08/31/07

* Olmert Offers Judea, Samaria, Divides J'lem in Draft Accord Israel's government has agreed, in writing, to hand over 6,250 square kilometers of land – the equivalent of its entire biblical and strategic heartland - to an Arab terror state.

* Archaeologists: Muslim dig damaged Temple wall A month-old Islamic dig on Jerusalem's Temple Mount to replace faulty electrical cables has damaged an ancient wall that is likely a remnant of the Second Temple.

* Iraqi government appeals for calm The Iraqi government has called on other militant groups to follow the example of Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and freeze their activities.

* US peace summit may be at foreign minister level Contrary to widespread expectations, the US-sponsored international meeting scheduled for sometime this fall may not be held at the level of heads of government.

* UN summit: Boycott Israel A UN conference, held at the European Parliament in Brussels, heard an array of speakers call for a boycott against Israel.

* Indian PM backs nuclear future The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has reiterated his commitment to the country's nuclear energy program.

* Sheikh Salah: Israel wants to encroach on parts of Temple Mount Israel is conspiring to encroach on the Temple Mount to build a Jewish temple near the Al-Aqsa mosque.

* Thousands defy Hamas in Gaza prayer More than 10,000 Palestinians defied Hamas Friday, to pray outside in the biggest protest in the Gaza Strip since the radical Islamist movement captured control of the territory two months ago.

* EU must unite over Kosovo if talks fail -- envoy The chances of an agreement on Kosovo between Serbs and Albanians are slim.

* Brown and Sarkozy warn Sudan Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy have joined forces to warn Sudan that it faces sanctions if it attempts to block Western efforts to end the conflict in Darfur.

08/30/07

* Abbas wants Orient House reopened Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has appointed a special adviser on Jerusalem affairs.

* Iraq welcomes Mehdi Army 'freeze' The Iraqi government has welcomed the move by radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr to freeze the activities of his Mehdi Army militia for six months.

* Army denies reducing level of forces in the Golan Contrary to various news reports, senior defense officials said Wednesday that the IDF had not reduced its level of forces on the Golan Heights.

* Gul approves pro-EU Turkey cabinet Turkey's new president has approved a cabinet with a mix of AK party and secular members.

* PA chairman urges US to map out peace plan Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas warned Wednesday that a US-sponsored international peace conference planned for November could fail.

* EU resumes treaty wrangling as political issues remain As the deadline for political agreement on the new European treaty draws closer, EU officials believe that while the treaty outline is relatively tight, up to seven remaining issues are political.

* 'Russia caused tensions between Israel, Syria' Russia was partly responsible for the heightened tension between Israel and Syria at the beginning of the summer.

* New book challenges US support for Israel An upcoming book that challenges whether diplomatic and military support for Israel is in the United States' best interests is set to spark fresh debate on Washington's role in the Middle East.

* U.S. coordinator plans 5 new Palestinian battalions in W. Bank A new plan by the U.S. security coordinator in the territories, General Keith Dayton, calls for the deployment of five new Palestinian battalions throughout the West Bank.

* Gul receives cold reception from Turkey military Ex-Islamist Abdullah Gul's first encounter as president with the staunchly-secularist Turkish army got off to a shaky start.

08/29/07

* IDF moves large-scale training from Golan Heights to South The IDF has decided that war with Syria is unlikely and is moving training forces out of the Golan Heights after months of cross-border tension.

* Turks elect ex-Islamist president Turkey's controversial Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has been sworn in as the country's new president.

* 'Hamas offers Abbas renewal of unity government' Hamas was prepared to cede to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas control of PA institutions and bases in the Gaza Strip.

* Sadr set to 'rebuild' Mehdi Army The radical Iraqi Shia cleric, Moqtada Sadr, has announced the "rebuilding" of his Mehdi Army militia over a maximum period of six months.

* EU officials holding talks with Hamas EU security officials have been conducting secret talks with Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks.

* Policeman Assaulted Trying to Stop Illegal Temple Mount Dig A policeman trying to stop an Arab tractor engaged in illegal Temple Mount excavations was assaulted.

* Sarkozy seeks to give EU greater world role President Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated he wants to turn the 27-nation bloc into a decisive player in the global arena.

* UN Chief to Visit Darfur, Chad and Libya U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Tuesday that he will visit Sudan, Chad and Libya next week.

* Beit Horon refuses to host refusenik ceremony The municipality of Beit Horon said Wednesday that it would not allow the ceremony to take place in its community center.

* Iran Ready to Fill Any Vacuum in Iraq Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly declared Tuesday that U.S. political influence in Iraq is "collapsing rapidly".

08/28/07

* Israel offers Palestinians control of Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin The teams of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met in Jerusalem Tuesday, ahead of a private meeting between the two leaders.

* Turkish army issues new warning Turkey's powerful armed forces chief has warned that "centres of evil" are trying to undermine the secular state.

* Archeologists slam authorities over Muslim dig A group of Israeli archeologists on Monday renewed their blistering condemnation of the Antiquities Authority for authorizing Muslim officials to carry out a dig on Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

* France's Sarkozy raises prospect of Iran airstrikes French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday a diplomatic push by the world's powers to rein in Tehran's nuclear program was the only alternative to "an Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran."

* J'lem worried by Iranian owned anti-ship missile The recent delivery of an advanced Russian-made anti-ship missile to Iran has defense officials concerned it will be transferred to Syria and Hizbullah.

* France eases stance on EU Turkey talks In a softening of his stance towards Turkey, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said he will not obstruct EU negotiations with ankara.

* Turkey set to elect new president Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is expected to be elected as president amid warnings from the military against undermining the secular constitution.

* "We Are Going to Get Hit Again" Al Qaeda has an active plot to hit the West. The United States knows about it but doesn’t have enough tactical detail to issue a precise warning.

* The Future of the Workplace: No Office, Headquarters in Cyberspace Imagine a work world with no commute, no corporate headquarters and perhaps not even an office in the physical world at all.

* Yaalon, Peres (1978) Weigh in Against Palestinian State Amidst continuing diplomatic efforts to form a Palestinian state, former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon weighs in with words of warning against the initiative.

08/27/07

* National Command bunker being built Construction on the new National Command Center, where the country's leaders would be rushed to, should Israel suffer a nuclear attack, is rapidly progressing.

* 'Hamas in Damascus ordered a mega attack' Yahiya Moussa, a member of the Hamas parliament in Gaza, said the organization did not change its policy regarding suicide attacks.

* Afghan opium crop 'at record high' Afghanistan's production of poppies is expected to hit a record high this year and will produce nearly all of the world's opium.

* Hebron settlers mull setting up own state Hebron today is dead quiet. But settler leaders are warning that the recent eviction of Jewish squatters may have laid groundwork for future violent clashes.

* IDF: Terrorists learned our defense systems Six young Palestinians were caught by the IDF after they tried crossing into Israel from Gaza.

* Mt. of Olives National Authority to be Formed The Knesset has taken the first step towards legislating the establishment of a new national authority.

* Former Iraqi leader returning 'to fight for our country' Iraq's former interim prime minister accused Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of fomenting sectarian violence.

* Saudis set up force to guard oil plants Saudi Arabia has begun setting up a 35,000-strong security force to protect its oil infrastructure from potential attacks.

* Half of IDF's New Combat Officers are Religious Half of the IDF's young combat officers are religious Jews, according to statistics.

* Vatican flight service launches A senior Vatican cardinal has inaugurated a low-cost charter flight service which aims to transport Catholic pilgrims to holy sites.

08/25/07

* IDF modifying Arrow deployment in the North Predicting that Israel's future wars will be characterized by unprecedented missile barrages, the IDF has decided to modify its missile defense doctrine.

* Civilians evacuated from besieged Lebanon camp The families of Islamist fighters besieged in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon were evacuated by the army.

* Mubarak: Mideast summit lacks structure, consensus on issues The Middle East peace conference called by U.S. President George W. Bush lacks a framework, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was quoted as saying.

* Turkey's Gul forced to wait for presidency Abdullah Gul failed to secure election as Turkey's next president in a second round of voting in parliament.

* Bishara in Lebanon: Hizbullah stronger than ever Former Arab Israeli Knesset Member Azmi Bishara, accused by Israel of spying for Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War, praised the Lebanese-based terror organization during a tour of southern Lebanon.

* China to act on gender imbalance The Chinese government says it is drafting new laws to tackle the growing gender imbalance caused by the widespread abortion of female foetuses.

* Somali politician threatens attacks One of the leaders of the Union of Islamic Courts movement has said that the group's fighters will step up their attacks.

* Bush: Iraqis Working to Secure Country President Bush said Saturday that Iraqis are sacrificing dearly to secure their country.

* Hamas TV attacks Fatah using cartoon mimicking Disney's 'Lion King' After killing off its Mickey Mouse-lookalike, Hamas has turned to another Disneyesque character.

* Pakistan tests new cruise missile Pakistan has successfully test-fired a new cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons, its military said.

08/24/07

* IDF modifying Arrow deployment in the North Predicting that Israel's future wars will be characterized by unprecedented missile barrages, the IDF has decided to modify its missile defense doctrine.

* Infectious diseases spreading faster than ever: U.N. Infectious diseases are emerging more quickly and spreading faster around the globe than ever and becoming increasingly difficult to treat.

* Turkey votes again on president Turkish MPs have begun a second round of voting to elect a president, with a two-thirds majority needed to win.

* Intelligence briefers call Iraq 'grave' Intelligence officials today released a meticulously worded report concluding that the U.S.-backed government in Iraq looks precarious and security conditions are shaky.

* Khartoum 'defying Darfur embargo' Amnesty International (AI) has accused the Sudanese government of deploying weapons to Darfur in "breathtaking defiance" of a UN arms embargo.

* Russia confirms Soviet sorties over Dimona in '67 The chief spokesman of the Russian Air Force, Col. Aleksandr V. Drobyshevsky, has confirmed in writing for the first time that it was Soviet pilots, in the USSR's most-advanced MiG-25 "Foxbat" aircraft, who flew highly-provocative sorties over Israel's nuclear facility at Dimona in May 1967.

* Turkey angered by new ADL stance on Armenian 'genocide' The Turkish government is pressuring Israel in an effort to reverse an American Jewish organization's decision to recognize Turkey's massacre of Armenians during World War I as genocide.

* 'Abbas definitely won't seek reelection' Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has recently made it clear that he does not intend to run for another term.

* "Fossil find pushes human-ape split back millions of years" Ten million-year-old fossils discovered in Ethiopia show that "humans and apes probably split six or seven million years earlier than widely thought", according to landmark study. (See my Prophetic Prospective on the Theory of Evolution)

* White House pleads for patience with Iraqi leaders The White House Thursday pleaded for patience with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki's battered government.

08/23/07

* 'Revolutionary Guards try to get around sanctions' Iran's Revolutionary Guards are using cover companies to get around UN sanctions against the country's nuclear program.

* Abbas denies W. Bank-Gaza route in land swap plan The office of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday rejected a Haaretz report that Israel had proposed a route between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

* WHO warns of global epidemic risk Infectious diseases are spreading faster than ever before, the World Health Organization annual report says.

* 'Abbas launching war in West Bank' A senior Hamas official in Lebanon on Wednesday accused Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of launching a full-out war against his Hamas in the West Bank.

* Israel Told to Ease Palestinian Movement Israel must provide more freedom of movement in the West Bank and open crossings into Gaza.

* Peres: Olmert, Abbas in 'serious' talks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is holding "serious discussions" with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Haifa Univ: Extracting Energy From Beneath the Ocean Floor The University of Haifa, in cooperation with Stanford University, is embarking on a unique, wide-ranging research effort to investigate energy production.

* Turkish envoy returns to deal with ADL The Turkish ambassador is set to end his vacation two weeks early to return to Israel.

* Hamas head blames Israel, US for Palestinian impasse Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal said efforts to end the bitter feud with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were deadlocked.

* Al-Mujahidat, Armed Hamas Women in Gaza Wearing a long, draped robe and black headscarf, with a rocket-propelled grenade on her shoulder, Fatima, a 27-year-old woman living in Khan Younis, is a member of the special armed women units known as "Al-Mujahidat."

08/22/07

* Aksa Martyrs Brigades: Truce over Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, announced Tuesday it would no longer honor understandings reached with Israel.

* Iraq PM hits back at US criticism Iraq's PM Nouri Maliki has rejected US criticism of his administration, saying "no-one has the right to place timetables" on its performance.

* Iran has remote-controlled launch pads Preparing for a possible American or Israeli strike on its nuclear installations, Iran has developed a remote-controlled launch system that can be used to operate dozens of unmanned Shihab ballistic missile launchers in underground bunkers.

* Mideast countries speed up nuclear development projects Several Arab countries in recent months have boosted their nuclear programs.

* 'Baghdad Jews must run for their lives' Eight Baghdad Jews who represent the remnants of that city's Jewish community are facing security threats so grave that they need to flee the country.

* UK Typhoons shadow Russian bomber Two new RAF Typhoon jets shadowed a Russian bomber heading for Britain, the Ministry of Defence has said.

* Russia steps up military expansion Vladimir Putin announced ambitious plans to revive Russia's military power and restore its role as the world's leading producer of military aircraft yesterday.

* Vatican plans flights to shrines The Vatican is to launch a low-cost charter flight service to transport pilgrims to holy sites worldwide.

* Knesset conversion proposals slammed by Orthodox, Reform The report submitted to the prime minister on Monday on the state of conversion in Israel managed for once to unite nearly all religious authorities.

* Google Earth given celestial view The constellations of Andromeda, Hydra and Vulpecula are now just a mouse click away for amateur star-gazers, following the launch of Google Sky.

08/21/07

* Peres set to meet with PA's Abbas President Shimon Peres met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad in Jerusalem a week ago, and plans to meet with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Hamas Threatens to Use 'More Dangerous Weapons' Hamas threatened Israel with far more dangerous weapons than the Kassam rocket.

* MIDEAST: Bush Could Have Given Fatah That Kiss of Death Ever since the takeover of Gaza two months ago by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, Washington and its allies have steadfastly supported the rival Fatah movement.

* North American Jews Put The 'Home' in 'Homeland' The largest chartered flight of the summer filled with new immigrants (olim) from North America touched down Tuesday morning at Ben Gurion International Airport.

* Iraqi leader in Syria for talks Iraq's prime minister arrived in Syria on Monday to discuss trade, security and refugees.

* Gaddafi son unveils reform plan The son of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has announced reform plans, including an independent central bank and free media.

* EU moves to avoid indirect cash to Hamas The EU is standing by its decision to block the financing of fuel for a Gaza power plant.

* Muhammad Dahlan returns to Ramallah Fatah legislator Muhammad Dahlan returned to Ramallah on Monday after spending six weeks abroad for medical treatment.

* UN extends AU's Somalia mission The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

* US survey raises eyebrows in J'lem A survey by a respected journal showing that 15 of 108 foreign policy elites in the US believe Israel does not serve US national security interests has raised eyebrows in Jerusalem.

8/20/07

* Olmert, Arabs Negotiating Over Temple Mount Arab representatives who are negotiating an agreement with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office have made it clear that they will not accept any final peace deal with Israel unless the Jewish State forfeits the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site.

* Iraq governor dies in bomb attack An Iraqi governor has died in a roadside bomb attack, the second assassination of a provincial leader in nine days.

* Iraqi PM comes to Syria for first visit Iraq's embattled Nouri al-Maliki came to Syria on Monday on his first visit as prime minister amid efforts to garner neighbors' support for curbing violence at home.

* 'US pushing Israel to wage war against Syria with aid' Washington is preventing Israel from making peace with Syria and instead is pushing it to wage war, the Arab country's government-owned daily Tishrin read on Monday.

* Sadr vows to work with UN if it replaces US, UK in Iraq Radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr has pledged to commit his forces and followers to help the United Nations were it to replace American and British troops in Iraq, in an interview published Monday.

* Artificial Life Likely in 3 to 10 Years Around the world, a handful of scientists are trying to create life from scratch and they're getting closer.

* Scientists Oppose Peres' Dead Sea Canal Scheme The World Bank has finished a series of public hearings on a project which will link the Red Sea in the Gulf of Eilat to the depleted and polluted Dead Sea, located between Israel and Jordan.

* ILA leasing Arab-owned land in Jerusalem to Ateret Cohanim The Israel Lands Administration (ILA) is working together with the Ateret Cohanim association to wrest from Palestinian landowners control of 30 dunams (7.5 acres) of land in East Jerusalem and to transfer it to the association without a tender.

* Turkey holds new presidency vote Voting is taking place in the newly-elected Turkish parliament to choose the country's next president.

* France most at ease with Muslim population Britons are more suspicious of Muslims than citizens of other big EU states while the French appear the most at ease with their Muslim population, according to a new poll.

08/18/07

* Syria reportedly gets Russian SA-22s Syria has begun delivery of the first batch of anti-aircraft missile and gun range land-based Pantsyr-S1E defense systems.

* Turkish hijacking ends peacefully Two men who tried to hijack a Turkish plane have surrendered after all 136 passengers and crew escaped unharmed.

* 'Israel is the standard bearer of Satan' Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Israel was the standard bearer of Satan.

* Iranian Guards vow to 'punch' U.S. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they would not bow to pressure and threatened to "punch" the U.S.

* Salah: Israel wants to divide Al-Aqsa between Jews, Muslims The head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, said on Saturday that Israel is trying to forcibly divide the Al-Aqsa mosque.

* Russia Resumes Its Long-Range Air Patrols In Russia's latest assertion of a broader global military presence, President Vladimir Putin announced Friday that the country had resumed the regular long-range air patrols that ended after the Soviet Union collapsed.

* Iraqi Sunni alliance ready to attend political meeting Iraq's top Sunni party, The Iraqi Accord Front, announced that it would attend a political leaders' meeting scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

* Russia forces World Service off FM radio The fallout from the diplomatic row between Britain and Russia spread to the BBC yesterday when Russia announced it was closing down the World Service's main Russian-language broadcasts.

* Police Examine Islamist Terror Made in the U.S.A. A study released this week by the New York Police Department raised alarm bells in both mainstream American and Arab-American communities, albeit for different reasons.

* Sarkozy calls for more market monitoring after recent turmoil Nicolas Sarkozy has called on G7 governments to work with the International Monetary Fund and central banks on financial transparency.

08/17/07

* Iraqi Political Leaders Forge New Pact Iraq's political leaders emerged Thursday from three days of crisis talks with a new alliance that seeks to save the crumbling U.S.-backed government.

* PM, Abbas negotiate core issues on founding Palestinian state Talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on a future Palestinian state are stuck on the issue of the Palestinian refugee problem.

* Russia-China war games boost ties Russian and Chinese troops have staged a series of dramatic war games in Russia's Ural Mountains at the close of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

* Riyadh: Syria spreading chaos in the Middle East Saudi Arabia accused Syria on Thursday of attempting to destabilize the region and spread chaos.

* Israel, US try to maintain military edge With a new $30-billion, 10-year aid package from the US in the bag, Israeli and American officials are now discussing what military equipment Israel can buy and Saudi Arabia can't.

* Nato 'tracking' Russian bombers Russian long-range bombers have flown over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a military drill.

* Internet use could kill off local newspapers, study finds News audiences are ditching television and newspapers and using the Internet as their main source of information.

* Gadhafi Son Warns of More Europe Attacks Islamic extremists are certain to carry out more terrorist attacks in Europe, and any country that engages itself militarily in Iraq or Afghanistan is a likely target.

* Fayyad sheds mild-mannered image Tough talk doesn't come naturally to Salam Fayyad. The 55-year-old former World Bank employee.

* India parties mull nuclear deal Communist allies of India's government are holding meetings to discuss their opposition to a landmark nuclear deal with the US.

08/16/07

* Iraqi PM Announces Shiite-Kurd Alliance The Iraqi prime minister and president announced a new alliance of moderate Shiites and Kurds in a push to save the crumbing government.

* Guards chief: Iran missiles can hit warships in Gulf Iranian missiles can hit warships operating anywhere in the Gulf and Oman Sea, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.

* 60-Year-Old UN Partition Vote to be Reenacted This November will mark 60 years since the famous and fateful UN partition vote that paved the way for Israel's creation.

* Iran has Merkava-breaching missile Iran has developed a missile that can penetrate the armor of an Israeli-made Merkava tank and a US-made Abrams tank.

* Japan heads regional Jericho meeting The foreign ministers of Israel, Jordan and Japan sat down with a senior Palestinian Authority delegation in the West Bank.

* MKs to PM: Let Jews return to Hebron A group of parliamentarians on Wednesday called for the return of the Jews to the wholesale market place in Hebron.

* Bibi dares Barak to force elections Likud Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu attempted to build on momentum from his victory in Tuesday's Likud primary.

* Abbas to Hamas: 'Return to nat'l unity' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office warned Wednesday night that any Fatah-Hamas unification would lead to a breakdown in the diplomatic process with the reconstituted PA.

* Evangelicals Support Conversion Code Evangelical groups have joined efforts spearheaded by Roman Catholic, Orthodox and mainstream Protestant churches.

* US, Israel sign military aid package The US and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday outlining the $30 billion defense aid package.

08/15/07

* 'Hizbullah has big surprises in store' Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said his organization was not interested in another bout of fighting with Israel.

* J'lem: Syria is still arming Hizbullah Neither Israel nor Syria are interested in a war so there is no reason for one to erupt.

* Deadly Iraq sect attacks kill 200 At least 200 people have been killed in a series of bombings apparently aimed at a Kurdish religious minority group in northern Iraq.

* 'Nobody can strike the Kabba in Mecca' A Saudi official has condemned a radical US Republican presidential candidate's recent comment that the best way to deter a nuclear terrorist attack on America would be to threaten to retaliate.

* Hamas pleased with European 'U-turn' Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip said Tuesday they were encouraged by the "positive" change in the position of some European countries toward the Islamist movement.

* Iran Guards 'join US terror list' The US is preparing to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards force as a foreign terrorist unit.

* Save the Jordan, too The Dead Sea is shrinking fast. As the World Bank puts it, "The water level of the Dead Sea has fallen over 20 meters in less than 50 years.

* Netanyahu wins Likud leadership Former Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been re-elected as leader of the main right-wing opposition party, Likud.

* India celebrates 60th anniversary India's prime minister has called for the country to do more to fight poverty, ignorance and disease, as it celebrates the 60th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule.

* Ocean's 'missing link' discovered Australian scientists have discovered a giant underwater current that is one of the last missing links of a system that connects the world's oceans and helps govern global climate.

08/14/07

* New Turkey presidency row looms Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has confirmed he plans to stand again as a presidential candidate.

* Iran denies arming Taliban Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has told his Afghan counterpart during a one-day visit to Kabul that Tehran is not arming the Taliban.

* Pakistan marks 60th anniversary Celebrations are taking place across Pakistan to commemorate the 60th anniversary of independence from the UK and the creation of the country.

* Netanyahu: Israel's arch-hawk aiming for comeback Former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to be re-elected as head of Israel's right-wing Likud party on Tuesday, is a media-savvy arch-hawk.

* Hezbollah marks Lebanon war's end The Lebanese Shia Muslim group Hezbollah is to hold a mass rally in Beirut to mark the anniversary of the end of its war last year with Israel.

* NBN Aliyah Across the Atlantic: Both Sides Now! Two Nefesh b’Nefesh charter flights touched down on the tarmac of Ben Gurion International Airport Tuesday morning bearing the gift of new “anglo” immigrants.

* Arab official: Syrian general mulling war with Israel In Damascus, it is forbidden to photograph him and diffuse pictures that can identify him.

* Calling for a Global Caliphate in Ramallah An international movement that has made the Islamic call for a worldwide Caliphate its trademark held a conference in Ramallah on Saturday.

* Ultra-Orthodox Jews deliver a population boom to the West Bank The settler population is growing twice as fast as the rest of the country every year.

* U.S., Iraqi Forces Begin New Operation About 16,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops began a new operation north of Baghdad targeting insurgents who have fled a crackdown in Baqouba.

8/13/07

* Yesha Council: Beware of Steps Towards Palestinian State As the US continues to prepare for an international Middle East summit this coming November, concern grows in Israel that the goal is to force Israel to agree to a Palestinian state on its very doorstep, founded upon Hamas, Iranian and even Al-Qaeda influence.

* IDF assessment: Syria thinks Olmert wants to launch war Damascus does not believe Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's public statements of reassurance that Israel has no intention of attacking Syria, and is genuinely concerned about an Israeli preemptive attack, according to official Israeli assessments.

* Iraqi Premier to Hold Talks in Search for Compromise Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Sunday that he would meet as early as this week with leaders from all the major political parties of Iraq in the hopes of forging a grand compromise among the warring factions.

* W. Bank: 10,000 call for Islamic state A global Islamic movement that wants bring Muslims back to the roots of their religion drew a crowd of more than 10,000 at a rally Saturday and denounced the moderate Palestinian Authority leadership in the West Bank as infidels.

* Islamists urge caliphate revival Some 100,000 Islamists have met in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to press for the re-establishment of a caliphate across the Muslim world.

* New party for annexation of territories New Jersey-native Yechiel Aaron has decided to start a new political party to advocate for the annexation of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

* Enviromentalists slam World Bank over Red-Dead canal Israeli environmentalists accused the World Bank of stacking the timetable of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal project discussions in their favor, at a public hearing on Sunday in Neveh Ilan, west of Jerusalem that frequently erupted in chaotic screaming matches.

* Japanese FM to launch Israel-PA-Jordan project The foreign ministers of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Japan are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Jericho to launch a joint economic project called the "corridor for peace and prosperity."

* Kurds build an island of calm in the inferno of Iraq Unlike many other Iraqi cities, Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, has seen very few terrorist attacks since civil war broke out following the U.S. invasion in 2003 and the subsequent execution of Saddam, Iraq's former dictator.

* EU and US central banks consider currency swap Amid fears that US mortgage market problems would prompt a worldwide credit crunch, the European Central Bank, ECB, is expected to continue pumping funds into the eurozone banking market today (13 August).

08/11/07

* Erekat: Olmert promised to remove W. Bank roadblocks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reportedly promised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to release in the coming days a list of major West Bank roadblocks that will be removed.

* Bomb kills southern Iraq governor A powerful roadside bomb has killed the governor and police chief of the southern Iraqi province of Diwaniya.

* Iran mocks US: 'Wise' leaders needed US President George W. Bush's policies have harmed Washington's global image and the country needs "wise" leaders to regain its lost credibility.

* UN approves expanded Iraq mission The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a US-British resolution calling for a greater UN role in Iraq.

* Canada plans Arctic military base Canada has said it is to build a new military facility in the Arctic and renovate another in a move to assert sovereignty over the contested region.

* US, EU and Russian Envoys Meet Serbian Officials on Kosovo U.S., European Union and Russian mediators met Friday with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and other top officials in Belgrade.

* The Dangers of 'Peace'-Making The U.S. and other Western powers are pushing for a new Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough.

* Israeli web site sparks terror alert Authorities were taking extra counterterrorism precautions in response to what they said was an unsubstantiated radiological threat to the city.

* Bush warns al-Maliki on Iran The US president has rebuked Iraq's prime minister for speaking too favourably about Iran.

* 'Abbas willing, truly seeks peace' "[Palestinian Authority Chairman] Mahmoud Abbas is a man of peace. He is a liberal willing to negotiate, unlike [former PA chairman Yasser] Arafat.

08/10/07

* Iran calls for US to pull out of Iraq An end to violence in Iraq depends on the US withdrawing its troops.

* UN to vote on bigger Iraq mission The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on a resolution calling for a greater UN mandate in Iraq.

* Barak: No Difference Between Fatah and Hamas Labor Party Chairman and Prime Ministerial candidate Defense Minister Ehud Barak says peace with the PA is 3-5 years away.

* World shares fall on credit fears Markets have fallen sharply again in Friday trading, a day after markets in the US and Europe suffered heavy losses amid fears of a global credit crunch.

* China's Iran stance worries US, Israel Stuart Levey, the US Treasury official spearheading efforts to hit Iran economically, met with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Tel Aviv.

* Turkey names new parliament speaker Turkey's parliament has elected Koksal Toptan, a candidate from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), as its new speaker in a first round of voting after he secured backing from the main opposition party.

* Gay Nigerians face Sharia death Eighteen men have been remanded in prison following their arrest for alleged sodomy in northern Nigeria, the state-owned news agency, Nan, reports.

* China plans to survey 'every inch' of moon China plans to survey all of the moon's surface before eventually bringing bits of the planet back to Earth.

* Last round talks on Kosovo question Belgrade and Pristina are entering a final round of diplomacy on the fate of Serbia's breakaway province today.

* US opens new front in diplomatic war over Lebanon The Bush administration has quietly opened a new diplomatic front in its efforts to free Lebanon from Syrian influence.

08/09/07

* Musharraf rejects emergency rule Pakistan has stepped back from imposing emergency rule, after mounting speculation that President Pervez Musharraf was considering the move.

* UN warns Gaza faces economic disaster The Gaza Strip will soon become entirely dependent on foreign aid and face "disastrous consequences".

* Missile interception system to be operational in 18 months Israel's short-range rocket-based missile interception system will become operational in 18 months.

* Peres: Misunderstanding with Syria could lead to conflict President Shimon Peres reiterated concerns expressed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday that a misunderstanding with Syria could lead to armed conflict.

* Canada joins rush to claim the Arctic Canada raised the stakes in the battle to claim ownership of the Arctic by sending Stephen Harper, prime minister, on a three-day trek to the region.

* 'Teheran counts on victory of Iraqis' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that Teheran and Baghdad share a "heavy responsibility" in establishing peace and security in the region.

* Security tight for Iraq pilgrims A huge security operation is under way in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, ahead of a pilgrimage that is expected to draw more than a million Shia faithful.

* Saudis might take Bibles from tourists Despite a series of initiatives aimed at generating foreign tourism, the Saudi Arabian government continues to bar Jews and Christians from bringing items such as Bibles.

* Diplomats press for Kosovo deal A top diplomat trying to settle the future status of Kosovo says the Serbs and ethnic Albanians may be facing their last chance to reach a deal.

* Tribal council starts in Kabul A meeting of Afghan and Pakistani political and tribal leaders has opened in Kabul, but will not be attended by Pakistan's president.