10/31/09

* At Abu Dhabi, PA resists US pressure to renew peace talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday announced that negotiations with Israel will not be renewed unless Jerusalem completely halts construction in the settlements, including in east Jerusalem.

* Halloween is the devils work, Catholic church warns parents When Victoria Romero, 6, dressed up as a witch for a Halloween party this week she could hardly have imagined that she was provoking the wrath of God.

* Gaza: Thousands rally for Islamic Jihad Tens of thousands of Islamic Jihad loyalists held a rally in Gaza on Friday to commemorate the group's slain founder.

* US in new push for Mid-East peace US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of a new drive to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* 'No signs Israel planning immediate war' Despite recent accusations to the contrary, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said in an article published on Saturday that Israel is not preparing to launch another war against Lebanon in the near future.

* Abdullah to make run-off decision President Hamid Karzai's rival in the second round of the Afghan presidential poll says he will announce on Sunday whether he intends to quit the race.

* Iranian Lawmakers Give Thumbs Down to Nuclear Deal Iran's top lawmakers and its president have expressed disapproval of the United Nations-backed draft nuclear deal with the West.

* Blow to Blair's hope of EU post Tony Blair's hopes of becoming president of the European Council are fading after his supporters failed to secure the backing of EU leaders.

* China, eager for oil, expands investment in Nigeria and Guinea The global economic crisis may have forced other nations to put their African investments on hold, but not China.

* Barak: Impasse in peace talks only helps Hamas Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned on Saturday that the impasse in peace negotiations only benefited the militant Palestinian organization Hamas.

10/30/09

* EU treaty closer to ratification after Czech deal agreed The EU came a step closer to full ratification of the Lisbon Treaty after it managed to agree to a sensitive demand by the Czech Republic on the new institutional rules without upsetting other member states.

* Netanyahu to Mitchell: UN Iran initiative 'a positive first step' In yet another push for Middle East peace, US Mideast envoy George Mitchell met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem early Friday afternoon.

* EU summit sees fresh discussion on top appointments France, Germany, Spain and Austria stuck daggers into the Blair EU presidency bid in and around a summit in Brussels.

* EU: Iran must stick by uranium offer European leaders pressed Iran Friday to stick by a deal that would limit its uranium enrichment.

* Post-war events intrude upon EU summit Europe's bloody past hung over EU leaders as they gathered in Brussels to finally try and bring a conclusion to the Lisbon Treaty soap opera.

* Analysis: New fundamentalist movements on the rise in Gaza One of the most notable political processes currently taking place in Hamas-ruled Gaza is the growing prominence of "Salafi jihad" organizations.

* Internet addresses set for change The internet regulator has approved plans to allow non-Latin-script web addresses, in a move that is set to transform the online world.

* 14 years on: Israel remembers Rabin As the Knesset met in a special Thursday session to remember the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, the nation's political leadership searched for lessons learned in the ensuing 14 years regarding the nature of Israeli society.

* US admiral concerned about China military buildup A U.S. Navy admiral expressed new concern Friday over China's military buildup and urged Beijing to be clearer about its intentions.

* Arab World: Who will be the next leader of Egypt? A new name has been added to the list of contenders for the presidency in Egypt.

10/29/09

* Kurds snub parliament vote on Iraqi election law Kurdish lawmakers pushing for control of a northern oil-rich city boycotted a parliament session on Thursday.

* 'J'lem to be majority Arab in 20 years' A new report presented to Israeli parliamentarians has found that despite decades of government attempts to ensure a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, Palestinians will make up the majority of the city's population within 20 years.

* UN 'hopeful' after Iran response The UN's nuclear watchdog says it is hopeful an agreement with Iran can be reached after Tehran's response to a new offer on uranium refinement.

* Saudis and Iran in pre-Hajj tensions Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a veiled threat to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

* Pakistan army targets Uzbek base Pakistani troops fighting the Taliban in South Waziristan have surrounded a key stronghold of Uzbek fighters.

* Jerusalem Official: PA has De Facto Control Parts of Capital Israeli control over eastern Jerusalem is a "fiction” while the Palestinian Authority has a presence in many areas.

* Israel marks 14 years since Rabin assassination Israel commemorated on Thursday 14 years since the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin with an official state memorial service at the national cemetery of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

* New Turkish Envoy: Israel Must Understand Ankara's Mideast Role Turkey's new ambassador to Israel has appealed for Jerusalem's "understanding" in his first statement to the media since taking the position earlier in the week.

* EU leaders head for difficult summit on climate and institutions EU leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday (29 October) for a two-day summit to try and shape a common position on climate issues.

* EU leaders to debate Blair presidency on summit sidelines European government chiefs gather in Brussels this evening for a summit likely to be the first occasion to broach the divisive subject of Tony Blair's candidacy to be Europe's first president.

10/28/09

* Iraq goes nuclear with plans for new reactor program Iraq has started lobbying for approval to again become a nuclear player, almost 19 years after British and American war planes destroyed Saddam Hussein's last two reactors.

* Labor Blocks Bill Defining Jerusalem 'Capital of Jewish People' The Labor party, using its power as a government coalition partner, blocked an attempt by Jewish Home Knesset Member Zevulun Orlev to bring to first reading a bill aimed at strengthening the status of Jerusalem.

* Czech decision on Lisbon treaty only after EU summit The Czech constitutional court has indicated it will rule on whether the Lisbon Treaty is compatible with Czech national law next week.

* Sheikh to Jews: Keep Jewish Law on Temple Mount Sheikh Kamal Riyan called on Jews to “observe Jewish Law” and not visit the Temple Mount.

* The 'Third Templars' It's a dilemma for mainstream Israelis: How to resist capitulating to Arab violence on the Temple Mount - driven by irrational fears of Zionist plots against it.

* Blair EU candidacy on menu of Merkel-Sarkozy dinner A working dinner in Paris between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday (28 October) night is likely to include the issue of the next EU president.

* Carnage as car bomb hits Peshawar At least 91 people have been killed after a huge car bomb ripped through a busy market in Peshawar, Pakistan.

* Juncker declares interest in EU president job Luxembourg leader Jean-Claude Juncker has said he would be willing to be the first president of the European Council.

* Hamas warns Gazans against elections The internal Palestinian strife continues to deepen, and Hamas is taking a firm stand against President Mahmoud Abbas' call for general elections in January.

* Iran nuclear sanctions 'unlikely' Further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear plans are unlikely.

10/27/09

* Ahmadinejad: 'The Zionist regime is a threat to all nations' "The Zionist regime is a threat to all nations ... it cannot tolerate the existence of any strong country in the region."

* Obama: Israel-Jordan treaty shows peace always possible US President Barack Obama said a peace treaty signed 15 years ago between Jordan and Israel is a reminder that peace is always possible.

* Abbas Threatens to Quit, Obama Steps In Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has sent multiple messages to United States President Barack Obama threatening to quit.

* Czech court hears EU treaty case The Czech Constitutional Court is hearing what could be the last legal challenge to the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

* Israel, Egypt in conflict over FM's attendance in Euro-Med conference Israel and Egypt are in conflict over Cairo's objection to the participation of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in a European-Mediterranean conference.

* Ed. Min. Agrees: Temple Mount in School Trips A top official in the Education Ministry on a tour of the City of David in Jerusalem said his office would approve and even pay for school trips to the Temple Mount if there is a demand for such.

* New pro-Russia campaign comes to EU capital Russian news agency Ria Novosti is rolling out a new public relations campaign in the political capital of the European Union.

* Al-Qaida linked group claims Baghdad attacks An al-Qaida linked group claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombings in the heart of Baghdad that killed at least 155 people.

* Rabbi Cherlow: 'Human Rights' Includes Jews Worshipping on Mount Jews have a right to worship freely on the Temple Mount, says Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the Yeshivat Hesder in Petach Tikvah.

* UN signals delay in climate change treaty Just weeks before an international conference on climate change, the United Nations signaled it was scaling back expectations of reaching agreement on a new treaty to slow global warming.

10/26/09

* Iran FM plays down threat of pre-emptive IDF strike Iran's foreign minister on Monday played down the possibility of Israel launching a strike against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, after his French counterpart warned of such an attack if talks between Iran and world powers failed.

* Prof. Weiss at rightist event: Build third temple immediately ‪‪In wake of Muslim riots at Temple Mount, leading rabbis, rightists call on Israel not to capitulate to Palestinian violence.

* Jordan - Israeli provocations at Temple Mount threaten peace ‪‪After riots subside, Jordanian Communications Minister Sharif calls on Israel to prevent entrance of security forces, Jewish extremists to east Jerusalem compound.

* ‪‪Gaddafi: Palestinians should have nukes ‪‪Libyan leader says Arab nations and 'even the Palestinians' should be allowed nuclear weapons as long as Israel's nuclear ambitions are tolerated.

* Hamas: War will settle Jerusalem dispute, not talks Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal declared that "Jerusalem's fate will be decided with jihad (holy war) and resistance, and not negotiations."

* Asian nations jostle for power in EU-style bloc Asia's moves toward an EU-style community covering half the world's population have sparked a backroom power play led by the United States, China and Japan.

* West treating Iran "unfairly" on nuclear issue - Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has accused the West of treating Iran unfairly over its nuclear programme, in comments that come as world powers await Tehran's response to a UN-drafted plan.

* Iran: Zionist entity won't attack us "The Zionist regime doesn't dare to attack Iran because it is currently in its weakest position," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

* Darwin teaching divides opinion More than half of adults in a survey of 10 countries thought school science lessons should teach evolutionary theories alongside creationism.

* Bombings in Iraq, Deadliest Since 2007, Raise Security Issue Two synchronized suicide car bombings struck at the heart of the Iraqi government here on Sunday, severely damaging the Justice Ministry and provincial council complexes.

10/24/09

* Larijani: West is trying to 'cheat' Iran Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Saturday called the UN-drafted deal to ship much of Teheran's uranium to Russia and France for further enrichment an attempt by the West to "cheat" the Islamic republic.

* Asian leaders eye EU-style bloc Asian leaders meeting in Thailand are discussing plans to "lead the world" by forming an EU-style community by 2015.

* 'US-Israel drill unrelated to current events' A major US-Israeli missile-defense exercise begun this week was planned several months ago and bears no relations to current events, US and Israeli military officials said.

* Police up alert in Temple Mount The Jerusalem Police will bolster deployment throughout the Old City, east Jerusalem and Temple Mount compound Sunday.

* Engineer: Dig improving Temple Mount stability Despite recent accusations to the contrary, the chief site engineer for the Western Wall tunnels declared on Thursday that Israeli archeological excavations were not being done under the Temple Mount.

* NATO Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort Defense ministers from NATO on Friday endorsed the ambitious counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan proposed by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.

* Abbas calls January 24 elections Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday issued a decree calling for presidential and parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on January 24.

* Netanyahu hopes for Obama meet in November Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington next month for a conference of Jewish organizations and hopes to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama.

* Afghan Campaign for Presidential Runoff Starts Under Taliban Threats Taliban insurgents are threatening to target Afghans who vote in the country's November 7 presidential runoff.

* Anglicans ponder Rome invitation About 600 Church of England priests are meeting later to discuss the Pope's offer for them to join their own section of the Roman Catholic Church.

10/23/09

* Iran's nuclear answer 'next week' Iran will respond to a proposed deal on its controversial nuclear program by the middle of next week, the UN atomic agency (IAEA) has said

* Assad: Israel must choose between occupation, peace "Israel must choose between occupation and peace," Syrian President Bashar Assad said Thursday, adding that the two concepts "do not go hand in hand".

* EU states envisage new foreign policy giant The EU's new foreign minister will have sweeping powers to conduct foreign policy, propose his own budget and name his own staff independently of other EU institutions.

* NATO Defense Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort NATO defense ministers gave their broad endorsement Friday to the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan.

* After Lebanon war devastation, Hezbollah suburb now booming Dahiyah - meaning the suburb in Arabic - is the Hezbollah stronghold that was heavily targeted by Israel during its war with the militant Shiite group during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

* Israel Plans Major Excavation at Western Wall Israel is planning a major archaeological dig under the Western Wall (Kotel) plaza, opposite the Temple Mount.

* Christian donor to out haredi recipients Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, chairman of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said Thursday that his organization was compiling a list for publication of haredi institutions that receive its donations.

* Star Fades for Blair in EU Role The odds against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair becoming the first president of the European Union appear to have lengthened.

* Klaus strikes positive note on EU treaty deal Czech President Vaclav Klaus has backed away from a major dispute with other EU leaders by indicating that he is satisfied with a proposal to modify the Lisbon Treaty following a last minute demand he made last week.

* U.S. envoy: Efforts to revive Mideast talks haven't failed The United States' special Mideast envoy George Mitchell said Thursday that it was too soon to brand his efforts to resume peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders a failure.

10/22/09

* Officials fear Iran 'buying time' as inner cabinet mulls strategy Israeli assessments regarding a nuclear deal under negotiation with Iran is that it benefits mainly the Islamic regime as it allows Teheran to "buy time" and gives the republic legitimacy to enrich uranium.

* Israel 'met Iran' at atomic talks Senior Israeli and Iranian officials have met face-to-face and discussed the threat of nuclear arms.

* UN chief calls on Hizbullah to disarm UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the presence of armed Hizbullah and Palestinian terrorists in Lebanon is contributing to tensions and insecurity.

* US, Israel launch joint military exercise The Israel Defense Forces and the US Military began a joint three-week exercise Thursday.

* UN: Afghan drug flow wreaks global havoc The smuggling of Afghan opiates is fueling addiction and drug use along trafficking routes from Iran to Central Asia.

* Jordan becoming uranium mining hot spot After nine months of excavations, a joint French-Jordanian mining company has found rich uranium deposits near the surface.

* Ethiopia asks for urgent food aid The Ethiopian government has asked the international community for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people.

* Experts Worry as Population and Hunger Grow Scientists and development experts across the globe are racing to increase food production by 50 percent over the next two decades.

* China economic growth accelerates China has said it is on track to hit its growth target of 8% this year, after the economy grew 8.9% from a year ago in the third quarter.

* Egypt pushing Hamas to sign truce deal Egypt continues to push forward with last ditch efforts to convince Hamas to sign the reconciliation agreement with rival Palestinian faction Fatah.

10/21/09

* Iran nuclear fuel deal 'agreed' Iran and three world powers have been handed a draft agreement aimed at reducing international concerns over Tehran's nuclear program.

* Solana: Palestinian state in 1967 borders EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana said the European Union's goal is to establish a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders.

* Swedish EU presidency still hopes for fruitful summit The Swedish EU presidency is still hoping to fix the line-up of the new college of commissioners and the shape of the bloc's future diplomatic service at next week's summit.

* Israel joins US for defence drill Israel and the US are due to begin a two-week military defence exercise, thought to be the largest of its kind in Israel's history.

* Vatican in Bold Bid to Attract Anglicans The Vatican said it will make it far easier for disgruntled Anglicans to convert to Catholicism.

* US's Gates says North Korea's military "more lethal" U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday North Korea had become a more deadly threat to the region and Washington would never tolerate a nuclear-armed Pyongyang.

* 'Human Rights Watch' Founder Denounces His Group as Anti-Israel Israel received support from a most unlikely source Tuesday, with a harsh condemnation of the Human Rights Watch group by its own founder, Robert Bernstein.

* Future EU foreign policy dependent on personal chemistry The future of EU foreign policy under the new Lisbon Treaty will depend on the personal chemistry between its main players.

* Abbas to set January 24 as election date Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that he will set January 24 as the date for presidential and legislative elections.

* Attack shuts all Pakistan schools All schools and universities have been closed across Pakistan a day after suicide bombers attacked an Islamic university in the capital, Islamabad.

10/20/09

* 'If Israel strikes Iran, U.S. will likely join' The United States would find it difficult not to join an Israeli air strike in the event that Jerusalem decides to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.

* Hamas refuses to disarm as part of truce Hamas' discontent with an Egyptian-brokered deal with its rival, Fatah, rose to new heights Tuesday.

* Painful Mideast Truth: Force Trumps Diplomacy As the Obama administration tries to broker a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is a dark truth lurking: force has produced clearer results in this dispute than talk.

* Afghan election goes to run-off Afghanistan will hold a deciding round of its problem-plagued presidential election on 7 November.

* Arab League chief eyes Egyptian presidency The head of the Arab League indicated in an interview published Tuesday that he may consider running for Egypt's presidency in elections scheduled for 2011.

* Pope Approves Plan to Bring Anglicans Into the Fold The Vatican has made it easier for Anglicans to join the Catholic Church, responding to the disillusionment of some Anglicans over the election of openly gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions.

* 'Water reserves may be drained by 2010' If this winter is as lacking in rainfall as the last one, then by next summer Israel will have to take drastic steps such as importing water.

* U.S. Seeks to Keep Watching Russia’s Weapons With a key arms control treaty set to expire soon, the Obama administration is searching for ways to keep inspectors in Russia.

* Encouraging Jewish Ties to Temple Mount A large-scale gathering will take place in central Jerusalem next week featuring rabbis and public figures calling on the Jewish public to visit the Temple Mount "in purity.".

* Iran: We won't stop uranium enrichment Teheran reiterated that it would never abandon its "legal and obvious" right to nuclear technology nor will it stop uranium enrichment.

10/19/09

* Ahead of nuclear talks, Iran signals it may not strike deal Iran signaled ahead of international talks Monday that it will not meet Western demands for a deal that would move most of its enriched uranium out of the country and delay its gaining the ability to make a nuclear bomb.

* Iran accuses Pakistan over attack Iran's president has accused Pakistani agents of involvement in a suicide bombing in south-east of the country targeting a group of the elite Revolutionary Guards force.

* Russia’s Leaders See China as Template for Ruling Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Communist Party, Russia’s rulers have hit upon a model for future success: the Communist Party.

* Iraq cabinet ratifies oil deals Iraq's cabinet has ratified a deal with two foreign energy companies to develop the giant southern oilfield in Rumaila.

* Karzai stripped of outright win A panel probing fraud claims in the Afghan election has found Hamid Karzai did not gain enough valid votes for an outright win, the BBC understands.

* Abdullah: US focusing too much on Iran Jordan's king that the US administration seems to be focusing more of its attention on Iran and less on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying time was running out to make peace.

* Resumption of peace talks very close Israel is "very close" to making a deal to restart negotiations with the Palestinians, Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor said.

* Record Number of Visitors to Western Wall A record number of people - 1.5 million visitors - came to the Western Wall during the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

* Europe unwilling to condemn Israel for war crimes at UN European countries on the council opposed the resolution or abstained from the vote after heavy diplomatic pressure from Tel Aviv.

* Hamas TV program: English is enemy's language The Hamas children's television program, Tomorrow's Pioneers, last week included a part in which children were told it is important to know English, because it is "the language of their enemy."

10/17/09

* Pakistan begins Taliban assault Fierce fighting has broken out as Pakistan's army launched an air and ground offensive against Taliban militants in the South Waziristan area.

* Netanyahu: Prepare for long struggle against Goldstone Gaza report Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Friday that Israel must prepare for a protracted struggle against a damning United Nations report on its winter offensive in Gaza.

* Jordan's king warns Israel on Jerusalem 'red line' Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Israel of "disastrous repercussions" if it crosses a "red line" on Jerusalem.

* Afghanistan awaits vote results The result of the presidential election in Afghanistan is due to be announced this weekend - two months after the poll marred by fraud allegations.

* Strained Israel-Turkey ties concern US American diplomats asked Turkish Foreign Ministry officials on Friday to work towards easing tensions with Israel.

* UN backs Gaza 'war crimes' report The UN Human Rights Council has backed a report into the Israeli offensive in Gaza that accuses both Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes.

* Abbas says will announce election date on October 25 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that he will announce the date for the next general elections in the Palestinian Authority on October 25.

* UK, France to PM: Israel has right to self-defense British Premier Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overnight.

* Egypt: Fatah-Hamas deal deferred due to 'inappropriate conditions' Egypt announced on Saturday the latest postponement of a reconciliation agreement between rival Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah was due to "inappropriate conditions."

* Czech president says Lisbon too far gone to block The European Union's Lisbon reform treaty has progressed too far to stop.

10/16/09

* US rethinks intelligence report on Iran nuclear program US spy agencies are considering whether to rewrite a controversial 2007 intelligence report that asserted Tehran halted its efforts to build nuclear weapons in 2003.

* Deadly bomb shakes Pakistani city Twelve people have died and 15 have been injured in a bombing in Peshawar in north-western Pakistan, police say.

* China strongly opposes Iranian nukes China is firmly opposed to an Iranian nuclear arms program, Beijing's ambassador to Israel, Zhao Jun said.

* UNHRC endorses Goldstone's report Despite Israeli lobbying efforts against the Goldstone report, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva endorsed the document on Friday.

* One million refugees headed for Israel IDF units responsible for guarding Israel's expansive western border with Egypt said Thursday that there are one million would-be infiltrators from Africa waiting to cross the mostly barrier-less border and enter Israel illegally.

* Israel: Endorsement of Goldstone Report promotes terror State officials respond to UN Human Rights Council's decision to adopt report saying IDF committed war crimes in Gaza.

* Despite promises to Obama, construction continues in dozens of W. Bank settlements Human rights activists monitoring the West Bank report that despite commitments Israel made to President Barack Obama's administration last month, widespread building activity commenced three weeks ago in at least 12 settlements.

* Sarkozy suggests Blair EU presidency problematic French president Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated that British ex-prime minister Tony Blair may not be acceptable as a future president of the European Council because the UK remains outside the eurozone.

* Pope calls for determined action on hunger The world must take "determined and effective" action against hunger after the global economic crisis pushed the ranks of the undernourished to a record 1 billion, Pope Benedict XVI said Friday.

* Quake shakes Indonesian capital A 6.1-magnitude earthquake has struck the Indonesian island of Java, causing buildings to sway in the capital, Jakarta, officials have said.

10/15/09

* Pakistan rocked by fresh attacks A series of attacks on security forces in Pakistan has killed at least 38 people.

* Hamas rejects Fatah reconciliation bid The Syrian-based leadership of Hamas said Thursday it has rejected an Egyptian-mediated proposal to reconcile with Fatah.

* Iranian Supreme Leader Rumored to be Dead Once again, rumors have begun circulating that Iran’s top Muslim leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died.

* Majority of Nobel jury 'objected to Obama prize' Three of the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee had objections to the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to US President Barack Obama.

* 'Syrian long-range missiles in Lebanon' Syria has transferred nearly a quarter of its long-and medium-range missile arsenal to Hizbullah.

* Allies push Israel for Gaza probe Israel has come under pressure from its allies to investigate UN allegations of possible war crimes by its army during its Gaza offensive last winter.

* New Egypt front opposes father-son succession A group of Egypt's opposition forces, including a former presidential candidate, launched a campaign Wednesday to oppose what is widely seen as the increasingly inevitable succession of the long-ruling president's son.

* Iraq calls on Turkey to stop cross-border raids Iraq asked Turkey on Thursday to respect its sovereignty and stop cross-border military operations against Kurdish rebels.

* And Gog says to Magog: How about a little Armageddon at Megiddo? Talk about a biblical reference. Greenpeace and World March activists staged a "die-in" to protest nuclear weapons at Mount Megiddo.

* Outlines emerging of new EU commission The next European Commission is set to be filled with conservative and liberal commissioners.

10/14/09

* Russia may revise use of nuclear weapons in new military doctrine Russia's new military doctrine will contain some changes to the situations that could trigger the use of nuclear weapons or preventive strikes against potential foes.

* Israeli Firm Patents Unmanned Helicopter Muslim terrorists' newest nightmare? Steadicopter, an Israeli company, has developed an unmanned helicopter using patented technology that enables the chopper to stay stable while airborne.

* Fayad: We won't take Mickey Mouse state Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad on Wednesday called the demilitarized Palestinian state envisioned by Israel "a Mickey Mouse state."

* New flying reptile fossils found Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.

* Syria: We held exercise with Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of using phosphorous bombs on Gaza's children.

* Berlusconi backs Blair for EU job Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has endorsed Tony Blair as his preferred candidate to be president of the European Union.

* Officials: Hizbullah hiding arms in homes Thousands of weapons caches have been placed in homes scattered in 160 villages in southern Lebanon.

* Parliament chief reminds EU of historical facts on Stalin The Polish head of the EU parliament on Wednesday (14 October) underlined some basic facts about Joseph Stalin at an event held in the context of mounting historical revisionism in Russia.

* Putin warns against intimidating Iran Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned major powers against intimidating Iran.

* Klaus keeps EU guessing on future of Lisbon Treaty The Czech constitutional court will hear a challenge to the EU's Lisbon Treaty at the end of October.

10/13/09

* Don't pressure Iran, says Russia Pressuring Iran and threatening further sanctions over its nuclear program would be counter-productive, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says.

* US wants bunker-buster fast, denies Iran is reason The Pentagon is speeding up delivery of a colossal bomb designed to destroy hidden weapons bunkers buried underground and shielded by 10,000 pounds of reinforced concrete.

* Russia and China Reaffirm Gas Deal Plans The main Russian gas exporter signed a general trade agreement with China's largest state-run energy company.

* Peres: Hizbullah Turning Lebanon into a 'Powder Keg' Hizbullah has turned Lebanon, formerly known as the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” into a “powder keg” of explosives.

* Russia Gas Pipeline Heightens East Europe's Fears With an ambitious new pipeline planned to run along the bed of the Baltic Sea, the Russian natural gas giant Gazprom is driving a political wedge between Eastern and Western Europe.

* Egyptian MP: Storm Israeli Embassies If Jews Visit Temple Mount An Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood legislator told the parliament that Arabs around the world should break into Israeli embassies in every country if Israelis visit the Temple Mount.

* Turkey, Syria sign cooperation deal The Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers signed a civil and defense cooperation treaty.

* Gambling firm tips Blair for EU president job Irish gambling firm Paddy Power has tipped former UK premier Tony Blair to become the first EU president.

* Silvan Shalom to Turks: Come to your senses As Turkey signals its increasing distance from Israel and its deepening ties with Syria, Jerusalem is starting to lose patience.

* Fatah: Hopes in Obama 'evaporated' An internal document circulated among members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's political party says all hopes placed in the Obama administration "have evaporated".

10/12/09

* PM to Arab citizens: Don't believe lies Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday called on Israeli-Arabs not to be deceived by "lies" about Israel digging under the Temple Mount.

* Preparing for Service in the Rebuilt Temple Jews in the town of Mitzpe Yericho are taking practical steps to prepare for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, by preparing descendants of Cohanim (priests) and Levites for service.

* Turkey drops joint drill because of IAF In another sign of continued tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem, the Turkish military canceled a planned joint exercise with the Israel Air Force scheduled for this week, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

* After drill cancellation, Barak says Turkey major player in ME Following Turkey's cancellation of a joint military exercise on Sunday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that "despite the ups and downs, Turkey continues to be a major player in our region."

* N Korea 'test-fires five rockets' North Korea has test-fired five short-range missiles off the east coast of the peninsula, South Korea's Yonhap news agency has reported.

* Dollar Reaches Breaking Point as Banks Shift Reserves Central banks flush with record reserves are increasingly snubbing dollars in favor of euros and yen, further pressuring the greenback after its biggest two- quarter rout in almost two decades.

* Interpol to help UN in peacekeeping missions Interpol, the global police organization, said Monday it will provide enhanced technical and advisory support to the United Nations in the world body's peacekeeping missions worldwide.

* Jordan threatened to expel Israel envoy over Temple Mount clashes Jordan threatened to expel Israel's ambassador to the Kingdom last week in the event of Israel choosing to forcibly enter the Temple Mount during clashes in Jerusalem.

* Poland ratifies Lisbon Treaty as Czech cloud hangs overhead Polish President Lech Kaczynski signed the Lisbon Treaty at a ceremony in Warsaw.

* Clinton to press Russia on Iran, arms control US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to Russia on Monday hoping to win Moscow's backing for a strong stance on Iran's nuclear program and looking for progress on a new arms control pact.

10/10/09

* Iran threatens to 'blow up heart' of Israel if attacked Iran would "blow up the heart" of Israel if it was attacked by the Jewish state or the United States.

* Pakistan gunmen 'take hostages' A number of militants who earlier attacked Pakistan's military HQ near Islamabad have taken 10-15 security personnel hostage.

* Iran: Israel's threats inexplicable Iran's ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Khazaee, sent a letter of protest to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

* Mitchell says meeting with Abbas positive US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Friday.

* EU Council president must manage national leaders, says Barroso European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says a future permanent president of the European Council must be able to stand up to member states that seek to pursue their own interests.

* Polish leader ratifies EU treaty Polish President Lech Kaczynski has signed the European Union's much-delayed Lisbon Treaty.

* Iran dominates Clinton trip to Europe, Russia Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton departed for Europe late Friday on a five day trip.

* Armenia-Turkey agreement delayed A landmark agreement normalising ties between Turkey and Armenia after a century of hostility has been delayed.

* Fresh clashes mar al-Aqsa prayers Clashes have broken out in East Jerusalem amid high tensions after Palestinian groups called for a day of protest over access to al-Aqsa mosque.

* China says time to act on NKorea disarmament talks North Korea appears keen to improve ties with the U.S. and its neighbors in Asia and perhaps rejoin nuclear disarmament talks.

10/9/09

* Iran will blow up the heart of Israel Iran will "blow up the heart of Israel" if the United States or the Jewish state attacked it first, a top official with Iran's most powerful military force, the Revolutionary Guard, warned Friday.

* Palestinians urged to defend al-Aksa The Fatah Central Council has called for a general strike in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Friday in protest of Israel's "measures against al-Aksa Mosque."

* Diplomat: EU to sign partnership with Syria this month Source says new treaty will help union 'develop substantial dialogue on human rights situation in Syria'

* Leaving Iraq Is a Feat That Requires an Army There is no more visible sign that America is putting the Iraq war behind it than the colossal operation to get its stuff out.

* Barroso fears powerful European president European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has sided with smaller member states in trying to restrict the role of the proposed president of the European Council, a new post created by the Lisbon Treaty.

* US crash lands probes into Moon NASA scientists are assessing preliminary data after crashing two unmanned spacecraft into the Moon in a bid to detect water-ice.

* U.S. furious over Israeli incitement against Obama The US administration is furious over Israeli incitement against President Barack Obama, Democratic congressmen close to Obama told an Israeli source who returned from a visit to Washington this week.

* Jordan's King to Haaretz: Nuclear transparency applies to Israel as well For a long while, the "Jordan is Palestine" formula - of which many Israelis, notably Ariel Sharon, were fond - rattled the royal house.