Friday, July 11, 2008

07/11/08

* Iraq denies IAF using its airspace Iraq denied on Friday reports claiming the Israeli Air Force has been practicing for a possible attack against Iran in its airspace.

* Hizbullah gets veto power in Lebanon Lebanon's prime minister formed a national unity Cabinet on Friday after six weeks of wrangling over how to distribute posts among members of the country's Western-backed parliamentary majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition.

* Barak to US: Time running out on Iran Israel is urgently trying to convince the US that Iran is closer to passing the nuclear threshold than Washington believes.

* Arab state tells Israel it won't oppose Iran strike Official representatives of an Arab country have hinted in meetings with Israeli officials that they would not oppose an Israeli military operation against Iran.

* Iraqis Want U.S. Troops to Leave Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has made a substantial policy shift by insisting on a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

* Ambassador: Sudanese president may be charged with genocide Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir may be charged with genocide, the Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations told reporters.

* Oil sets new record above $147 a barrel Crude jumps above $147 as concerns persist about Middle East conflict; heating oil hits record.

* France to deliver solution to Lisbon 'psycho-drama' by end of 2008 French President Nicolas Sarkozy has warned Europe against falling into institutional paralysis in the wake of Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty.

* A French plan for Mediterranean unity President Sarkozy's launches his project Sunday of building a 44-state union in the region.

* Olmert corruption probe widened Police have widened an investigation into allegations of corruption against Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to also look at whether he may have committed fraud.