09/30/09

* Saudis: We did not agree to help Israel strike in Iran Saudi Arabia denied Wednesday morning a report in the British paper Sunday Express saying that Riyadh had agreed to allow Israeli Air Force jets to use its airspace in the event of an attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities.

* Deadly tsunami strikes in Pacific A tsunami triggered by a strong quake in the South Pacific has killed more than 100 people in several islands.

* US sees Iran talks as start of process The United States is looking for Iran to disclose details of its nuclear program, provide access to facilities and personnel and otherwise take concrete steps to show it is serious about complying with international demands.

* Chinese official: China, U.S. rift could deepen over struggle for Mideast influence China and the United States risk deepening rifts over influence and oil in the Middle East.

* Assad skillfully plays East against West In the decades following the Cold War, of which 1973's Yom Kippur War was a seminal moment, the Arab Middle East has coalesced into two opposing camps: the "radical" and the "pragmatic."

* Time to get tough on China, says EU parliament delegation chair The European Union must toughen its stance when negotiating with China on investment access.

* Iranian Nuclear Negotiator Heads to Talks with 'Good Will' Iran's chief nuclear negotiator says he is heading into this week's international talks on his country's nuclear program with "good will."

* 4,000 U.S. troops expected to leave Iraq in October The United States will withdraw another 4,000 troops in Iraq by the end of October, the U.S. military commander in Iraq said in prepared testimony for a congressional hearing Wednesday.

* Big quake strikes off Indonesia An earthquake of magnitude 7.9 has struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, destroying homes and bridges and starting fires.

* Christian Zionist 'Feast' to Draw Tens of Thousands to Jerusalem An annual Christian event during the week-long Sukkot holiday, which starts Friday night, is being promoted heavily as an international gathering bringing fervent supporters of Israel to Jerusalem.

09/29/09

* Syrian official invited for talks in Washington The upcoming visit by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad is the first in about five years and is part of US efforts to improve strained relations with Damascus.

* Iran says advanced missiles can target any threat Iran tested its longest-range missiles Monday and warned they can reach any place that threatens the country, including Israel, parts of Europe and U.S. military bases in the Mideast.

* No Detail Is Overlooked as China Prepares to Celebrate Domesticated pigeons of this city, take note: Until Oct. 1, you are prohibited by government edict from flying over the center of China's capital.

* Iran: Attacking us will expedite Israel's last breath Iran's defense minister warned Israel again on Monday against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic.

* Hamas accepts Egypt's plan for unity with Fatah Hamas said on Monday that it has accepted an Egyptian initiative for ending its power struggle with Fatah.

* The Islamic republic of Gaza Deriving accurate and reliable information from within the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip is not easy.

* Israel marks 36th anniversary of Yom Kippur War Israel marked on Tuesday the 36th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, one of the most costly and traumatic conflicts in the country's history.

* Netanyahu says UN speech was inspired by Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the last leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hassidic movement, was the inspiration for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech in the UN.

* Irish No will not stop Europe advancing, says France France has indicated that even if the Irish vote No in their referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on Friday, it will not hinder the European Union from taking steps towards further integration.

* US envoy in China for talks on N.Korea, Iran A top US envoy discussed the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues with Chinese officials.

09/28/09

* Iran tests longest range missiles Iran has successfully test-fired some of the longest range missiles in its arsenal, state media say.

* India raises nuclear stakes India can now build nuclear weapons with the same destructive power as those in the arsenals of the world’s major nuclear powers, according to New Delhi’s senior atomic officials.

* Intolerance on the Temple Mount Last week, our synagogue in Beit Shemesh made its annual High Holy Day week visit to the Temple Mount. We began the tradition six years ago when the site was reopened to non-Muslims.

* Anger at Jerusalem shrine clash Palestinian leaders have blamed Israel for raising tension in Jerusalem after a day of clashes at the city's most sensitive religious site.

* Merkel pledges speedy transition German Chancellor Angela Merkel has outlined plans to form a swift coalition with the Free Democrats (FDP) after a major win in Sunday's election.

* World Bank says don't take dollar's place for granted World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the United States should not take the dollar's status as the world's key reserve currency for granted because other options are emerging.

* Police, MDA on high alert for Yom Kippur Israel freezes its activities for 24 hours of fasting, prayers and bicycle rides as holy Jewish day commences.

* Syria's Deputy FM invited for talks in Washington A senior Syrian official has been invited to Washington for talks, a U.S. Embassy official said, in the latest signal of the Obama administration's efforts to improve relations with a country deemed a state sponsor of terrorism.

* New wave of MEPs more wary of Russia, EU parliament chief says Members of the European Parliament from central and eastern Europe have brought a different perspective on Russia and energy security to Brussels, the president of the EU legislature, Jerzy Buzek, said in an interview with this website.

* Pope says fall of communism proved man needs God Pope Benedict, ending a trip to this highly secular nation, said the fall of communists who tried to erase religion was proof that God cannot be excluded from public life.

09/26/09

* Obama offers Iran 'serious dialogue' US President Barack Obama on Saturday offered Iran "a serious, meaningful dialogue" over its disputed nuclear program, while warning Teheran of grave consequences from a united global front.

* Israel calls for action on Iran Israel says the disclosure that Iran is building a second nuclear enrichment facility proves it "wants to equip itself with nuclear weapons".

* G-20 Unites to Curb Bank Pay, Align Economic Policy Group of 20 leaders built on the common front they forged in fighting the financial crisis to chart a shared path toward a more stable banking system and a stronger global economy.

* 'Israel wouldn't dare attack Iran' Israel would not "dare attack Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a press conference Friday.

* 'New plant to be operational soon' An adviser to Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday that the uranium enrichment facility disclosed to the international community the previous day will begin to operate shortly.

* Abbas: Time is running out for peace Time is running out to make peace with Israel, Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

* Islamic threat hangs over Germany's national vote German political parties held their final campaign rallies before Sunday's national election.

* Arabs urge Obama to present peace outline The head of the Arab League and the Egyptian foreign minister on Friday urged President Barack Obama to present his own outline of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

* Obama Says Afghanistan, Pakistan Stability Key to His Goals President Barack Obama says stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan is "critical" to U.S. and allied goals in the region.

* Pope decries Czech communist-era persecution Pope Benedict XVI criticized the communist era's fierce religious persecution Saturday as he began a three-day pilgrimage to the Czech Republic.

09/25/09

* Iran 'has second enrichment site' Iran has revealed the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant, the UN nuclear watchdog has confirmed.

* PM rips UN for Ahmadinejad 'disgrace' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday took to task the countries of the world that had sat silently and listened the day before to Holocaust-denier Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Dollar under scrutiny at G20 summit The embattled US dollar is expected to come under scrutiny at a summit of developing and industrialized nations following China-led calls to review its role as a reserve currency.

* HSBC bids farewell to dollar supremacy The sun is setting on the US dollar as the ultra-loose monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve forces China and the vibrant economies of the emerging world to forge a new global currency order.

* Abbas: We can't return to negotiations The Palestinians cannot return to peace talks at this time because of "fundamental disagreements" with Israel on what should be on the agenda.

* Quartet keeps pressure for Mideast peace talks The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators renewed its call for Israel to freeze settlements in the territories on Thursday.

* English most studied language in EU schools English is the most studied language in schools in the European Union, but over 35 percent of adults only speak their mother tongue.

* Pope Benedict to Confront Secularism on His First Czech Visit Pope Benedict XVI will confront secularism when he visits the Czech Republic, a former communist nation with a centuries-long history of religious and ideological conflict .

* UN warns over East Africa hunger More than 20 million people in the Horn of Africa need food aid because of two years of poor rainfall.

* Militant says Pakistani Taliban stronger than ever Pakistan's Taliban movement is stronger than ever despite the killing of its top commander and will stage more suicide attacks if the army launches another offensive against it.

09/24/09

* 'Ahmadinejad is antithesis of moral' A day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's anti-Israeli speech at the UN General Assembly, President Shimon Peres said Thursday that the hard-line leader was the antithesis of moral.

* Obama's follow-up acts at U.N. include Gadhafi, Ahmadinejad He read from a small pale-blue copy of the United Nations charter, before tossing it aside and rifling through scrawled notes on yellow notepaper.

* Russia 'rethinks' Iran sanctions The Russian president has signalled that Moscow might be prepared to soften its opposition to further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear plans.

* China speaks out against Iran sanctions ahead of UNSC talks China believes sanctions on Iran "are not the way out," Bloomberg quoted a government spokeswoman as saying in Beijing on Thursday.

* Lesson in the Bible: MK Katz Chides Bibi for Term 'West Bank' National Union Knesset Member Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz chided Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Wednesday for using the term "West Bank" when referring to Judea and Samaria.

* Saudis open hi-tech science oasis A multi-billion dollar university has opened in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to enable the country to compete in science and technology internationally.

* Expert Predicts 'World Relief' If Israel Bombs Iran Nukes The head of Iran's nuclear agency, Ali Akbar Selahi, said Wednesday that Israel lacks the military capability to attack his country's nuclear installations.

* Sustained recovery hangs in the balance for G20 Leaders from the Group of 20 industrialised and developing nations are meeting in the US city of Pittsburgh.

* Obama to push nuclear disarmament US President Barack Obama is to call for an end to nuclear arms and efforts to stop the spread of the technology behind them, at an historic UN session.

* U.N. climate meeting was propaganda: Czech president Czech President Vaclav Klaus sharply criticized a U.N. meeting on climate change on Tuesday at which U.S. President Barack Obama was among the top speakers, describing it as propagandistic and undignified.

09/23/09

* 'It's time to move forward,' Obama demands Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emerged from his meeting with US President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday saying that the Palestinians had dropped their preconditions for negotiations.

* PM, Abbas draw contrasting conclusions Abbas himself announced that nothing less than an Israeli withdraw to the 1967 borders would enable resuming peace talks.

* U.S. to push for new economic world order at G20 The United States will urge world leaders this week to launch a new push in November to rebalance the world economy.

* Egypt: Probe Israeli nuke capabilities Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit sent a message to the UN Security Council last week, reiterating his support for non-proliferation and imploring the 15 member countries to investigate Israel's nuclear capabilities.

* Al-Qaida predicts Obama's fall by Muslim nation Al-Qaida on Tuesday released a new 106-minute long video predicting President Barack Obama's downfall at the hands of the Muslim world.

* Obama to give maiden UN address US President Barack Obama is due to deliver his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

* Holy Temple Mikveh Discovered Near Western Wall A 2,000-year-old mikveh (ritual bath) has been uncovered just 20 meters from the Western Wall.

* In U.S., Netanyahu refuses to rule out military strike on Iran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no clue in a series of U.S. television interviews on Tuesday whether Israel might opt to attack Iran.

* Terrorism and nukes top General Assembly agenda More than 120 world leaders meet Wednesday on the heels of a climate change summit to tackle other crucial issues on the international agenda.

* EU unveils new 'super-regulators' The European Union (EU) has unveiled plans for new "super-regulators" across the banking sectors in Europe.

09/22/09

* Obama to host Middle East summit US President Barack Obama is to host a summit of Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but Washington admits it has no "grand expectations" from the talks.

* 'Arabs offer flyover rights for freeze' A number of North African and Persian Gulf states have promised to give Israeli airliners flyover rights in the airspace over their countries.

* Peres hopes Obama-led summit will yield return to peace talks President Shimon Peres on Tuesday dismissed the "low expectations" attributed to the upcoming tripartite summit between Israel, the Palestinians, and the U.S.

* Big week for Obama at UN In his first foray into the annual meet-and-greet fest known as the UN General Assembly this week, US President Barack Obama will seek to make his impact on the major issues facing the world.

* Carter: Settlements hindering peace Israel must stop building settlements in the West Bank if peace is ever to be achieved in the Middle East.

* Iranian Plane Crashes as Ahmadinejad Threatens Israel and US An Iranian plane crashed during a military show in Tehran while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was delivering another threatening speech aimed at Israel and the United States.

* Peres: Netanyahu will repay Ahmadinejad President Shimon Peres told schoolchildren in the north that "the prime minister will be demonstratively absent from a meeting with one of the most evil and horrible people of modern history, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad".

* Swedish-Israeli relations continue to deteriorate Relations between Sweden, the EU presidency-in-office, and Israel have gone from bad to worse after Israel accused Sweden of breaking an EU ban on contact with Hamas.

* Czechs Set Hurdle for Europe Treaty With the Irish poised to vote next month on a landmark European Union treaty meant to improve the bloc's global standing, alarm is growing in Brussels.

* Why everyone is saying no to Obama Everybody is saying no to the American president these days. And it's not just that they're saying no, it's also the way they're saying no.

09/21/09

* Ayalon: Military option against Iran is still on the table Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon insisted Monday that the military option against Iran was still on the table.

* McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure' The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure."

* Brzezinski: US should down IAF jets Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski has urged US President Barack Obama to make it clear that if the IAF tries to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities via Iraqi airspace, the US Air Force will shoot down the Israeli jets.

* Obama Says Financial Regulations Must Be Strengthened Globally President Barack Obama said tougher financial regulations are needed worldwide to protect consumers, provide economic stability and prevent future crises.

* Kremlin says Israel promised not to strike Iran Israel promised Russia it would not launch an attack on Iran, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview aired on Sunday.

* Berlusconi advocates creation of ‘core Europe' if Ireland says No again Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has suggested that if the Irish people vote against the Lisbon Treaty a second time, a group of European Union member states should move to create a "core Europe".

* Ahmadinejad proud of Holocaust denial Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he was proud his denial of the Holocaust had enraged the West.

* Iraqi Shiite leader appeals for unity before vote The leader of Iraq's largest Shiite party sought Monday to shore up political support before January's elections.

* 'Poland missile array not yet nixed' Russia's top general said Monday that plans to deploy missiles in an enclave next to Poland have not been shelved.

* Netanyahu leaves for New York meeting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and President Barack Obama will meet this week after all.

09/19/09

* Abbas: Settlement construction main impediment to peace talks The peace process is currently stagnant because of Israel's unwillingness to halt all settlement construction in the West Bank.

* Anger at Iranian Holocaust denial The Iranian president's latest denial of the Nazi Holocaust has drawn strong condemnation from Western powers.

* 'New intel changed Europe missile plan' US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday that the new missile defense system planned for Europe has the flexibility to adapt to changes in Iranian missile capabilities.

* UN criticizes Israel's atomic program Overriding Western objections, a 150-nation nuclear conference on Friday passed a resolution directly criticizing Israel and its atomic program for the first time in 18 years.

* Russian president denies Putin has all the power Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says those who question whether he has power in his country are going by "stereotypes" and "stigmas."

* Nasrallah: We'll never recognize Israel The leader of Lebanon's Hizbullah vowed on Friday that his Shiite terror group will never recognize Israel and that no Arab state has the right to do so either.

* Parshat Rosh Hashana: Silence resounds This year, when the shofar will be sounded only on the second day of Rosh Hashana, a mystical silence prevails in the synagogue on the first day, Shabbat.

* Turkey weighs missile purchase options The Turkish military said Friday it is weighing bids from American, Russian and Chinese defense contractors as it seeks to buy at least $1 billion worth of long-range missile defense systems.

* Russia Scraps Missile Deployment after Obama Cancels Missile Shield Russia says it has scrapped plans to deploy missiles in a region near Poland after U.S. President Barack Obama canceled plans for a missile defense system in Central Europe.

* Lesser role spurs talk of faster exit from Iraq New rules placing tens of thousands of U.S. combat troops under virtual house arrest on their bases mean the American military increasingly finds itself a symbolic force in Iraq.

09/18/09

* Khatami reportedly stabbed at rally In an apparent sign of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his ruling party flexing their muscles ahead of next week's UN General Assembly, the hard-line leader again denied the Holocaust.

* Nuclear conference criticizes Israeli nukes Overriding Western objections, a 150-nation nuclear conference on Friday passed a resolution directly criticizing Israel and its atomic program for the first time in 18 years.

* 'No agreement' in Mid-East talks US envoy George Mitchell's latest round of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East has ended without agreement.

* EU calls for halt to settlement activity The European Union on Friday urged Israel "to immediately end all settlement activities, including in East Jerusalem."

* Poles, Czechs: US missile defense shift a betrayal Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern Friday at President Barack Obama's decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defense shield planned for their countries.

* Parshat Rosh Hashana: Silence resounds This year, when the shofar will be sounded only on the second day of Rosh Hashana, a mystical silence prevails in the synagogue on the first day, Shabbat.

* IAF chief: We must stop S-300 delivery Israel needs to make every effort to stop the S-300 missile defense system from reaching countries where the air force may need to fly.

* Rally 'attack' on Iran opposition Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has come under attack in Tehran during an annual rally in support of Palestinians.

* 'Missile plan cancellation may be good' There is no need to be alarmed by US President Barack Obama's decision to terminate the previous administration's plans to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.

* Sarkozy warns Czech president on EU treaty French President Nicolas Sarkozy has warned the Czech Republic that it will have to face "consequences" if it continues to delay final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

09/17/09

Obama shelves Europe missile plan US President Barack Obama has shelved plans for controversial bases in Poland and the Czech Republic in a major overhaul of missile defence in Europe.

* Syria insists Israel does not want peace Turkey encouraged Syria on Wednesday to think of ways to revive the stalled peace talks with Israel.

* Analysis: Demise of U.S. shield may embolden Russia hawks Washington hopes that by backing away from an anti-missile system in east Europe, it will get Russian cooperation on everything.

* What happened to the US deadline on Iran? Earlier this month, it became clear that Iran was defying the US and its Western allies.

* China could undermine US military power in Pacific: Gates China's increasingly advanced weaponry could undermine US military power in the Pacific.

* 'The steps are not silent anymore' A street recently uncovered in the capital's City of David was, metaphorically, "the last seam of independent Jews in Jerusalem."

* 'Old friends' Cuba, China strengthen ties Why is the world's third-largest economy spending hundreds of millions of dollars in Cuba?

* China says will push space programme to catch up West China said Thursday its rapidly growing space programme was the crowning achievement of the nation's high-tech transformation.

* Venezuela says signs new $16 billion China oil deal President Hugo Chavez said on Wednesday Venezuela signed a $16 billion investment deal with China over three years to raise oil output by several hundred thousand barrels per day in the OPEC member's Orinoco belt.

* Russia's response to US missile defense shield shift President Barack Obama’s decision to shelve plans for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe could be seen as a major concession to Moscow.

09/16/09

* 'We may have to attack Iran by Dec.' Israel will be compelled to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if Western powers do not impose serious sanctions against Teheran by the end of 2009, former deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh said on Wednesday.

* Mitchell-PM meeting: Still no settlements deal Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US special Mideast envoy George Mitchell failed to reach an agreement on the West Bank settlement issue after meeting in Jerusalem on Wednesday for the second time in two days.

* CBS: Israel's population numbers 7,465,500 Israel's population numbers 7,465,500 - some 5,634,300 Jews, 1,513,200 Arabs and 318,000 others - according to the annual pre-Rosh Hashana report released by the Central Bureau of Statistics Wednesday.

* Euro MPs give Barroso new mandate The powerful European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, has won a second term of office after a majority of Euro MPs voted for him.

* Crisis makes Europe richest reagion in the world, study says Europe has emerged as the richest region in the world, pushing North America, where wealth has declined by more than 20 percent due to the economic crisis, off the top spot, a study has shown.

* Syrian president to visit Turkey for Mideast talks A Syrian official says President Bashar Assad will visit Turkey on Wednesday for talks that will touch on the stalled peace process between Syria and Israel.

* Carter says Obama row is 'racist' Former US President Jimmy Carter says much of the vitriol against President Barack Obama's health reforms and spending plans is "based on racism".

* Israel's Future is Young: Jewish Birthrate Up, Muslim Rate Down The State of Israel faces a promising Jewish future, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBC).

* Pole attempts to breathe new life into EU legislature The new president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, has given himself the task of making his institution more internet friendly and livening up debates in the notoriously dull EU legislature.

09/15/09

* Clash Over 'Islamization' at DC Muslim Prayer Rally A new organization dedicated to fighting what it sees as an encroaching Islamic takeover of the U.S. is set to launch later this month with a gathering in Washington, D.C.

* Mitchell makes last push on settlements Washington's special Mideast envoy launched a last-ditch push Tuesday to wring an Israeli promise to curtail settlement construction and persuade the Palestinians to attend a high-profile US meeting meant as a prelude to peacemaking.

* Anniversary of Creation Heralds Countdown to New Year Jews gathered at the Western Wall in the wee hours of Monday morning, and more flocked to the mystical Galilee village of Meron later in the day.

* EU countries practice 'secret' diplomacy, Hamas says High-ranking officials from European countries hold talks with Hamas on a weekly basis despite an EU ban on diplomatic contact.

* EU: Iran meeting likely in Turkey Talks on Iran's nuclear program will likely be held in Turkey and full US participation may lead to progress in the negotiations.

* 'We are carefully monitoring s. Lebanon' Despite the Katyusha attacks on Israel over the weekend from southern Lebanon and evidence of ongoing Hizbullah efforts to rearm in possible preparation for a future confrontation with Israel.

* US warns against forgetting Iraq The senior American commander in Iraq has told the BBC that he is concerned that the country will be forgotten, amid the current focus on Afghanistan.

* Fight Nights and Reggae Pack Brazilian Churches A growing evangelical movement in Brazil is attracting young people by adopting their culture.

* US worried about Venezuelan arms buildup A U.S. official said Monday that Venezuelan arms acquisitions could spark an arms race in Latin America and he also expressed misgivings about the country's possible nuclear ambitions.

* Stop Ahmadinejad Movement Hits New York The World Jewish Congress and other activists are planning a mass demonstration in New York.

09/14/09

* EU, Iran to hold nuke talks on Oct. 1 Iran will meet with world powers next month for the first time in more than a year in an attempt to reduce tensions over its refusal to curb nuclear activities, while Teheran warned Israel and the US on Monday against a military strike.

* Netanyahu Rejects Full Settlement Halt Ahead of Mitchell Talks Israel will not impose a total freeze on West Bank settlement construction and will move ahead with projects already approved, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ahead of talks with U.S. envoy George Mitchell.

* Bin Laden calls Obama 'powerless' in Afghan war Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden described President Barack Obama as "powerless" to stop the war in Afghanistan and threatened to step up guerrilla warfare there in a new audiotape released to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

* Terror group builds big base under Pakistani officials' noses A Pakistani terrorist group that's allied with al Qaida and sends jihadists to Afghanistan to fight U.S. and government troops is building a huge new base in full view of the authorities in Pakistan's most heavily populated province, locals and officials told McClatchy.

* Forget normalization - Saudi Arabia steps up boycott of Israel Despite efforts by Washington in recent years to bring about a normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world, Saudi Arabia has been steadily intensifying its enforcement of the Arab League boycott of Israel.

* Saddam's legacy thrives in the Arab world Saddam Hussein killed more Arabs and Muslims than any other Middle Eastern leader in recent history.

* Venezuela's Chavez touts $2.2 million arms deal with Russia The announcement comes amid growing tensions between the leftist leader and the conservative government of Colombia, which recently agreed to host US military personnel on its bases.

* Obama to urge financial overhaul US President Barack Obama is poised to call on Congress to approve an overhaul of the US regulatory regime.

* Urgency in US Middle East talks The US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Washington shared in a "sense of urgency" following talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

* China-U.S. Trade Dispute Has Broad Implications An increasingly acrimonious trade dispute between China and the United States over the past three days is officially about tires, chickens and cars, but is really much broader.

09/12/09

Meridor confirms PM visited Russia Intelligence Affairs Minister Dan Meridor on Saturday confirmed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu secretly visited Russia on Monday.

* US ready for N Korea direct talks The US says it would hold direct talks with North Korea to persuade it to return to stalled multilateral talks on ending its nuclear program.

* Iran's defense minister: Nuclear weapons are against our religion New Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi denied on Saturday that the Islamic Republic was striving to acquire nuclear weapons.

* Egypt, Jordan Join Arab League in Resisting Normalization Recently, the Arab League declared that Arab countries would not normalize ties with Israel until Israel gives in to Arab demands.

* Six powers accept Iranian offer to talk The United States and five partner countries have accepted Iran's new offer to hold talks.

* 'Silwan archaeological tunnel extended' The extension of an archaeological tunnel under the City of David has caused upset among Palestinians.

* Putin hints at presidential bid Russian PM Vladimir Putin has given the clearest indication yet that he might run again for the Russian presidency.

* Jordan signs deal for 1st nuclear power plant Jordan signed a $12 million deal Saturday with a Belgian company as it pushes forward with a plan to build the first nuclear power plant for the oil-barren dessert kingdom.

* Deputy PM: Time is now for action on Iran nukes Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said "the time is now" for Israel and the world to act to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions.

* Putin Signals He Is Considering Return to Russia's Presidency Vladimir Putin, Russia's current premier and former president, gave the clearest signal to date that he is considering a return to his old job.

09/11/09

* Obama in tribute to 9/11 victims US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to the victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks.

* Rockets hit Israel from Lebanon Two rockets have been fired into northern Israel from Lebanon.

* Schulte: Syria may have more nuke sites Syria may be operating more nuclear sites, apart from the reactor at Deir Azour which was bombed by Israel on September 6, 2007.

* Iran leader vows 'harsh response' Iran's supreme leader has vowed to confront those who threaten national security, amid continuing disputes over the presidential election.

* Global Jihad group likely behind Katyusha attack on North A small-scale Global Jihad terror group was likely behind the firing of at least two Katyusha rockets into northern Israel on Friday afternoon.

* Putin: We have no reason to doubt Iran Vladmir Putin on warned against the use of force or new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

* Clinton stresses key China goals China and the US will open a dialogue on counter-terrorism issues this year.

* Gold Climbs to 18-Month High as Dollar Weakens; Silver Gains Gold surged to the highest price since March 2008, heading for a fourth-straight weekly gain.

* Venezuela's Chavez draws closer to Moscow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cemented a closer alliance with Russia on Thursday.

* EU puts Middle East policies on hold until US talks The EU is waiting until the US, Israel and the Palestinian authorities hold talks at the end of this month before moving ahead with two of its most sensitive Middle East policies.

09/10/09

* Kremlin official confirms PM's trip A senior Kremlin official confirmed Wednesday to the Russian paper Kommersant that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu did indeed make a clandestine trip to Russia on Monday.

* Gas Bonanza Investors Ready to Dive in Dead Sea for Black Gold An oil drilling consortium which includes companies that found billions of dollars in natural gas off the Haifa coast will begin in October to look for black gold in an area along the Dead Sea.

* Lebanese PM-designate resigns after failing to form cabinet Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said Thursday he is abandoning efforts to form a new government.

* Iran: We won't discuss nuclear program Just a day after Iran presented world powers with a proposal for new talks, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, suggested on Thursday that any negotiations with Western powers would not address the Islamic republic's nuclear program.

* U.S. Says Iran Could Expedite Nuclear Bomb American intelligence agencies have concluded in recent months that Iran has created enough nuclear fuel to make a rapid, if risky, sprint for a nuclear weapon.

* 80% of Europeans against Iran strike European support for the US president's handling of foreign policy has soared since President Barack Obama took over from former President George W. Bush.

* Ya'alon: Right to build 'indisputable' Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon continued to place himself at odds with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday when he spoke in favor of settlement development and against territorial concessions.

* Afghan fraud ballots invalidated The Afghan Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) has for the first time invalidated some ballots from the presidential election because of fraud.

* Barroso Nears Second EU Term as Socialists Fail to Block Vote European Commission President Jose Barroso headed for a second term after his Socialist opponents failed to block a parliamentary confidence vote next week.

* Russia, Venezuela sign package of oil deals Russia and Venezuela signed on Thursday a package of deals, including one to develop the Latin American country's Orinoco oil belt.

09/09/09

* US Admits Iran near 'Breakout Point' for Nuclear Bomb The United States has confirmed long-time Israeli intelligence reports that Iran is close to achieving the ability to produce a nuclear bomb.

* PM's 'military installation' tour was 'secret trip to Russia' The reason for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's mysterious 10-hour disappearance from the media radar on Monday was a clandestine trip to Russia.

* PA Calls Building for Jews 'Incitement' The Palestinian Authority official who oversees the "settlement portfolio" has charged that Israeli building of homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria is "incitement".

* Hamas, Fatah set to reconcile by 2010 Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal's recent visit to Egypt has brought the Islamist movement and Fatah closer to ending their differences.

* Transport Minister promises to invest millions in Jewish Hebron Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) on Tuesday visited the West Bank city of Hebron, where he promised settlers he would invest millions of shekels to improve the road connecting Kiryat Arba to the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

* EU Criticizes Israeli Settlements The European Union has expressed concern about Israel's decision to approve new settler homes in the occupied West Bank.

* The Emerging Axis of Iran and Venezuela The diplomatic ties between Iran and Venezuela go back almost 50 years and until recently amounted to little more than the routine exchange of diplomats.

* Market crisis 'will happen again' The world will suffer another financial crisis.

* Underwater laser pops in navy ops US military researchers are developing a method for communication that uses lasers to make sound underwater.

* Top defense official: Syria losing clout over 'Hezbollahstan' Syria may not be able to curb Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, a senior Israeli defense official said on Tuesday.