief that Israel "needs to withdraw" from the biblical Jewish provinces of Judea and Samaria.

* Reform, Progressive Jews try to make Tisha B'av more relevant to secular public Tisha B'Av, a Hebrew calendar date during which primarily religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews fast and mourn the destruction of the First and Second Temples, is not largely observed by Israel's secular public.

* Iran and Syria Forge Military Alliance Against "Common Enemies" Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian President Bashar Assad held a joint press conference in Damascus Thursday confirming the formation of a new regional military alliance.

* EU talks to thrash out new treaty The EU has launched three months of talks on the text of a new treaty to reform the 27-member bloc.

* Envoy Blair arrives in Mid-East Tony Blair has arrived in Jordan at the start of his first visit to the Middle East as special envoy to the region.

* Israel urges Blair to spurn Hamas Amid expectation that new Quartet envoy Tony Blair may want to widen his mandate and talk to Hamas, Israeli officials made clear Sunday that this is unacceptable.

* IDF begins clearing out Homesh settlers Police and IDF troops forcibly evicted hundreds of settlers and right-wing activists from the former settlement of Homesh on Monday, after the activists managed to make their way into the site Sunday night against army orders.

* Builder says Dubai high-rise is the world's tallest Developers of a 1,680-foot skyscraper still under construction in oil-rich Dubai claimed Saturday that it has become the world's tallest building, surpassing Taiwan's Taipei 101 which has dominated the global skyline at 1,667 feet since 2004.

07/21/07

* Lieberman: It is time to form an emergency government Israel Beiteinu's Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman urged the government and the opposition to consider forming a national emergency government.

* Turkey prepares for key election Political campaigning has ended in Turkey ahead of Sunday's general election, seen as one of the most important in the nation's history.

* PM: Israel can't hold West Bank forever Anyone who believes that Israel can maintain its current hold on all the West Bank is "living in a dream."

* Blair seeks two-state solution Tony Blair, Britain's former prime minister, has told Middle East mediators that there needs to be a "clear political perspective" for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

* Eitan: We must not negotiate with Syria Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Damascus proves that Israel must not open negotiations with Syria.

* Russia says only UN can decide the future of Kosovo Russia's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that only a UN Security Council's resolution could determine a legitimate status of Kosovo.

* 'Israel, Abbas plan to kill our leaders' Hamas leaders on Thursday condemned Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's decision to hold early parliamentary and presidential elections and vowed to foil the vote.

* 'Syrian officials interested in renewing talks with Israel' Senior Syrian officials told the Danish foreign minister, Per Stig Møller, that their country was "ready to renew negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the international Quartet."

* Poland indicates it is ready to compromise on EU voting rights Days before EU's foreign ministers kick off detailed talks on the bloc's new treaty, Poland has signalled it will not insist on further debates.

* Hamas warns Blair not to ignore group Hamas warned Tony Blair on Saturday his credibility as the new international Middle East peace envoy will be damaged if he ignores the organization.

07/20/07

* Emotional home coming for freed Palestinian prisoners More than 250 Palestinian prisoners, mainly members of the secular Fatah faction, have been released early by Israel in a "goodwill" gesture towards Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

* Blair Debuts as Middle East Envoy Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair formally takes up his new position as special envoy for the Middle East Quartet.

* Taliban seize members of South Korean church Officials confirmed Friday that a group of South Koreans, apparently volunteers from a Christian church, appeared to have been abducted in Afghanistan.

* Sunnis Return to Iraqi Parliament Sunni legislators returned to Iraq's parliament Thursday after a five-week boycott.

* Abbas' dangerous game Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called for new presidential and legislative elections.

* US, Europe Firm on Shunning Hamas The United States and Europe held firm Thursday to their boycott of the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

* Mideast quartet seen backing U.S. plan The quartet of Middle East mediators is expected to back U.S. plans to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace moves.

* Middle East Quartet restates support for independent Palestinian state The Middle East Quartet's mediators restated their support here Thursday for an independent Palestinian state.

* Doctor remanded over failed car bombings A doctor was remanded in custody today charged with conspiracy to cause explosions in relation to the failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.

* Israel slams Iran-Syria alliance Israel has denounced an alliance between Iran and Syria that it said cast doubts on Syrian peace intentions.

07/19/2007

* Iranian President Ahmadinejad arrives in Damascus for talks with Assad Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Syria on Thursday for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

* 'Syria transferring arms to Lebanon' The United States accused Syria and Iran on Wednesday of playing a negative role in Lebanon.

* US ‘committed to lead’ Mideast peace - Rice US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today Washington remained committed to lead the Middle East peace process.

* Senior IDF officer: Israel on collision course with Hamas Claiming that Hamas has jumped light years since Israel's disengagement from Gaza, a high-ranking IDF officer said that there was currently a limited window of opportunity for Israel.

* Analysis: the herculean task ahead for Blair Tony Blair is unlikely to get much of a taste of the herculean task ahead of him when he meets the Middle East Quartet today.

* The war's timing was 'lucky' for Israel If the Second Lebanon War would have broken out in three or four years time, Hizbullah might have acquired weapons of mass destruction.

* A church's assertive shift toward tradition The leader of 1.1 billion Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI, is completing a significant theological shift of the Roman Catholic church.

* Analysis: Turkish army on Iraqi border is just 'saber-rattling' Recent statements by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari concerning a buildup of Turkish troops along the country's border have heightened international fears.

* IDF: Hamas is smuggling high-tech arms into Gaza A senior Israel Defense Forces officer said Thursday that in the past two years Hamas has made a significant leap in the level of sophistication of the arms it is smuggling into Gaza.

* Battles continue at Lebanon camp The Lebanese army has continued shelling Islamist militants cornered in a Palestinian refugee camp.

07/18/07

* U.S.: Senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader held The U.S. military on Wednesday announced the arrest of a senior leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.

* Dollar Slumps to Record Low Versus Euro on Bear Stearns Losses The dollar fell to a record low against the euro and dropped versus the yen after Bear Stearns Cos. reported hedge fund losses.

* Israel confirms third-party contacts with Syria Israel and Syria have been in contact through third parties for “some time,” but the mediators have been unable to get the two sides to resume peace talks.

* U.S. Eyes Direct Talks With Iran The United States is ready to hold new direct talks with Iran on the deteriorating security situation in Iraq.

* FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M.

* PA Chairman Abbas says will back expected PLO call for early elections Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday he would back a decision by the Palestine Liberation Organization to call early elections.

* Olmert 'failed severely' in Lebanon war, says report Israel's latest inquiry into last year's Lebanon war Wednesday blasted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for "intolerable" failures in protecting civilians during the conflict.

* EU constitution architect deplores 'cosmetic' text changes The architect of the rejected European constitution, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, says the recently agreed changes to the document are "cosmetic".

* Gaza's econonomy on verge of collapse Gaza's economy could collapse within weeks unless Israel reopens crucial commercial trade crossings.

* Water find 'may end Darfur war' A huge underground lake has been found in Sudan's Darfur region, scientists say.

07/17/07

* 'Syria ready to talk peace but not via secretive channel' "A number of delegations that have visited Syria have delivered messages from the Israeli prime minister by which he is seeking peace.

* 'Nahool' Teaches Palestinian Authority Children to Bee Bombers The Hamas terrorist establishment has found a way to continue feeding its children a steady diet of hate against Israel and the U.S..

* Blair to meet EU officials ahead of Middle East talks New Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair is scheduled to hold talks with European Union officials Tuesday.

* Olmert-Abbas Stalemate on the Horizon The bi-weekly talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas are headed for an impasse.

* 'Bush is leading a crusade against us' "President Bush is leading a new crusade against the Palestinians," Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami el-Zuhri, said.

* Turkish poll candidate shot dead An independent candidate has been shot dead in Istanbul ahead of Turkey's general election on 22 July.

* Jordan's king welcomes Bush's call for Mideast conference Jordan's king Abdullah has welcomed US President George W. Bush's call for an international Middle East peace conference.

* Russia rejects UN plan on Kosovo Russia has rejected a draft resolution on Kosovo that would end a UN presence there and put European representatives in charge.

* 'IDF preparing for all-out war' "The IDF is preparing itself for an all-out war, and this is a major change in the military's working premise following the Second Lebanon War," said Major-General (res) Eyal Ben-Reuven.

* Poll: 50% in U.K. think Jews more loyal to Israel than home nation Half of the British public believes that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their home country, an Anti-Defamation League poll released.

7/16/07

* Olmert Demands Abbas Avoid Unity with Hamas Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered major concessions at his meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Monday afternoon in Jerusalem, but demanded in return that Abbas avoid any form of unity with the Hamas terrorist organization in the future.

* Iran military solution back in US favor With 18 months left in US President George W. Bush's second term, the White House is now leaning in favor of military action on the burgeoning Iran nuclear crisis, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported Monday.

* Peres: "We Must Rid Ourselves of the Territories" Shimon Peres, on the eve of becoming President of Israel, tells AP that he won't insult the minority, but that he has not changed his opinions.

* Report: Iran has 600 targets for missile strike in Israel if attacked The Qatari newspaper Al Watan on Sunday quoted diplomatic sources in Damascus as saying that Iran has marked 600 targets in Israel for missile strikes in case it is attacked.

* Sons of Aaron - The Priestly Tribe - Convene in Jerusalem A four-day International Conference of Descendants of the biblical figure Aaron, the Priestly Tribe (Kohanim) and the whole Tribe of Levi to which the Kohanim are a part, begins on Sunday, July 15.

* Israel vulnerable to chemical attack The home front is woefully under-protected from the dangers of a chemical weapons attack, according to a damning report released on Monday by a subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee headed by Likud MK Yuval Steinitz.

* Iraq oil city blasts kill dozens Bomb attacks in the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk have killed at least 85 people and wounded more than 180.

* Nuke reactor 'leaked' after quake A Japanese nuclear power plant shut down following a major earthquake on Monday leaked water containing radioactive materials from a reactor, according to the company running the facility.

* Bush like Hitler, says first Muslim in Congress America's first Muslim congressman has provoked outrage by apparently comparing President George W Bush to Adolf Hitler and hinting that he might have been responsible for the September 11 attacks.

* Sarkozy brings in EU troops to celebrate Bastille day French president Nicolas Sarkozy has reiterated calls for a common European defence policy, with troops from all EU member states present for a march in Paris to celebrate the 14 July Bastille Day.

07/14/07

* Abdullah: Next weeks critical for ME The next few weeks are critical in reviving the Middle East peace process, Jordan's King Abdullah II said.

* Lieberman: Iran approval for UN inspection of reactors is a ruse Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman warned Saturday that Iran's announcement it would allow UN officials to inspect its nuclear reactors is a diversionary tactic.

* Pope urges Peres to advance peace Pope Benedict XVI urged Shimon Peres to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians in his new capacity as the President of the Jewish State.

* Battle rages at Lebanon camp The Lebanese army has continued its bombardment of the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp with artillery and tank fire.

* Russia suspends arms control pact Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended the application of a key Cold War arms control treaty.

* Bahrainis want Iranian ambassador out Over a hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Bahrain.

* Hamas rejects 'illegal' government Hamas has dismissed a new Palestinian caretaker government appointed by Mahmoud Abbas, the president, as illegal.

* NATO: Suspension of treaty is step in wrong direction NATO expressed regret Saturday over Russia's decision to suspend a key arms control treaty in Europe.

* UN chief urges opening of Gaza crossings to avert economic collapse UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Israel to open all border crossing points into the Gaza Strip.

* Israel blows hot and cold towards Syria While inviting new negotiations with Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gives no sign that he is prepared to withdraw from the Golan Heights.

07/13/07

* Iran lifts ban on UN nuclear inspectors Iran has lifted its ban on visits to a nuclear facility by UN experts and will now allow them to inspect the site.

* PM Olmert: Syria's Assad wants talks, but only with Washington Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Wednesday in Tel Aviv with ambassadors of European Union countries to Israel.

* World Bank says Gaza may face ‘irreversible’ collapse The World Bank said on Thursday the prolonged closure of Israel's border crossings with Hamas-controlled Gaza could lead to the coastal strip's "irreversible" economic collapse.

* Report: India, Israel to jointly develop $2.47b. missile system India and Israel will jointly develop a new generation of medium-range surface-to-air missiles in a $2.47 billion project.

* Lebanon camp under heavy shelling The Lebanese army has continued shelling Fatah al-Islam positions in a refugee camp near Triopli.

* Ethiopian aliya enters its final year Dressed in shiny new shoes and suits, and in traditional white cotton clothing, 90 Falash Mura immigrants arrived from Ethiopia Thursday morning to start their new lives.

* Huge telescope set to scour skies One of the world's largest optical telescopes is set to peer into space for the first time.

* France: Hizbullah not a terror group Hizbullah is part of Lebanese politics and must not be regarded as a terror organization, said the French Foreign Ministry.

* House passes bill to bring troops home in '08 The House of Representatives voted 223-201 Thursday to require most U.S. troops to leave Iraq by April 1, 2008.

* Russia sticks to its opposition on Kosovo Russia has rejected the latest attempt by EU and US diplomats to outline a compromise UN resolution on the future status of Kosovo.

07/12/07

* 'North better off today than 4 yrs ago' The decision to go to war last summer was justified, and northern Israel was better for it, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

* PM considers allowing Jordanian forces to enter West Bank Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering allowing forces from the Palestinian Bader Division of the Jordanian army to enter the West Bank.

* Syria open to altering ties with Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas Syria has signaled to the UN's Middle East envoy a willingness to change its relationship with Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas if progress were made towards a peace deal with Israel.

* Government report: Al Qaeda strongest since September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda is the strongest it has been since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

* Lebanese army pounds refugee camp Two Lebanese soldiers have been killed after the army resumed heavy shelling of a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli.

* Babylonian King's Eunuch Really Existed! A routine research visit to the British Museum nets a landmark archaeological discovery and proof of the truth of the Bible.

* Rightists warned over plans to rebuild settlement Security officials threatened Wednesday to take action against right-wing activists if they pushed on with plans to march toward the former West Bank settlement of Homesh next week without authorization.

* Photos: Unsupervised Islamic Digging on Temple Mount The Islamic Wakf is digging large ditches on the Temple Mount without archaeological supervision to protect antiquities at Judaism’s holiest site.

* Analysis: Hamas won the battle - and it may win the war, too A month after its takeover of Gaza, it seems Hamas has begun to translate its military achievements into political dividends.

* US and EU revise Kosovo resolution Europe and the US have revised a draft UN resolution on the status of Kosovo.

07/11/07

IDF: Iran May Go Nuclear in 6 Months; NATO: Go It Alone According to the IDF, Iran will be able to produce nuclear weapons within six months.

* Hizbullah official: IDF can't face us Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, Hizbullah's leader in south Lebanon said on Tuesday that the IDF does not have the ability to face his party another time.

* Waqf Temple Mount excavation raises archaeologists' protests The Waqf Muslim religious trust is digging a ditch from the northern side of the Temple Mount compound to the Dome of the Rock.

* Report: Beijing backs Syrian Golan claim Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday that his country supported Syria's rights to the Golan Heights.

* Euro Hits New High Against U.S. Dollar The euro shot to an all-time high against the U.S. dollar Tuesday on concerns about the American economy that were fueled by discouraging growth forecasts from key U.S. retailers and homebuilders.

* IDF wary of possible war with Syria Predicting that war with Syria could erupt if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not begin peace negotiations with Damascus, the latest IDF assessment also states that such a conflict would be "at least 10 times worse" than last summer.

* U.S. Navy sends carrier to Gulf but no build-up A U.S. aircraft carrier is heading to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet area of operations, which includes the Gulf.

* 'Abbas creating military dictatorship' Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has come under heavy criticism from Palestinians.

* New EU treaty to be communications 'prority' for Brussels The European Commission is planning on making the promotion of a new treaty one of its main tasks in the coming months.

* Pontiff asserts Catholic primacy Pope Benedict XVI asserted yesterday that the Roman Catholic Church is the "one church" that Christ "established here on Earth".

07/10/07

* 'Time running out for Iran strike' Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of Military Intelligence's Research Division, said that time to launch an effective military strike against Iran's nuclear installations was running out.

* Iraq fears Turkey troop build-up Iraq says Turkey has 140,000 soldiers along its border, prompting fears of an incursion against Kurdish guerrillas.

* 'Hamas army' established in Gaza, intelligence source says Hamas' military industry is giving serial production numbers to the roadside charges and Qassam rockets it manufactures.

* US Iraq chief warns of long war The head of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has told the BBC that fighting the insurgency is a "long term endeavour" which could take decades.

* Ten EU FMs tell Blair road map is dead, call for int'l conference A group of 10 EU foreign ministers has called for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the road map peace plan dead.

* World will face oil crunch 'in five years' The world is facing an oil supply “crunch” within five years that will force up prices to record levels and increase the west’s dependence on oil cartel Opec.

* 'New rules for new wars' The Geneva Convention on armed conflict and the 100 year-old Hague Rules on war need to be "fine tuned" to meet the challenges posed by 21st century asymmetrical warfare.

* Syria rejects offer to hold peace talks Damascus has rejected Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's offer to hold peace talks with President Bashar Assad.

* Jumblatt: Syria trying to destabilize Lebanon Widespread media reports of Syria warning its nationals to flee Lebanon ahead of a major outbreak of violence and civil war there are "unfounded," contended Lebanon's Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt.

* Hamas denies Abbas charges it is letting Al-Qaida enter Gaza Hamas officials Tuesday hotly denied allegations by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

7-09-07

* Iraqi FM Warns Against U.S. Withdrawal Iraq's foreign minister warned on Monday that a quick American military withdrawal from the country could lead to civil war and the collapse of the government, as pressure on the Bush administration for a pullout grows.

* Government to set up tent city for Darfur refugees Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter says tents will be erected near jail in south to provide temporary shelter for Sudanese refugees.

* Palestinian PM holds Israel talks Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has met the Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, for the first time since Mr Fayyad took office last month.

* Report: Iran general gives nuclear info Ali-Reza Asghari, the Iranian general who went missing in Turkey nearly half a year ago, is currently being held in a secure US intelligence facility, it was reported on Sunday.

* Jordan celebrates Petra's pick as one of 7 wonders of the world Jordanians rejoiced Sunday over the inclusion of the ancient city Petra in the new seven wonders of the world, celebrating their victory with a fireworks display in the capital and dancing in the early morning hours.

* Sadr movement warns Iraqi PM to back off as no-confidence vote reported brewing against him Followers of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr accused Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki Sunday of attacking them in order to appease his US allies, and warned him his days in office might be numbered.

* Arab League team due for 1st-ever visit The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan are expected to lead an Arab League mission to Israel this week for talks on the Arab peace initiative adopted in 2002 and readopted at an Arab League summit in Riyadh in March, a Foreign Ministry source said.

* Al-Qaeda threatens war against Iran The leader of an al-Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq, who was thought to have beeen killed by US forces, has threatened to wage war against Iran unless it stops supporting Shias in Iraq within two months.

* Iraqi official: Lawmakers cutting short summer recess Iraq is on target to meet by September key political benchmarks set by the U.S. Congress, Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Sunday.

* Israel pumping Syrian water to Kinneret - experts Water experts say Israel pumping water from Golan Heights springs whose natural stream leads to Syria.