06/30/09

* U.S., Iraqi experts developing plan to preserve Babylon, build local tourism industry The remains of what was once the greatest city in the world occupy a vast site on the bank of the Euphrates River.

* Russia Holds Major War Games In Caucasus Thousands of troops, backed by hundreds of tanks, artillery and other heavy weaponry, began rumbling through the North Caucasus on Monday.

* US soldiers leave Iraq's cities US troops have withdrawn from towns and cities in Iraq, six years after the invasion, having formally handed over security duties to new Iraqi forces.

* Iraqi oil for sale in TV auction BP and China's CNPC have won a contract in the televised auction for contracts to run oil and gas fields in Iraq.

* Pakistani militants abandon deal A wing of the Taliban based in a Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan say they have scrapped a peace deal with the government.

* Obama's 'Outreach to Muslims' Prompts Mass Koran Distribution The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), whose officials in the past have been convicted for being associated with Muslim terrorist groups, said it will announce at a news conference Tuesday that it is launching an “education campaign”.

* Iran confirms Ahmadinejad victory Iran's top electoral body, the Guardian Council, has confirmed the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the presidential election after a partial recount.

* Investment Houses: Israel the Land of Economic Promise Three international investment houses have issued a rosy forecast for the Israeli economy, which one firm says is at the beginning of a decade of constant growth following this year's recession.

* German court gives conditional green light to new treaty Germany's highest court on Tuesday ruled that the EU's new treaty is compatible with German law, so long as the role of the national parliament in EU decision-making is strengthened.

* 'Stop selling uranium ores to Iran' President Shimon Peres met his Kazakhstani counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday morning and urged him to act to stop his country's sale of uranium ores to Iran.

06/29/09

* Hark! Where's the Bible Ark? Ethiopia's Orthodox patriarch cops out on revealing plan for public viewing

* Baghdad set for US pullback party Iraq is preparing for a giant party in a Baghdad park and a special holiday as US troops approach their deadline to quit cities and towns.

* Israel approves 50 settler homes Israel has approved the construction of 50 new housing units in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.

* Syria again threatens war over Golan Syrian officials reiterated their threat to forcefully take the Golan Heights from Israel unless an agreement between the two countries is reached soon.

* World Bank to Fund Dead Sea-Red Sea Canal Test Project The World Bank has agreed to fund a pilot program of what could turn out to be one of the most ambitious water projects in the world – the Dead Sea Canal Project.

* Nato resumes Russia military ties Russia and Nato have agreed to resume co-operation on security issues, after nearly a year of difficult relations.

* U.S. and Russia Differ on a Treaty for Cyberspace The United States and Russia are locked in a fundamental dispute over how to counter the growing threat of cyberwar attacks that could wreak havoc on computer systems and the Internet.

* In defense of the settlements Jews belong in Judea and Samaria as much as Palestinians who stayed in Israel.

* Palestinian support for Hamas waning Hamas support among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is waning, according to a survey.

* EU denounces arrest of UK embassy staff in Iran The European Union said it would have a "strong and collective response" to any harassment of diplomats in Iran, in solidarity with the Britain, which saw eight of its embassy staff arrested.

06/27/09

* Ahmadinejad vows to toughen stance toward West Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed on Saturday to toughen Iran's stance toward the West during his new term in office, the official news agency IRNA reported.

* N. Korea: We'll intercept Japanese jets North Korea threatened Saturday to shoot down any Japanese planes that enter its airspace, accusing Tokyo of spying near one of its missile launch sites.

* Blair sees Middle East deal if Israel acts Quartet envoy says deal on a two-state solution could be within reach if Jerusalem compromises on issues such as halting settlement expansion.

* Syria threatens to take back Golan by force Syrian officials threatened on Saturday to take back the Golan Heights by force if a peace agreement involving the return of the strategic plateau is not reached with Israel, Army Radio reported.

* Turkey to 'never give up' EU bid Turkey has urged France and Germany to back its bid to join the EU, rejecting calls for a special partnership rather than full membership.

* Hariri named as Lebanon's new PM Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman has named Saad Hariri as the country's new prime minister, following parliamentary election earlier this month.

* Iran's security council tells Moussavi to back off Members of Iran's influential National Security Council have told opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi that his repeated demands for the annulment of the June 12 election results are "illogical and unethical," state media reported.

* Iraqi PM Calls for National Unity Following Deadly Bombings Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called for national unity, following a spate of deadly bombings just days before U.S. forces are set to withdraw from Iraqi cities.

* Medvedev says first African tour came just in time Russian President Dmitry Medvedev returned from his trip to Africa on Saturday, declaring that such a visit should have been made sooner but it was not too late for Russia to play a role on the continent.

* European leaders mark Iron Curtain fall in Hungary European leaders marked the 20th anniversary of the symbolic fall of the Iron Curtain, often described as the first crack in the Berlin Wall and one of the key episodes leading to the end of communism in Eastern Europe, in Budapest on Saturday.

06/26/09

* Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday An Ethiopian church leader says Friday, June 26, marks the right time to unveil the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, which he says has been hidden in his church for centuries.

* G8 urges Israel to halt W. Bank settlement construction Foreign ministers of Group of Eight countries urged Israel to halt all settlement construction in the West Bank Friday.

* Hamas leader: Obama must do more for peace Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal on Thursday called on the United States to take a more active role in the Mideast peace process "so that America and the rest of the world can take a break from the headache of the region."

* Lieberman slams Obama's Iran policy Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman lambasted American policy of engagement with Iran and the US demand that Israel halt natural growth in the West Bank settlements.

* U.S. providing weapons to Somali government, officials say The United States is providing weapons and ammunition to Somalia's transitional government as it fights al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants.

* US hopes to start Mideast talks soon US envoy George Mitchell said on Friday that the United States hoped Israelis and Palestinians would soon begin "meaningful and productive" peace negotiations.

* Iranian Cleric: Protesters at War With God A senior Iranian cleric has called on the government to punish the leaders of the country's post-election protests cruelly and without mercy.

* Palestinians want to build settlements The last thing that Abu Mohammed al-Najjar wants is for Israel to succumb to US and European pressure and halt construction in the West Bank settlements.

* Kurdistan prime minister rejects Iraq oil auctions The prime minister of Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdistan region condemned on Friday plans by the Oil Ministry to auction six fields in a June 29-30 tender for service contracts.

* Hariri set to become Lebanon PM, meets with Nasrallah A majority of Lebanon's parliament will nominate U.S.-backed Saad al-Hariri for the post of prime minister.

06/25/09

* Iran's Mousavi defies crackdown Iran protest leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says he holds those behind alleged "rigged" elections responsible for bloodshed during recent protests.

* NKorea threatens US; world anticipates missile North Korea threatened Wednesday to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days.

* Iran unrest to dominate G8 talks Unrest in Iran is expected to dominate discussions between foreign ministers gathering in northern Italy to prepare for a G8 summit.

* Somali Islamists cut off hands, feet of thieves In a brazen show of power in Somalia's capital, Islamist rebels punished four convicted thieves by cutting off a hand and a foot each before hundreds of onlookers who gathered for the bloody spectacle.

* The global Muslim theocracy movement is worried The past two weeks have been an eye-opener for a lot of people, including Arab and Muslim communities around the world.

* Baghdad market bomb kills scores Police said the device went off in a market place in the predominantly Shia area of the Iraqi capital.

* China accuses Google of spreading pornography China accused Google Inc. on Thursday of spreading pornography after Chinese users were unable to connect to the search giant's Web site.

* Netanyahu, French officials discuss peace efforts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met France's prime minister and foreign minister Thursday.

* Major Hamas Speech Awaited on Thursday Following major policy speeches by US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and even the PA’s prime minister Salam Fayyad in the past three weeks, it will now be the turn of Khaled Mashaal of Hamas.

* Jerusalem gay pride parade kicks off The Jerusalem gay pride parade, which regularly riles up religious and haredi city residents, kicked off Thursday afternoon under tight security.

06/24/09

* Iran 'will not yield' over poll Iran's supreme leader has said the nation "will not yield to pressure" over a disputed presidential election.

* Assad- Israeli partner willing to commit to peace doesn't exist Although tensions between Washington and Damascus may be thawing, it seems the relations between Israel and Syria are as cool as ever.

* US-Israel talks in Paris aborted A meeting between Israel's prime minister and a senior US envoy has been cancelled amid growing differences over settlement building in the West Bank.

* US 'to send ambassador to Syria' Washington is to send an ambassador to Damascus, ending a four-year diplomatic absence in Syria.

* Polls Show Americans Less Pro-Israel Yet Tougher on Iran Two recent polls have shown that while less Americans see themselves as pro-Israel, more Americans support coming to Israel's aid if Iran attacks it.

* Klaus pledges to be last to sign the Lisbon Treaty Czech President Vaclav Klaus has pledged to be the last in the EU to sign the Lisbon Treaty.

* US, Russia Resume Nuclear Arms talks The United States and Russia have resumed negotiations in Geneva on cutting their nuclear arsenals.

* Israel keeps anxious eye on Iran turmoil Israel is keeping an anxious eye on the turmoil in Iran for any signs on what the crisis may mean for its arch-enemy's nuclear drive.

* Communists turn to Stalin to fight crisis Russian communists have put up giant billboards of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in a southern city.

* U.S. contacted Iran's ayatollah before election Prior to this month's disputed presidential election in Iran, the Obama administration sent a letter to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for an improvement in relations.

06/23/09

* Netanyahu: Settlements debate is a waste of time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that international "arguing" over Israel's stance on settlements was impeding progress on the Middle East peace progress.

* Netanyahu: Iran greatest threat to peace In Rome for his first European visit since being elected, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu briefed Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi on his peace plan.

* China urges caution on North Korean ship checks Beijing backed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning North Korea's nuclear test on May 25.

* Iran's Crisis Posing a Problem for Its Mideast Allies If the street protests roiling Iran since its disputed election have created a problem for the leadership in Tehran, imagine the dilemma it raises for Iran's allies elsewhere in the Middle East.

* China and US hold military talks Defence officials from the United States and China are meeting in Beijing for two days of high-level talks.

* Russia aims to host Middle East peace parley by end of 2009 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in Cairo on Tuesday that Moscow aimed to hold a Middle East peace conference before the end of 2009.

* No 'Big Bang' for EU foreign service, says Solana The EU's planned foreign service should be established gradually and not in a 'Big Bang', if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified after a second Irish referendum.

* Iran's supreme strategy: Why is Ahmadinejad the chosen one? The price has been high of massive and sometimes violent Iranian reaction to the official landslide reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Ethiopian troops return to Somalia With or without an international mandate, Ethiopian forces have entered Somali territory to back up a fast-failing Somali government.

* Europe must change after economic crisis, says Sarkozy In a historic speech before a joint session of the French parliament on Monday (22 June), President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the global economic crisis meant that "nothing will be the same any more".

06/22/09

* Police break up new Tehran rally Iranian riot police have fired tear gas to break up a new opposition rally in the centre of the capital Tehran, hours after a stern warning to protesters.

* Al Qaeda says would use Pakistani nuclear weapons If it were in a position to do so, Al Qaeda would use Pakistan's nuclear weapons in its fight against the United States.

* Can Third Temple be built without destroying Dome of the Rock? A new Jewish interfaith initiative launched last week argues building the Third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem would not necessitate the destruction of the Dome of the Rock.

* N Korea defends nuclear program North Korea has boasted of being a "proud nuclear power" and warned the US that it will strike back if attacked.

* Fayyad: Palestinian state in 2 years Palestinian PM says Netanyahu's recent policy speech attempt to dodge international agreements, calls for end to settlement building, Gaza blockade.

* Somali President Declares State of Emergency Somalia's president has declared a state of emergency as his government tries to fight off an offensive by militant Islamist groups.

* Iran turmoil likely to benefit Israel Like the collapse of the Soviet Union nearly two decades ago, the outcome of the post-election unrest in Iran could be of major strategic significance for the Middle East and for Israel.

* Sarkozy speaks out against burka French President Nicolas Sarkozy has spoken out strongly against the wearing of the burka by Muslim women in France.

* Iraq hit by fresh wave of attacks At least 21 people have been killed and 75 people wounded in a spate of bomb attacks across Iraq.

* Iran starts airforce manoeuvres in Gulf Iran began three days of airforce exercises in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman to raise operational and support capability.

06/20/09

* Iran police disperse protests Iranian police have used water cannon, batons, tear gas and live rounds to break up protests over the presidential election.

* Navy Positions Destroyer For Possible Intercept of North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nukes The U.S. military is preparing for a possible intercept of a North Korean flagged ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday.

* World hunger 'hits one billion' One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger, a figure which has increased by 100 million because of the global financial crisis, says the UN.

* Minister Ya'alon: There will be revolution in Iran Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon said Iranian reformist presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has brought about a new spirit of openness.

* Sarkozy calls for 'strong' EU president European institutions, especially the European Commission, should be given more power, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

* Lieberman: Settlements no obstacle to peace Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Friday he saw good prospects for reviving peace talks with the Palestinians.

* Irish PM hails 'successful' EU summit result Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has hailed as "entirely successful" the outcome of an EU summit.

* Mubarak says time is right for Arab-Israeli peace President Barack Obama's "reassertion" of US leadership in the Middle East offers a rare opportunity to get peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

* EU leaders urge Iran to halt violence EU leaders on Friday (19 June) asked Iranian authorities to show restraint against protesters contesting the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Taliban gains money, al-Qaida finances recovering He moved his finger slowly across his throat, to show that the Taliban kills truckers who don't pay for safe passage through large swaths of territory near Afghanistan.

06/19/09

* Ayatollah demands end to protests Iran's supreme leader has issued a stern warning that protests against the country's disputed presidential election results must end.

* Blair: ME peace possible 'within a year' An Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement could be reached "within the year," but only if all sides agree to peaceful negotiations.

* Pakistani offensive 'nears end' The military offensive against Taliban militants entrenched in north-western Pakistan is nearly over, the defence minister has said.

* EU leaders give 'unanimous' support to Barroso reappointment EU leaders have given unanimous political backing for Jose Manuel Barroso to become president of the European Commission for a second time.

* Go fly a kite! Megiddo fights plan for second int'l airport A battle is raging over the pending construction of a new international airport in Megiddo, in the Jezreel Valley.

* Suleiman's popularity worries Mubarak government Senior representatives of the Egyptian regime are "extremely worried" about the growing popularity of General Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman and reports that he may succeed President Hosni Mubarak.

* U.S. Military Tracking North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nukes The U.S. military is tracking a flagged North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday.

* Mubarak: Determine Palestine's borders Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called Friday to determine the "contiguous" borders of a future Palestinian state as the first priority of getting the Israeli Palestinian peace process back on track.

* Nuclear and Diplomatic Dangers Lead to Western Wall Prayers A mass prayer rally has been called for late Sunday afternoon at the Western Wall in light of the diplomatic and other dangers facing Israel.

* Arab world sees settlement row as test of Obama's credibility The clash on the settlements between the Obama-Clinton administration and the Netanyahu-Lieberman (and Barak) government is not some petty haggling over expanding a kindergarten in Ofra.

06/18/09

* Sheikh Salah: Netanyahu wants to rebuild Temple Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, spoke Wednesday afternoon in front of Muslim students at Haifa University.

* World Bank raises China forecast The World Bank has raised its forecast for growth in China this year from 6.5% to 7.2% amid signs that the economy is doing better than expected.

* Israel says ElBaradei biased on Syria Israel accused the head of the UN atomic agency of political bias in its probe of Syria Thursday, provoking a bitter response by the agency chief.

* Irish to be offered Lisbon pledge EU leaders meeting in Brussels are once more grappling with the Lisbon Treaty, hoping to agree on ways to help it pass a second Irish referendum.

* Dutch anti-Islam MP: 'Israel is West's first line of defense' Israel will be a major part of Geert Wilders' next film on Islam, the rightist Dutch legislator said last week.

* Iran investigates 646 poll complaints Iran's top legislative body says it is investigating 646 complaints from the three defeated presidential candidates over last week's election.

* Hamas rejects Carter plea to recognize Israel A senior Hamas official praised former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday, a day after he met with the group, but said he failed to persuade the Islamic rulers of Gaza to accept international demands.

* Lieberman to Clinton: No settlement freeze Sharp differences remained between the US and Israeli positions on key issues Wednesday.

* Hu wraps up 'breakthrough' visit to Russia Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday wrapped up a visit to Russia that has seen the powers vow to beat the economic crisis.

* North Korea may fire a missile toward Hawaii North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said.

06/17/09

* 'Hamas helping Iran crush dissent' Palestinian Hamas members are helping the Iranian authorities crush street protests in support of reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

* Pakistan and EU in 'terror' talks Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is meeting Nato and European Union leaders in Brussels for talks on boosting security co-operation and trade links.

* EU document scraps Quartet demands In what is perceived in Jerusalem as a mistaken effort to give Hamas room to maneuver, the EU's 27 foreign ministers, in a statement issued Monday, did not call, as in the past, for Hamas to forswear terrorism.

* Barak: Mousavi is a fundamentalist too Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that both Iranian presidential candidates were fundamentalists.

* New protests over Iran elections Iranian presidential challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi has called for peaceful demonstrations in protest at the result of last week's contested election.

* North Korea warns of retaliation North Korea has threatened a "thousand-fold" military retaliation against the US and its allies if it is provoked.

* China, Russia call for talks on Iran, North Korea The presidents of Russia and China on Wednesday called for a diplomatic push to resolve tensions over the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea after wide-ranging talks in Moscow.

* 'Twitter revolutionized Israeli diplomacy' An Israeli envoy to the U.S. said on Tuesday that Twitter, the short messaging website, has revolutionized Israeli diplomacy and become a leading advocacy apparatus.

* Right-wing group plans 30 new outposts The Land of Israel Faithful group says it has a plan to construct 30 new outposts in the West Bank over the summer.

* Brazil finds new strain of H1N1 virus Brazilian scientists have identified a new strain of the H1N1 virus after examining samples from a patient in Sao Paulo.

06/16/09

* Iran 'to hold election recount' Iran's powerful Guardian Council says it is ready to recount disputed votes from Friday's presidential poll.

* Mossad chief: Civil unrest in Iran will end soon The civil unrest that has followed the disputed re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will not continue much longer.

* Medvedev calls for new reserve currencies Medvedev told a regional summit Tuesday that the creation of new reserve currencies in addition to the dollar is needed to stabilize global finances.

* EU-Israel meeting ends with no progress on 'upgrade' Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman ended his first EU visit on Monday (15 June) evening without securing a previously planned "upgrade" in EU-Israel relations.

* Yesha Council Head: We Expect Netanyahu to Build Danny Dayan, the head of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha), says he believes Netanyahu does not want or expect to give away Judea and Samaria.

* Indian and Pakistani leaders meet The leaders of India and Pakistan have met for the first time since last November's Mumbai (Bombay) attacks.

* Blair: Don't rule out right of return The return of Palestinian refugees to Israel should not be ruled out as a subject for negotiation, Tony Blair said.

* Iran protest news travels fast and far on Twitter Coverage of the Iranian election protests has taken on a global life as a result of the involvement in coverage on Twitter of Stephen Fry, Senator John McCain, Helpful American, Shahzad and persiankiwi.

* Iraqis take control of Baghdad's Green Zone As the armored car carrying Westerners cut to the front of the line at a checkpoint into Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone, an enraged Iraqi leapt from his BMW and yelled at the occupants.

* Pakistan tribal operation in 'early stages' Pakistan's military said Tuesday it is in the early stages of an operation against the country's Taliban leader in an area considered the deepest stronghold of al-Qaida and other militants.

06/15/09

* Mubarak: Netanyahu speech "scuttles the chances for peace" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand in a key speech Sunday that Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people "scuttles the chances for peace," Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said.

* Iran poll loser leads huge rally Thousands of Iranians have staged a protest rally against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, defying a government ban.

* Palestinians dismiss Israel plan Palestinians have rejected the Israeli prime minister's conditions for a two-state solution, saying he has "paralysed" the peace process.

* Leader Emerges With Stronger Hand Whether his 63% victory is truly the will of the people or the result of fraud, it demonstrated that Ahmadinejad is the shrewd and ruthless front man for a clerical, military and political elite that is more unified and emboldened than at any time since the 1979 revolution.

* Netanyahu defies Obama with harsh conditions for Palestinian entity Binyamin Netanyahu threw down the gauntlet to the US, grudgingly agreeing to a limited Palestinian state that would be demilitarised and not in control of its airspace or borders.

* Iran supreme leader orders probe of vote fraud In stunning turnaround, state television reports Khamenei ordering Guardian Council to examine Mousavi's allegations of vote rigging

* Israel and foes in internet war Israeli intelligence agencies have warned citizens of the risks in using social networking sites such as Facebook.

* Geert Wilders: EU is not Israel's friend Geert Wilders, head of the Dutch Freedom Party, said that the EU is "one-sided and always against Israel."

* Israel is losing the PR war so badly that even evangelical support is eroding The war that Israel keeps losing is the war of world opinion, the war for individual hearts and minds.

* EU leads international pressure on Iran over vote The European Union increased pressure on Iran on Monday to agree to opposition demands to investigate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's landslide election victory and halt a crackdown on protesters.

06/13/09

* Ahmadinejad re-election sparks Iran clashes Thousands of angry protesters have clashed with police after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran's presidential poll.

* Shalom, Ayalon warn of Iranian threat Vice Premier Silvan Shalom and Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Saturday stressed the danger posed by the Iranian nuclear threat.

* US: Syria has key Mideast peace role US President Barack Obama's special Mideast envoy said Saturday that Syria has a key role to play in forging peace.

* Hariri won't urge Hizbullah disarmament The pro-Western politician favored to become Lebanon's next prime minister is setting aside the explosive issue of disarming Hizbullah.

* Syria, Hamas welcome Ahmadinejad victory Syrian President Bashar Assad and the terrorist Hamas group expressed their satisfaction on Saturday with the reelection of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadineja.

* Socialists warn EU leaders to respect parliament on Barroso issue The European Socialists have warned EU leaders meeting next week in Brussels not to disrespect the European Parliament.

* EU arms embargo against China 'absurd', says ambassador China's ambassador to the European Union, Mr Song Zhe, told an audience in Brussels on Friday (12 June) that the EU arms embargo against the Asian giant was radically out of step.

* North Korea: We'll weaponize all of our plutonium North Korea said on Saturday it would start a uranium enrichment program and vowed to weaponize all of its plutonium in response to UN punishment for its nuclear test.

* 'Palestinian state as soon as possible' President Barack Obama's special Mideast envoy George Mitchell said Friday that Washington supports the creation of a Palestinian state "as soon as possible."

* Exiled group says race on in Iran to build bomb Iran will redouble efforts to build an atomic bomb following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in a presidential election.

06/12/09

* Huge turnout in Iran presidential poll There has been a huge turnout for Iran's closely-fought election as incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeks a second term in office.

* 'Mousavi win wouldn't stop nuke drive' As more than 46.2 million eligible Iranian voters choose their president in elections on Friday.

* Iranian missile threat on US by 2015 Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center says Islamic republic, with support from outside sources, within six years could produce ocean-leaping missile capable of hitting United States.

* US fears third nuclear test in North Korea The United States is braced for further "reckless" actions by North Korea, including a possible third nuclear bomb test.

* US Mideast envoy presses for Palestinian state President Barack Obama's special Mideast envoy said Friday that Washington supports the creation of a Palestinian state "as soon as possible."

* Bin Laden 'is still in Pakistan' Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is still hiding in Pakistan, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Leon Panetta has said.

* Palestinian FM: We'll have majority in 20 years The alternative to the two-state vision is a bi-national state, where Palestinians will be the majority, PA Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki said Thursday after meeting with European Union representatives.

* Poll: 56% of Israelis back settlement construction Nearly six of every 10 Israelis think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resist U.S. demands to completely freeze construction in Jewish West Bank settlements.

* Sarkozy and Merkel offer Barroso 'conditional' backing France and Germany are refusing to give EU commission president Jose Manuel Barroso full formal backing to become head of the institution for a second time at next week's summit.

* What about the Arabs' natural growth? It seems that never before has so much been written and said about the "natural growth" of so few.

06/11/09

* WHO declares swine flu pandemic The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global flu pandemic after holding an emergency meeting.

* Mitchell urges Arab 'steps' for peace US Mideast envoy George Mitchell on Thursday urged Arab states to take "meaningful steps and important actions" toward peace with Israel.

* Iran presidential campaign reaches finale Campaigning in Iran's presidential election has ended after three weeks of mass rallies and increasingly acrimonious political rhetoric.

* Hamas to Obama: Treat Us like Iran Hamas chief in Syria, Khaled Mashaal complained Thursday that the United States is discriminating against Hamas in comparison to Iran.

* Oil price leaps to year's high Predictions of $250 a barrel on fears for oil reserves, hopes of economic recovery and hedging against weak dollar.

* Benny Begin: Why Palestinian State is Unacceptable Cabinet Minister Benny Begin says the PA Arabs want a 2-state solution simply in order to end up with just one state – Palestine.

* US Holocaust museum guard killed An 88-year-old man reputed to be a violent racist has opened fire in front of crowds of people inside Washington DC's Holocaust museum, killing a guard.

* Carter: No Mideast peace without Hamas Former President Jimmy Carter Thursday reiterated that there can be no peace between Israel and the Palestinians without involving Hamas.

* Barroso urges EU states to appoint new commission president next week EU leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels next week must appoint a new head of the European Commission.

* The hierarchy of power in Iran Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Wields control over every major decision either directly or through a network of hand-picked loyalists and institutions.

06/10/09

* Hamas leader: Israeli settlement freeze essential The top leader of the terrorist Hamas group said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's pressure on Israel to freeze construction in West Bank settlements was an essential step toward restarting peace efforts.

* Iran row fires campaign's end Final campaigning for Iran's presidential poll has been overshadowed by a row over accusations made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Mitchell pushes for prompt peace talks US Mideast envoy George Mitchell said the United States seeks a "prompt resumption and early conclusion" of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* Turkey nervous after EU election results Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the EU to stick to its commitments on Ankara's EU accession.

* 'IDF must respond to Gaza aggression' With the US breathing heavily down Israel's neck to ease up on the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the security cabinet convened Wednesday and discussed ways to allow more goods and material into the area.

* Hummingbirds 'faster than jets' Male hummingbirds, swooping in an effort to impress females, achieve speeds "faster than fighter jets", according to a study.

* Barak: Next War will be Tougher than Cast Lead Future IDF operations "on a general scale" will not look like Operation Cast Lead and will be "wider and more intensive".

* Putin: Russia might abandon nukes if others do Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is willing to abandon nuclear weapons, if the United States and all other countries that have them do the same.

* Analysis: What is the US policy on Israeli settlements? In his June 4 Cairo speech, President Barack Obama continued to focus US policy on Israel's construction practices in the West Bank.

* N Korea draft resolution agreed Key Security Council members have agreed on the wording of a draft UN resolution to expand sanctions against North Korea.

06/09/09

* Mitchell: US and Israel 'remain close allies and friends' US envoy George Mitchell began a new swing through the Mideast on Tuesday by calling for a rapid resumption of peace talks.

* US urges quick return to Mid-East talks US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has urged a swift return to peace talks on his first day of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

* 'Far-right gains in Europe alarming' Jewish groups across Europe reacted to far-right gains in the European parliamentary elections by urging the EU on Tuesday to do more to tackle racism and intolerance.

* EU head Barroso seeks second term Jose Manuel Barroso has declared his candidacy for a second five-year term as the European Commission's president.

* FM: World opinion Israel's No. 1 problem World public opinion is Israel's number one foreign policy problem, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.

* EU should be talking to Hamas, says former EU adviser The EU's refusal to talk to Hamas is based on simplistic assumptions and is damaging the peace process.

* IDF developing battlefield robot snake A robot snake, capable of recording video and sound on the battlefield, is the latest addition to the IDF's technological achievements.

* Sarkozy vows to change Europe after EU elections success French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said his party's victory in Sunday's European elections showed that French people wanted the EU to change.

* Barak: IDF faces more difficult wars than last Gaza op Israel Defense Forces soldier will face harsher fighting conditions in future operations than they did during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

06/08/09

* Anti-Islam Parties Big Winners in European Union Anti-Islam parties scored big victories in European Union parliamentary voting that concluded Sunday.

* Washington Post to Obama: Back Down on Settlements President Obama’s demand that Israel stop all building for Jews in Judea and Samaria may leave him without Israel as an ally and without Arab support.

* Lebanon confirms Hariri election win Official results released a day after Lebanon's hotly-contested parliamentary election have confirmed the pro-Western coalition has held on to its majority.

* Israel cautiously hopeful on Lebanon Israelis welcomed the victory of a Western-backed coalition in Lebanon's elections, expressing hope that the political clout of the Hezbollah had been blunted.

* US envoy calls for immediate talks President Obama wants "immediate" talks between the Palestinians and Israel to forge a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement.

* Abu Marzouk: Obama must talk to Hamas An exiled Hamas leader urged President Obama to talk directly with the terrorist group, saying the drive for Mideast peace is impossible without them.

* Military spending sets new record Global military spending rose 4% in 2008 to a record $1,464bn (£914bn) - up 45% since 1999, according to the Stockholm-based peace institute Sipri.

* Saudi urges Obama to impose Mideast solution King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has urged President Obama to impose a solution on the festering Arab-Israeli conflict if necessary.

* EU Parliament horse-trading begins With barely a day up since the finish of the EU elections, the members of the newly elected parliament are taking stock and sounding out future political allegiances.

* Pakistani Tribesmen Rise Up Against Taliban There is a major change in the public mood against Taliban militants in Pakistan.