10/31/07

* UN: Hizbullah has replenished missiles, Dan region in range Hizbullah has succeeded in rearming itself and has obtained missiles with a range of 250 km.

* Warning of Somali 'catastrophe' International aid agencies are warning of an "unfolding humanitarian catastrophe" in parts of Somalia.

* McCain links Iraq victory to ME peace "Unless America wins the war in Iraq, Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation will not move forward."

* Israel threatens Gaza invasion Israel has escalated threats to invade the Gaza Strip.

* Baghdad-Tehran want Iraq meet to focus on security Iraq and Iran want an international conference on Iraq in Istanbul this week to focus on the nation's security rather than tensions with Turkey.

* Israel mulls citizenship changes Israel's interior minister has called for reforming the law that grants Jews around the world Israeli citizenship.

* EU treaty 'same as constitution' The new EU Reform Treaty is effectively the same as the constitution it was designed to replace.

* Russia schools ban "cult of death" Halloween Moscow schools have been ordered to ban students from celebrating the cult of the dead, better known as Halloween.

* U.S. renews pressure on Israel to remove W. Bank outposts The U.S. has renewed pressure on Israel to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank.

* Darfur force 'may be' operational early 2008 A bolstered United Nations-African Union (AU) force charged with bringing peace to Sudan's ravaged Darfur region may be operational by early next year.

10/30/07

* Iran defiant ahead of nuclear talks with Russia Iran will not back down in a nuclear dispute with the West and is not interested in talks with the United States.

* 'Hamas building bunkers near border' Hamas is trying to establish a bunker system as well as fortified rocket-launching and surveillance positions along the security fence with the Gaza Strip.

* Muhammad Deif: We'll strike in heart of Israel Senior Hamas member says commander of organization's military wing 'planning an attack against the Israeli occupation, and will not settle for the defensive fighting policy'.

* Diskin: Summit failure may lead to attacks A failure to make progress in the upcoming Annapolis peace parley could lead to increased violence in the region.

* IAEA findings on Iran dismissed France and the US have dismissed a finding by the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog Mohammed ElBaradei that there is no evidence of Iran building a bomb.

* Egypt to build nuclear power plants Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday announced plans to build several nuclear power plants,.

* PA trying to stop parley hosted by Syria The Palestinian Authority has dispatched three senior PA officials to Damascus in an attempt to persuade the Syrians not to host a conference called by Hamas and other radical Palestinian factions.

* Red carpet welcome for Saudi king King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has been welcomed ceremonially to Britain by the Queen, with a state banquet at Buckingham Palace later.

* Iraq Kurds reject Ankara 'orders;' Turkey pounds rebels Turkey called on the United States Tuesday to take "urgent" measures against Kurdish rebels based in Iraq.

* Iraqi dam 'at risk of collapse' The largest dam in Iraq is at risk of an imminent collapse that could unleash a 20m (65ft) wave of water on Mosul, a city of 1.7m people, the US has warned.

10/29/07

* IAEA chief lashes out over Israeli raid in Syria Mohamed ElBaradei accuses Jewish state of 'taking the law into its own hands', says 'if countries have information that another country is working on a nuclear-related program, they should come to us'.

* Iraq warns Turkey over incursion Iraq's foreign minister has warned of serious consequences if Turkey launches a ground assault against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.

* Livni pushes China to break with Iran Countries must unite in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons technology, even if that clashes with their own narrow economic interests, Israel's foreign minister said Monday.

* Abbas: Hamas planning W. Bank takeover Hamas is planning to overthrow the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank with the help of external forces, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday.

* Holy dispute Dore Gold, former Israeli ambassador to the UN and Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president, has a stern warning for the religious faithful.

* Iraq's vulnerable Christian minority gets promise of support Iraq's prime minister pledged Saturday to protect and support the Christian minority that has been fleeing the chaos and sectarian violence in the country.

* Much of U.S. Could See a Water Shortage An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions.

* US hands over Karbala to Iraqis US forces have handed control of the mainly Shia province of Karbala in central Iraq to local authorities in a tightly-guarded ceremony.

* EU warns Israel not to impose 'collective punishment' in Gaza The European Union cautioned Israel on Monday against imposing "collective punishment" against the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by cutting of delivery of fuel supplies to the territory.

* Saudi king chides UK on terrorism Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has accused Britain of not doing enough to fight international terrorism, which he says could take 20 or 30 years to beat.

10/27/07

* PM: Israel won't cause 'crisis' in Gaza Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday that he would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

* Zahar: Hamas not planning attack ahead of Annapolis summit Top Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, denied Saturday that his organization was planning a large attack against Israel in order to sabotage the upcoming Annapolis summit.

* Putin compares US shield to Cuba Russian President Vladimir Putin has compared US plans for a missile shield in Europe to the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s.

* Biofuels 'crime against humanity' A United Nations expert has condemned the growing use of crops to produce biofuels as a replacement for petrol as a crime against humanity.

* 'Guard' controls embassy in Baghdad Iran's Revolutionary Guard is using Iran's Embassy in Baghdad to coordinate covert operations in Iraq, an Iranian opposition group has claimed.

* Turkey rejects Iraq's PKK offer Turkey has dismissed a range of proposals from Iraq on dealing with Kurdish rebels, saying they will take too long to work.

* Rice confers with Carter and Clinton US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sought the advice of former US presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

* Turkey anger at Europe over PKK Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised EU nations for not doing more to tackle activists from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

* Oil Retreats From $92 on Profit-Taking Crude futures rose to record levels on Friday, supported by worries over political tensions in the Middle East.

* 'Australia, others will punish Iran' Australia says 'many nations will follow the US' in imposing sanctions on Tehran.

10/26/07

* PM, Abbas try to hammer out differences ahead of ME parley Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

* Majadle: I didn't express gov't's view "I was not representing the government's view. I have told you on more than one occasion that I am the different voice, the other voice in the government and this is an important thing in a democratic society," Culture, Science and Sport Minister Ghaleb Majadle told Israel Radio Friday.

* Iran defiant at new US sanctions Iran has responded defiantly to new sanctions imposed by the US targeting Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and three state-owned banks.

* Syria air strike target 'removed' Newly-released satellite images of the presumed site of an Israeli air raid on Syria last month suggest that a large building has been completely removed.

* Disputes loom at EU-Russia talks The European Union has begun talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit the bloc hopes will remove some obstacles towards a co-operation pact.

* Turkey and Iraq in crisis talks With tensions running high, a high-powered Iraqi delegation is holding talks in Ankara in a fresh bid to avert any imminent Turkish strike.

* Oil spikes at $92 on supply fears Crude oil prices spiked above $92 a barrel Friday on tensions in the Middle East and renewed concerns about supply.

* 'Gaza power cuts could lead to escalation' Senior security source expresses fear that defense minister's decision to limit power supplies to Strip will boost terror organization's motivation to fire rockets.

* Abbas: 'Israel and Hamas have been meeting' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the capital on Friday.

* US dollar touches a new euro low The US dollar tumbled to yet another new low against the euro, as speculation mounted that US interest rates would be cut again next week.

10/25/07

* 'Western Wall was never part of temple' The former mufti of Jerusalem, Ikrema Sabri, has made the claim that there never was a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount, and the Western Wall was really part of a mosque.

* Lebanon fires on IAF jets for first time since cease-fire Lebanese troops opened fire Thursday on IAF warplanes flying low over southern Lebanon, but no hits were reported, Lebanese officials said.

* Google Earth used to target Israel Palestinian militants are using Google Earth to help plan their attacks on the Israeli military and other targets, the Guardian has learned.

* US to announce new sanctions on Iran The Bush administration is ready to roll out a package of new sanctions against Iran aimed particularly at the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force, which US officials have accused of stirring up trouble in Iraq and elsewhere, according to published reports.

* Key discussions on Kurdish crisis A high-level Iraqi delegation is expected in Ankara for key talks aimed at stopping attacks by Kurdish fighters based in northern Iraq.

* China beats Germany to take world trade crown China has surged ahead of Germany for the first time to become the world's top exporter, prompting ever louder demands from the United States and Europe to revalue the yuan.

* Cabinet Minister Announces Sanctions Against Gaza Defense Minister Ehud Barak is set to approve Thursday sanctions upon Palestinian Authority-controlled Gaza.

* Political Activist Banned From Judea and Samaria Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov, a political activist known for his outspoken views in favor of Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, was expelled for three months from his home in the town of Tapuach on Monday.

* Rice: Mideast peace plan in jeopardy US secretary of state tells House committee 'without a serious political prospect for the Palestinians we will lose the window for a two-state solution'; blames Iran for fanning flames in the region.

* Commission challenges France on Turkish membership talks The European Commission has said membership negotiations with Turkey should be expanded in the coming weeks, challenging France's stance that such a decision should wait until a "committee of wise men" has been set up to discuss the future of the European Union.

10/24/07

* Ayalon: Invite Hamas to Annapolis parley Minister-without-portfolio Ami Ayalon (Labor) is urging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to end Israel's boycott of Hamas and invite representatives of the group to a US-sponsored peace parley scheduled to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, in late autumn.

* 'Syria was preparing for Israeli attack' Syria was preparing for a large-scale Israeli attack some two weeks ago, the Al-Khaleej newspaper, published in the United Arab Emirates, reported Wednesday.

* China launches first Moon orbiter China has launched its first lunar orbiter, on a planned year-long exploration mission to the Moon.

* Bin Laden calls for jihad against Darfur peacekeepers Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden called for a holy war against a proposed peacekeeping force in Sudan's war torn region of Darfur in a message that appeared on jihadi Web sites on Tuesday.

* EU urges Turkey to think twice before Iraq action The EU's Portuguese presidency Wednesday urged Turkey to think twice before launching military action in northern Iraq, following deadly attacks on Turkish troops from Kurdish rebels in the region.

* Turkey 'hits PKK targets in Iraq' Turkish forces have carried out a number of limited sorties inside northern Iraq to attack Kurdish fighters during recent days, according to military sources.

* Report: 'World at peak oil output' The world has reached the point of maximum oil output and production levels will halve by 2030 -- a situation that will eventually lead to war and disaster, a report claims.

* Israel works on plan to cut power supplies to Gaza Israeli officials prepared a plan on Wednesday to cut power supplies to the Gaza Strip in response to a surge in Palestinian cross-border rocket attacks.

* Bill Calling For Jew-Free Hevron Met With One to Evict Arabs The far-left Meretz party submitted a bill Wednesday calling for removing all Jews from Hevron, the city of the Biblical Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs.

* Arsonists torch Jerusalem church There were no injuries reported in the midnight blaze at the Baptist Church on Narkis Street, but the interior of the downtown Jerusalem church was lightly to moderately damaged by the fire, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

10/23/07

* Meridor: We must be ready to preempt threats Israeli Ambassador to the US Sallai Meridor declared Monday that Israel should always be prepared "to preempt, to deter and to defeat if we can".

* Dr. Mazar: PM's Office Complicit in Temple Mount Destruction Well-known archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University told Arutz Sheva Radio that she sees the recent revelation of First Temple artifacts on the Temple Mount as further proof of what she called the Antiquities Authority's "criminal behavior."

* Brown says he backs further sanctions against Iran British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that his government would seek further sanctions against Iran through the United Nations and the European Union.

* Turkey wins Iraq backing on PKK Turkey and Iraq have agreed to work together to deal with the problem of Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq.

* 'Be prepared to fight any aggression' Syrian Chief of General Staff Ali Habib on Monday called on his country's pilots to be prepared to fight against any possible attack.

* First names floated for top new EU jobs Although the ink on the new EU treaty deal is barely dry, several names are already being floated as possible candidates for the European Union's first-ever president.

* "Save Jerusalem" Emergency Coalition Forms An unprecedented coalition of American Jewish groups has formed on short notice to ensure that united Jerusalem remains Jewish.

* Bin Laden issues Iraq message Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, has released a new audiotape calling on fighters in Iraq to unite.

* China to test space weapon in launching moon satellite: rights group+ Chinese submarine will send test signals that could change the course of a satellite when China launches its first moon orbiter.

* International troika ups efforts to break Kosovo deadlock With a December deadline looming, diplomats from the EU, Russia and the US presented both Serbian and Kosovar leaders with proposals for a compromise solution.

10/22/07

* 'Annapolis is a trap set by Zionists' The upcoming US-sponsored conference on 'Peace in the Middle East' is "a trap set by the Zionists" for regional states, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday evening.

* Israel reveals 'plot to kill PM' Palestinian militants planned to kill Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as he travelled through the West Bank, a top Israeli security official has said.

* Priestly Blessing on Temple Mount A historic first: Last week, during a special visit to the Temple Mount, the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) was recited there, for arguably the first time since the 1st-century destruction of the Second Temple.

* Finds on Temple Mount from First Temple The unauthorized dig of a trench this past summer by the Moslem Waqf on the Temple Mount had a thin silver lining: Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) personnel monitoring the trench-digging have, for the first time, found traces of the First Temple.

* 'We won't let Iran have nuclear weapon' US Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday reiterated the Bush administration's insistence that Iran would not be able to acquire nuclear bombs.

* Pope decries 'religious' violence Pope Benedict XVI has urged world religious leaders not to allow God's name to be used to justify violence.

* Steep decline in oil production brings risk of war and unrest, says new study World oil production has already peaked and will fall by half as soon as 2030, according to a report which also warns that extreme shortages of fossil fuels will lead to wars and social breakdown.

* Chinese party unveils new leaders China's Communist Party has unveiled the leadership line-up that will steer the country for the next five years.

* Turkish army ambush: Eight missing Turkey's military confirmed Monday that eight of its soldiers were still missing following a weekend ambush that killed at least 12 Turkish troops, raising the prospect of a major Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq targeting the Kurdish separatists blamed for the attack.

* Christian-Jewish group bringing dozens of Iranian Jews to Israel Evangelical Christians in the U.S. have brought dozens of Iranian Jews to Israel in recent months, offering cash incentives and claiming that Iran's tiny Jewish community is in grave danger.

10/20/07

* 'Iran capable of firing 11,000 rockets into bases if attacked' Iran is capable of firing 11,000 rockets into enemy bases within the first minute after any possible attack.

* Pakistan rejects Bhutto accusations Pakistan's deputy information minister has dismissed accusations that officials may have been complicit in an attempt to kill Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister.

* 'Syria dismantling nuclear facility' Syria has begun dismantling the remains of a what American and foreign officials suspect was a nuclear facility targeted by Israel in an air strike in September.

* Talabani chides Syria over Kurds Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has criticised Syria for its support for a possible Turkish intervention against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

* 'Israel had mole inside Syrian facility' Israel obtained detailed photographs from inside an alleged Syrian nuclear facility prior to carrying out an air strike on September 6.

* Blair gets early backing in race to be EU's first president Tony Blair, the Mideast envoy for the Quartet, got early backing from the British and French leaders at the end of an EU summit on Friday to become the European Union's first-ever full-time president.

* Ahmadinejad accepts Larijani resignation The top negotiator of Iran's controversial nuclear program, Ali Larijani, has resigned, the country's government spokesman said.

* G7 concerned over global growth Finance officials from the rich nations have warned that recent financial market upheaval, high energy costs and weaknesses in the US housing sector will slow global growth.

* EU agrees new 'Lisbon Treaty' The European Union has overnight agreed the precise text of its new 'Lisbon Treaty' to be formally signed off on 13 December in the Portuguese capital.

* China's Hu in control of rapidly modernising military After five years in power, President Hu Jintao has finally gained unquestioned control of China's massive military.

10/19/07

* Knesset Majority: ‘Don’t Divide Jerusalem!’ More than half of Knesset Members from both the opposition and the coalition factions have signed a petition against plans to hand over parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority.

* Scores dead in Pakistan bomb blasts More than 130 people have been killed in a twin-bombing attack in Karachi near the convoy of Benazir Bhutto.

* EU leaders agree new treaty deal European Union leaders have reached a deal on a landmark treaty to reform the 27-member bloc, officials say.

* On PA TV, All of Israel to be Replaced by 'Palestine' Even as Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas declares his demand for "only" all 6,205 kilometers of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, his official TV station shows a PA flag covering all of Israel.

* Olmert meets Putin over Iran The Russian president, just back from a visit to Iran, has spoken to the Israeli prime minister on Tehran's nuclear program.

* Iran backing terror, says Blair UK ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair has accused Iran of backing terrorism and warned the world faces a situation akin to "rising fascism in the 1920s".

* Evangelicals raise $8.5 m. for Jewish state The curtain rose to a hundred performers singing "Hinei Ma Tov" as the audience swayed back and forth and clapping their hands. They remained standing through "Hatikva," declarations of support for Israel.

* Peres on Iran: Similar thing happened with Hitler "The world must open its eyes before it is too late," President Shimon Peres said Thursday in reference to the Iranian nuclear threat.

* MKs call for undivided Jerusalem A majority of Knesset members signed a petition this week calling for Jerusalem to remain undivided.

* Oil prices set fresh record highs Oil prices have set further record highs, lifted by the low dollar and continuing tensions in eastern Turkey.

* Iraq partition will 'blow up' Mideast says Assad Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has warned that a failure to preserve Iraq's unity will trigger new bloodshed in the Middle East, a Turkish newspaper reported.

10/18/07

* Israel Warns World War III May be Biblical War of Gog and Magog US President George W. Bush said a nuclear Iran would mean World War III. Israeli newscasts featured Gog & Magog maps of the likely alignment of nations in that potential conflict.

* Nuclear Iran could cause 'World War III' US President George W. Bush warned Wednesday of a possible "World War III" should Iran gain the know-how to build a nuclear bomb.

* Mideast Summit Likely to be Postponed Four days of shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo has apparently convinced U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that it would be wise to postpone the much publicized upcoming Mideast summit.

* Putin calls for negotiations with Iran "Russia is taking steps together with other members of the international negotiations to solve the [Iran nuclear] problem through peaceful means.

* EU leaders hold key treaty talks EU leaders are gathering in Lisbon in an attempt to agree on a landmark treaty to reform the 27-member bloc.

* Israel cannot be destroyed, says former Mossad chief Israel cannot be destroyed, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said.

* Libya's UNSC membership 'problematic' Placing Libya on the United Nations Security Council is like "putting the cat in charge of the cream," charged Israel's Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman.

* Turkey approves Iraq incursion Turkey's parliament has approved by a large majority a government request to allow troops to cross into northern Iraq to take military action against Kurdish fighters.

* Iraqi Contracts With Iran and China Concern U.S. Iraq has agreed to award $1.1 billion in contracts to Iranian and Chinese companies to build a pair of enormous power plants.

* Rabbis 'Stunned' Over Concessions in Jerusalem Rabbis unite in call to strengthen Israel's hold on Jerusalem - but one says the Israeli-Arab city Um el-Fahm and environs can be traded.

10/17/07

* Turkey seeks green light on Iraq MPs in Turkey are due to debate a motion authorising cross-border military operations into northern Iraq to target Kurdish rebel bases there.

* Putin bolsters Iran ties in historic visit Iran Wednesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a proposal to break the deadlock over its nuclear program during his landmark visit to the Islamic republic.

* 'Likud could let Muslim country run Temple Mount mosques' The head of the Likud's foreign relations department, former ambassador to the US Zalman Shoval, joined calls Tuesday for compromises on Jerusalem.

* Iraq fears action 'may escalate' Unilateral action by Turkey in Iraq could have "very grave consequences" and set a worrying precedent, Iraq's deputy prime minister has warned.

* Libya wins UN Security Council seat Libya has been elected to the UN Security Council, taking a step back towards global respectability.

* Syria denies admission of nuke program Syria denied on Wednesday reports that its representatives to the United Nations said that a nuclear facility was hit last month by Israeli warplanes.

* Bob Jones III endorses Romney for president Dr. Bob Jones III, chancellor of the fundamentalist Christian university that bears his name, is looking past his religious differences with Gov. Mitt Romney and endorsing the Mormon for the Republican nomination for president.

* Abbas: Israeli aggression continues Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday accused Israel of hampering progress toward a joint declaration of principles that would guide future peace talks.

* UK looks to make Antarctica claim The UK is looking to claim sovereignty over a large area of the remote seabed off Antarctica.

* Lieberman: Silwan is Israel's forever The Arab neighborhood of Silwan will remain part of Israel forever, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.

10/16/07

* Putin in Iran for landmark visit Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Iran for a historic visit, the first by a Kremlin leader since Stalin joined a summit there in World War II.

* PM raises questions about east J'lem Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted he would agree to relinquish control of some east Jerusalem neighborhoods.

* Iraq seeks talks on Turkey threat Baghdad has called for "urgent negotiations" over Turkey's threat to carry out cross-border raids against Kurdish rebels.

* Turkey's Erdogan Says Parliament to Approve Iraq Raid Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the parliament will approve plans for an incursion into northern Iraq to attack Kurdish militants.

* 'Only united int'l effort can stop Iran' The United States alone cannot force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

* Oil prices rise to intraday record Oil prices rose to new intraday highs in Asia Tuesday on fears Turkey will pursue Kurdish rebels into Iraq and disrupt oil supplies in the region.

* Rice in Egypt seeks support for ME talks US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sought support from Egypt on Tuesday in her quest to nudge Israelis and Palestinians closer together before November's Middle East peace conference.

* Problems remain ahead of EU treaty summit With only three days until EU leaders meet in Lisbon to adopt a new EU treaty, a number of issues are continuing to cloud the horizon.

* War is inevitable, Lieberman tells Rice An IDF operation to destroy the terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is inevitable.

* HIV treatment 'failing' in Africa More than a third of patients on HIV medication in sub-Saharan Africa die or discontinue their treatment within two years of starting it, a survey shows.

10/15/07

* Iran poses a danger to Israel's security German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed the possibility of stronger sanctions against Iran before she met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who planned to travel on to Teheran from Germany.

* US Official Hints at Delay in Middle East Summit Associated Press reports that a U.S. State Department official says that the Middle East conference, scheduled by U.S. President George W. Bush for late November in Annapolis, Md., might be delayed.

* Turkish govt to seek go-ahead for Iraq incursion The Turkish government met Monday to prepare a motion seeking parliamentary approval for a military incursion into neighboring Iraq to crack down on Kurdish rebel bases there.

* Mini-Earthquake Sets Off Predictions of a Larger One The Patzael region in the central Jordan Valley, just 20 kilometers north of Jericho, was touched by a small earthquake on Saturday night, registering 3.0 on the Richter scale.

* Putin to visit Iran amid nuclear tension Russian President Vladimir Putin has been told of a plot to assassinate him during a visit to Iran this week, a Kremlin spokeswoman said Sunday.

* Majadle slams renewal of Mughrabi dig A decision by the governmental committee on Jerusalem affairs to renew digging at the Mughrabi Gate to the Temple Mount may spark riots ahead of the Annapolis peace conference, Science, Culture and Sport Minister Ghaleb Majadle wrote Sunday in a letter to Cabinet Secretary Ovad Yehezkel.

* Turkish general warns of 'irreversible' damage if genocide resolution passes Turkey's top general has warned that military ties with the US will be irreversibly damaged if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide, a report said Sunday.

* China rules out West's democracy China will never have Western-style democracy, a senior official said as the country began its most important political meeting in five years.

* Al-Sadr bloc rejects federalism The Muqtada al-Sadr bloc has rejected a suggestion made by another Iraqi Shia politician that the country should be split into regions based on sect and ethnicity.

* Rice says Kremlin's consolidated power endangers democracy The Russian government under Vladimir Putin has amassed so much central authority that the power-grab may undermine Moscow's commitment to democracy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

10/13/07

* Abbas denies report of planned talks between Hamas and Fatah Palestinian Authority President denied reports on Saturday that he had agreed to begin talks with Hamas.

* Rice encourages Russian activists US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pledged support for human rights activists in Moscow, during a Russian visit that has been coolly received.

* Ayatollah to Muslims: Boycott Annapolis Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, called on all Arab countries planning to attend a US-sponsored Middle East peace conference to cancel their participation.

* US general damns Iraq 'nightmare' A former US military chief in Iraq has condemned the current strategy in the conflict, which he warned was "a nightmare with no end in sight".

* U.S. military looking at alternatives in case Turkey cuts access U.S. military planners quietly have stepped up a review of alternatives in case the Turkish government restricts U.S. access to Turkish airspace.

* PA Demands Kotel as Failed Taba Accords Revived Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to take a second look at the principles discussed during the January 2001 Taba Summit.

* Putin warns U.S. to back off on missile talks President Bush's top two Cabinet officials, expecting a polite photo op, were ambushed by a Russian leader who fears Eastern Europe may be turned into a U.S. staging point for a new Cold War.

* Darfur refugees to settle in Negev Yaacov Ganot, who was appointed by the government to oversee the care of the Darfur refugees who fled to Israel, called on the head of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council, Shmulik Rifman, to help find employment for some 200 refugees.

* Brown threatens 'red line' veto over EU treaty Just one week before EU leaders meet in Lisbon to adopt a new EU treaty, the UK prime minister has pulled the veto card.

* Vatican bars prelate in gay row The Vatican has confirmed local newspaper reports that a high-ranking Catholic priest has been suspended.

10/12/07

* Muslims Worldwide Celebrate Eid-al-Fitr Muslims around the world are ready to celebrate one of the most important holidays on the Islamic calendar, Eid-al Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

* 'We'll back Abbas if Hamas included' The European Union would support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas if he reconciled with Hamas, according to Christina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana.

* Rabbi Elyashiv Joins Battle For Jerusalem In the opening shot of the battle for Jerusalem, top rabbis of the Hareidi-religious and Jerusalemite communities have joined Rabbi Avraham Shapira's final statement against dividing Jerusalem.

* Gore and UN panel win Nobel prize Climate change campaigner Al Gore and the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

* Russia urges US missile 'freeze' Russia has called on the US to "freeze" plans to employ missile defence facilities in eastern Europe.

* Israel braces as US-Turkey crisis erupts Turkey recalled its ambassador to the US Thursday as already-strained relations frayed further following a congressional committee vote recognizing the Armenian genocide.

* Muslim scholars reach out to Pope More than 130 Muslim scholars have written to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders urging greater understanding between the two faiths.

* Solana warns Turkey against military incursion in Iraq EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has warned Turkey that an offensive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq would further complicate the security situation of the conflict-ridden country.

* Cabinet to rethink mass conversion Cabinet ministers will vote next Sunday on a major change in policy toward mass-conversion aliya, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

* Pope appeals to South Korea to reject human cloning Pope Benedict XVI appealed Thursday to South Koreans' "inherent moral sensibility" to reject embryonic stem cell research and human cloning after the country decided to let embryonic stem cell research resume.

10/11/07

* EU officials condemn IDF action in Gaza Calling Gaza a "prison" and a "ghetto," European Union parliamentarians harshly condemned Israeli actions there in a special session held in Brussels on Wednesday.

* Turkish govt to seek go-ahead for Iraq incursion next week The Turkish government will formally ask parliament next week to approve an incursion into northern Iraq to crack down on Kurdish rebels taking refuge there.

* PA official: Failed talks at peace summit could spur third intifada Senior Fatah official and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia warned Thursday that if the upcoming regional peace summit does not yield results, Palestinians are likely to respond with an intensified uprising.

* Hamas offers talks with Fatah Hamas has said it will hold reconciliation talks with Fatah and hinted it may be ready to give up control of the Gaza Strip.

* Assad: Israel is trying to cover up failed IAF strike Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Thursday that Israel is trying to cover up the failure of an Israel Air Force strike on his country early last month.

* Muslim Brotherhood sets up Islamic clerical power The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's powerful opposition movement, has laid down its first detailed political platform.

* Report: African Conflicts Cost Billions About $18 billion a year has been drained from Africa by nearly two dozen wars in recent decades.

* US Presidential Candidate Endorses Elon's "Israeli Initiative" US Presidential candidate Sam Brownback, a senior Republican senator has endorsed the new Israeli Initiative peace plan.

* Expert: We missed opportunity to enlist Russians against Iran The damage caused by a lack of direct dialogue with Russia regarding the Iranian nuclear issue is beyond repair.

* Turks warn U.S. over genocide vote Turkish President Abdullah Gul has warned the U.S. that a congressional bill recognizing the mass killings of Armenians during World War One as genocide could cause "serious problems" for relations.

10/10/07

* Turkish artillery pounds Kurdish rebel camps in n. Iraq Turkish troops pounded suspected Kurdish rebel camps in northern Iraq with artillery fire.

* At NY Rally: 'Olmert is Dangerous to Diaspora Jewry' Thousands of people took part in an emergency protest rally this week at the World Lubavitch Center in Brooklyn, New York.

* Abbas lays out land for state Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday laid out his most specific demands for the borders of a future independent state.

* Putin plays down Iran bomb fears Moscow has no information that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

* Doors closing on Iraqi displaced A growing number of Iraqi provinces are refusing entry to internal refugees, the UN refugee agency has warned.

* Cabinet okays new plane defense system The Security Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new Israeli-made system for the protection of civilian aircraft against missile attacks.

* Nuclear Deal Threatens India Government In the new capitalist India, old-line communists are playing the spoiler, threatening to bring down the government over a nuclear energy deal with the United States.

* Egypt signs treaty with NATO Egypt has signed a treaty with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), thus becoming the second Middle Eastern country, after Israel, to sign such a pact.

* Barroso worried commission could take a hit in new EU treaty European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso is worried that his institution will be sidelined under the new EU treaty.

* Petition calls for two-state solution More than half a million Israelis and Palestinians have signed a petition calling on the Israeli and Palestinian governments to reach a peace agreement within the next year.