Thursday, October 08, 2009

10/08/09

* Survey: Global Muslim population hits 1.57 b. The global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly 1 in 4 people in the world practice Islam.

* UN body to debate Gaza 'crimes' The UN has brought forward a regular Security Council meeting on the Middle East after Libya demanded an urgent debate on alleged war crimes in Gaza.

* IDF fears spread of J'lem violence The IDF is raising its level of alert ahead of Friday morning prayers in Jerusalem and out of fear that violence there will spread to Palestinian cities in the West Bank.

* Peace an illusion, says Israel FM Israel's foreign minister has said there is no chance of an early solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and told people to "learn to live with it".

* American troops in Afghanistan losing heart, say army chaplains American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned.

* Blair seeks religious leader unity on Jerusalem Former British Prime Minister and Middle East envoy Tony Blair called Wednesday for a joint appeal by Jerusalem's religious leaders on keeping the holy city open to all faiths even as tensions flare.

* Warning over global oil 'decline' There is a "significant risk" that global production of conventional oil could "peak" and decline by 2020.

* Jordan's king to Haaretz: Without two states, there is no future Jordan's King Abdullah II has asked Haaretz to relay a message to the Israeli public that it disavow the illusion that the status quo can be perpetuated.

* Brussels in limbo over Klaus treaty delay The heads of the EU's three main institutions on Wednesday (7 September) came together to point out to Czech President Vaclav Klaus the "costs" to Europe if he continues to delay ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

* Rabbis Discuss Blocking Jews, Gentiles from Temple Mount The Temple Mount is sacred to the People of Israel, rabbis agree, but at least one -- Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv -- has urged President Shimon Peres not to allow Jews to tread the site.