2/27/10

* 'Iran moves uranium above ground' Iran recently moved almost its entire stockpile of low-enriched uranium to an above-ground facility, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

* Nasrallah: Israel incapable of starting war Hezbollah chief tells Syrian, Iranian presidents 'Zionist regime engaging in psychological warfare'.

* Massive earthquake strikes Chile A massive earthquake has hit central Chile, killing at least 122 people, the country's president-elect says.

* Head of IMF proposes new reserve currency Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund, suggested Friday the organization might one day be called on to provide countries with a global reserve currency that would serve as an alternative to the U.S. dollar.

* Turkey ex-generals charged over 'plot' Two retired Turkish generals have been charged over an alleged plot in 2003 to overthrow the government, reports say.

* UN deplores Gaddafi call for anti-Swiss 'jihad' A top UN official has condemned as "inadmissible" Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for a jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland.

* 'Israel pressing U.S. not to send new envoy to Syria' Israel is urging the United States to freeze its decision to send a new envoy to Syria, in the wake of this week's tripartite meeting between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to a report Saturday in London-based Arabic daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat.

* Jordan activists stage sit in to protest Israel heritage listings Scores of Jordanian politicians and trade union members staged a sit-in at the Trade Unions Complex in Amman on Saturday to denounce Israel's addition of two West Bank holy sites to a list of Jewish heritage centers.

* Building the first 'Palestinian settlement' Standing on the hills of Rawabi just north of Ramallah on the West Bank, at the moment there's little more than a stunning view. On a clear day you can see as far as Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean.

* Opposition leader: Dictatorial "cult" rules Iran Iran's opposition leader said Saturday that a dictatorial "cult" was ruling Iran in the name of Islam - his strongest attack to date on the country's clerical leadership.

02/26/10

* Trilateral meeting in Damascus Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah met Thursday evening in Damascus.

* Riots resume in Hebron Rioting in Hebron heated up again Friday afternoon as dozens of Palestinian protesters hurled rocks at IDF troops and Border Police forces near the Jewish quarter in the city.

* Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 'coup plot' warning Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed that conspirators in an alleged plot to sow chaos and provoke a coup will face justice.

* Israeli authorities back 600 new East Jerusalem homes An Israeli planning committee has pushed forward plans for 600 new homes in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.

* Islamic bloc wants action to stop heritage sites plan The Islamic bloc at the United Nations on Thursday called for international action to force Israel to rescind its decision to renovate two contested holy sites in the West Bank.

* Purim Preparations Worldwide Jewish communities around the world are making final preparations Friday for the holiday of Purim.

* Gaddafi urges jihad against Switzerland Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi called on Thursday for a "jihad" or armed struggle against Switzerland, saying it was an infidel state that was destroying mosques.

* Palestinians threaten to adopt one-state solution The Palestinian Authority has warned that it may abandon its support of the 1993 Oslo Accords.

* Top US Marine rejects Obama plan to repeal gay ban The head of the US Marines said on Thursday he opposed ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

* EU: Goods made at Jewish settlements are not Israeli The European Court of Justice has ruled that Israeli goods made in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank cannot be considered Israeli.

02/25/10

* Ahmadinejad craves Zionist-free ME The United States should pack up and leave the Middle East and stay out of regional affairs, Iran's president said Thursday.

* Turkey's Gul seeks to calm military 'coup plot' fears Turkey's president has said tensions over an alleged military coup plot will be resolved within the law, after meeting the head of the armed forces.

* Peres: Chance of peace with Syria about to dissipate President Shimon Peres said Thursday that the chance of peace with Syria is about to dissipate, in a speech during a national ceremony in Tel Hai.

* China snubs US call for harsher Iran sanctions Beijing once again has shrugged off Washington's call for harsher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear activities.

* Moscow pushes for link between new arms deal with U.S. and missile defense Moscow expects a new nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States to be linked to Washington's plans to deploy missile shield elements in Europe.

* Afghan government claims Taliban stronghold The Afghan government took official control of the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, installing an administrator and raising the national flag.

* Sunni leader decides to take part in Iraq election A top Sunni lawmaker who just last week pulled his party out of Iraq's upcoming election backtracked Thursday.

* Israel, US hold strategic talks on Iran Israel and the US were holding a one-day, high-level strategic dialogue on Thursday expected to focus on sanctions against Iran.

* US slams Israel over designating heritage sites The Obama administration criticized Israel for designating two shrines on Palestinian territory as Israeli national heritage sites.

* Ashton's absence from defence gathering raises eyebrows Defence ministers gathering in Palma de Mallorca on Wednesday (24 February) "regretted" the absence of foreign and security policy chief Catherine Ashton.

02/24/10

* Lavrov announces high-level ME talks A high-level meeting of the Middle East quartet will take place in Moscow next month, Russia's foreign minister says.

* Top Turkish officers charged over 'coup plot' Seven senior military officers have been formally charged in Turkey with attempting to overthrow the government.

* Top US general: US has Plan B for slower Iraq exit he top US general in Iraq said Monday he could slow the exit of US combat forces this year if Iraq's politics are chaotic following elections next month.

* Gates Calls European Mood a Danger to Peace Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who has long called European contributions to NATO inadequate, said Tuesday that public and political opposition to the military had grown so great in Europe that it was directly affecting operations in Afghanistan.

* Edelstein: Iran Exporting Radical Islam to Latin America Latin American Jewish leaders are meeting with Minister of Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein Tuesday night in the wake of growing Iranian influence and anti-Semitism in the region.

* 'Abbas campaign is hypocritical' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a harsh response on Tuesday evening to a statement made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier in the day.

* Sharansky setting JA on new path The Jewish Agency, for years seen as a troubled and declining shell of its former self, may be getting a new lease on life, with a new organizational structure and a new mission.

* Russia discusses delay in missile delivery to Iran Russia's foreign minister has hinted that the delay in delivering air-defense missiles to Iran is connected with concerns about regional tensions.

* Abbas Warns of 'Holy War' over Rachel's Tomb Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas warns of a "holy war" over Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem.

* Barak in US to push Iran sanctions Defense Minister Ehud Barak left for the US on Tuesday, for talks with senior American officials that will focus on Iran.

02/23/10

* 'J'lem city wall dates back to King Solomon' Ancient stone fortifications that were recently uncovered outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City date back some 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon.

* 'Netanyahu could start a war' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to include Jewish landmarks in the West Bank in the government's new list of heritage sites is a "severe provocation".

* About 50 Turkish commanders held over coup plot Turkish police detained about 50 military commanders Monday for allegedly planning to blow up mosques in order to trigger a military takeover and overthrow the Islamic-rooted government.

* West Bank strike over Israeli tomb heritage claim A strike has been called by the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem in protest at Israel's move to claim two West Bank shrines as heritage sites.

* Iran to 'hide nuclear plants inside mountains' Iran said on Monday it is considering plans to build two new uranium enrichment plants concealed inside mountains to avert air strikes, drawing condemnation from the United States.

* Ya'alon heads delegation to China Israel on Tuesday said Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon will lead a high-level delegation next week to China.

* Jericho, again A decision by the PA to stamp out terrorism and incitement against Israel would constitute a huge step on the road to independence.

* US Islamic Envoy: Wrong Words or Wrong Choice? The Obama administration's special envoy to the Islamic world has been caught red-faced in a statement he previously denied having made.

* Sweden continues attack on US appointment Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has said the EU commission's sneaky way of handling a recent US appointment will not be repeated.

* Hungary passes Holocaust denial bill Hungary's parliament on Monday approved a bill making Holocaust denial punishable by up to three years in prison, but the measure may be unconstitutional.

02/22/10

* Iran 'to build two new nuclear sites this year' The head of Iran's nuclear programme has said the country will build two new uranium enrichment facilities within the next year.

* UN: Heritage sites on occupied land UN special coordinator for Mideast peace process condemns cabinet decision to declare West Bank Jewish sites national heritage sites.

* Right-wingers raise flag in Jericho Security forces begin evacuating activists from ancient synagogue.

* China taps more Saudi crude than US Saudi Arabia’s oil exports to the US last year sank below 1m barrels a day for the first time in two decades just as China’s purchases climbed above that level, highlighting a shift in the geopolitics of oil from west to east.

* False accusations against Israel On sidelines of EU meeting, FM cites insufficient evidence in Dubai case.

* Riots over Israeli claim to West Bank heritage sites Israeli soldiers have clashed with protesters in the West Bank town of Hebron after two disputed shrines were listed as Israeli heritage sites.

* EU condemns passport use in Dubai killing European Union foreign ministers have "strongly condemned" the use of forged European passports in the assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

* Robots and bees to beat the Taliban The homemade IED is the extremists’ deadliest weapon and America is spending billions on trying to combat it. We are granted access to this secret, smart and bizarre world

* Suddenly serious about the atomic ayatollahs The Obama Administration’s Iran policy has spun like a weathervane during the past year.

* Wall from King Solomon Period Revealed in Jerusalem Hebrew University archaeologists have revealed an ancient path in Jerusalem believed to date back to the time of King Solomon, along with structures including a gateway and the foundation of a building.

02/20/10

* Syria warns: Next war will be ruinous Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari on Saturday warned Israel that any new Mideast war would be catastrophic for the region and beyond.

* 'Net use risked al-Mabhouh's life' A Hamas legislator said that Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was found dead in a Dubai hotel room on January 20, put himself at risk by booking his trip through the Internet.

* Blair: Israel-Palestinian peace talks to resume Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday that he hoped peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians will resume in the coming weeks.

* Ayalon: Israel-Europe relations solid Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said Saturday that the chances of a a diplomatic crisis brewing between Israel and the European community over the Dubai assassination of Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh are very slim.

* Syria dismisses IAEA call for more inspectors access Syria dismissed on Saturday an International Atomic Energy Agency recommendation to allow its inspectors unrestrained access.

* 'West will lose by helping Israel' During a sermon in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Zahar warned that the West stands to lose by helping Israel in taking the conflict abroad.

* Greece seeks support for debt plan but not bail-out Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has said his country needs the support of European governments if it is to cut its debt levels effectively.

* Russia to supply Iran with S-300 defense systems Russia intends to fulfill a contract to supply S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran.

* In Turmoil, Sunni Party Calls for Boycott of Iraq Vote The Sunni political party whose two most prominent leaders were disqualified from next month’s parliamentary elections in Iraq because of supposed ties to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party called Saturday for a boycott of the vote.

* Ex-U.N. official ElBaradei eyes run for Egypt's top job Nobel Peace Prize winner and former United Nations nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei is shaking up Cairo's entrenched political elite.

02/19/10

* Iran's supreme leader denies nuclear report claims Iran's supreme leader has denied it is developing nuclear weapons, after a new report from the UN atomic watchdog, the IAEA, sparked an international outcry.

* U.S. Engaging Syria - a Terror State - on Anti-terror Concerns Reversing yet another policy of former President George W. Bush, current U.S. President Barack Obama announced this week that he would nominate career diplomat Robert Ford to become Washington's first ambassador to Syria since 2005.

* Abbas to renew talks with Israel next week Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are to be renewed next week.

* IAEA suspects Syrian nuclear activity at bombed site Uranium particles found at a Syrian desert complex allegedly bombed to ruin by Israel in 2007 point to possible covert nuclear activity at the site.

* Census discovers 5,000 marine species A preview of the Census of Marine Life has revealed that the project has discovered over 5,000 new species.

* Saudis brace for decline in worldwide oil demand Officials said Riyad has been discussing options ahead of forecasts that demand for crude oil would peak over the next decade.

* Group: We Demand a Jewish Presence in Jericho In 1994, Jericho was the first city in Judea and Samaria ceded to the newly created Palestinian Authority.

* PM's List of Heritage Sites Does Not Include Cave of Machpelah The Chairman of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (the Yesha Council), Danny Dayan, asked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday to make a last minute change in the list of heritage sites that the government intends to promote and enhance.

* Ashton tackles Serb tensions on maiden voyage to Balkans EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton took aim at Serbian nationalist tensions in the western Balkans in a speech on her first trip to the region.

* China anger at Dalai Lama-Obama meeting A visit by the Dalai Lama to Washington has "seriously undermined" relations between the US and China.

02/18/10

* Dubai 99% sure Mossad killed Mabhouh Dubai police chief said he was 99 percent certain that the Mossad was responsible for the assassination of top Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

* 'Hamas would lose PA elections' Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's party Fatah would crush their rivals Hamas were elections to be held today.

* Turkey rebuffed Obama on missile defense shield Turkey's leader rejected a U.S. appeal to deploy a NATO missile shield that would block an Iranian attack on Europe.

* Ancient Jerusalem Waterway Revealed at Jaffa Gate The excavations are being conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority as part of a “rescue” operation.

* Ahmadinejad: If Israel attacks Hezbollah, its 'case should be closed' Iran's president on Thursday said that if the Israelis launch a new war against Lebanon's Hezbollah, the militant group should retaliate strong enough to close their case once and for all.

* Freemasons keen to open office in EU capital A French freemason has said that part of the movement is keen to open a bureau in Brussels to lobby against the rising influence of religious organisations in the EU institutions.

* Iran vows to stand by Hezbollah against Israel Iran's president on Thursday said that if the Israelis launch a new war against Lebanon's Hezbollah, the militant group should retaliate strong enough to "close their case once and for all."

* 'Arabs now 53% of North's population' Israel's northern Arab population now stands at 53 percent, according to a February report published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

* Israel contemplating cooperation with Egypt on solar project Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer revealed that during his last visit to Egypt with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu an agreement was reached to initiate cooperation between Egypt and Israel on a solar-related project.

* Netanyahu: Use public diplomacy to combat Iran, Goldstone Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asked Diaspora Affairs and Information Minister Yuli Edelstein to join an initiative to combat threats to Israel using public diplomacy.

02/17/10

* Russia: S-300 delivery delayed The Interfax news agency on Wednesday cited a top Russian defense official as saying that S-300 air defense missiles will be delivered to Iran once unspecified technical problems are resolved. 

* Barak: Syria shouldn't test Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday reiterated his view that Jerusalem must enter peace talks with Damascus in the near future. 

* Israel mulling a spring or summer war: Ahmadinejad Without specifying whom would be targeted, Ahmadinejad said: "According to information we have they (Israel) are seeking to start a war next spring or summer". 

* Peres warns of dangers of nuclear Middle East If the world does not unite to stop Iran's nuclear program, the upshot will be a nuclear Middle East, where ongoing conflicts will be accompanied by nuclear bombs. 

* Ayalon: Time for PA to live up to its commitments Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Wednesday said it was time for the Palestinian Authority to live up to its commitments. 

* In the Mideast, bet on a strong horse Lee Smith presents pan-Arab nationalism as an effort to transform mini-horses of national states into single super-horse. 

* Jewish Quarter: Arabic inscription found A 1,200-year-old inscription in Arabic was discovered in excavations in Jerusalem’s old Jewish Quarter. 

* Afghanistan Taliban 'using human shields' - general Taliban militants are increasingly using civilians as "human shields" as they battle against a joint Afghan-Nato offensive, an Afghan general has said.

* Taliban Arrest May Be Crucial for Pakistanis Pakistan's arrest of the top Taliban military commander may be a tactical victory for the United States, but it is also potentially a strategic coup for Pakistan. 

* Top cleric urges Iraqis to turn out for March vote Iraq's top Shiite cleric urged voters Wednesday to turn out for parliamentary elections set for March 7 but distanced himself from any particular coalition.

02/16/10

* Clinton warns of Mideast nuclear race US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has told college students in Saudi Arabia that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon it could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

* 'If Iran gets nukes, so will Turkey' Following his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and local Jewish community leaders on Monday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu went out to eat with his wife Sara at a Moscow restaurant and coincidentally ran into Greek Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou.

* PM urges Iran fuel sanctions Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his delegation emerged from nearly four hours of talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

* Saudi Arabia preparing for oil demand to peak A top Saudi energy official expressed serious concern Monday that world oil demand could peak in the next decade.

* Taliban commander Mullah Baradar 'seized in Pakistan' A man described as the top Afghan Taliban military commander and named as Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has been captured in Pakistan.

* Iran says the world "will regret" sanctions Anyone placing sanctions on Iran would be "regretful", President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

* Sharansky: Jerusalem Bridges Time and Space Natan Sharansky, a former refusenik who now heads the Jewish Agency, moved the Jerusalem Conference audience to tears when he spoke of how Jerusalem changed his life.

* Gaddafi provokes EU visa row over troublemaker son The European Commission on Monday (15 February) deplored Libya's "unilateral and disproportionate" decision to deny entry to the country to almost all EU citizens.

* Marines: Taliban resistance more disorganized U.S. and Afghan forces traded gunfire with insurgents shooting from haystacks in poppy fields Tuesday as NATO forces progressed against increasingly fitful resistance in the Taliban stronghold of Marjah.

* Vatican putting wartime archives on Internet The Vatican plans to make some of its World War II archives available on the Internet soon to calm down the controversy over Pope Pius XII's actions during the Holocaust.

02/15/10

* Medvedev to PM: We have special relations with Israel Netanyahu meets with Russian president to discuss Iranian threat. At start of meeting, two discuss special relations between their countries. Medvedev: Victory over Nazis is joint victory.

* Clinton warns Iran 'becoming a military dictatorship' Iran is "becoming a military dictatorship", US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.

* Obama names new US envoy to global Islamic body US President Barack Obama has named a new special envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

* THE GREAT CLIMATE CHANGE RETREAT THERE has been no global warming for 15 years, a key scientist admitted yesterday in a major U-turn.

* Russia Says 'Nyet” to Israel on Missile Sale to Iran Russia gave Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the cold shoulder before he even landed in Moscow and said it will proceed with its sale of advanced S-300 missiles to Iran.

* Lieberman: Palestinian Authority behind campaign to smear Israel Much of the global effort to de-legitimize Israel is supported and sponsored by the Palestinian Authority, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.

* New Ukraine leader unveils pro-Russia policies Ukraine's emerging new leader, Viktor Yanukovych, at the weekend began the process of rebuilding the country's relations with Russia, despite an ongoing challenge to his recent election victory.

* U.S. begins Mideast push for ideas on Iranian solution The top U.S. military officer and the secretary of state kicked off a series of visits throughout the Middle East Sunday, reaching out to the Arab world as the Obama administration pushes for tougher sanctions against Iran and its nuclear ambitions.

* Iran Analysis: A red light on Iran strike? If the US gives Israel a firm red, the gov’t will have to approach the oncoming fateful intersection with extreme caution.

* Taliban 'forced from strongholds' A joint Nato and Afghan military operation is succeeding in pushing Taliban fighters from their strongholds in Helmand province, officials say.

02/13/10

* Major offensive on Afghan Taliban Nato-led forces say they are making good progress hours after launching the biggest offensive in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.

* Clinton says Blair to 'intensify' work on Mideast peace Middle East envoy Tony Blair will "intensify" his work with US negotiator George Mitchell to broker peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

* 'Population swap as part of peace' Israel and a future Palestinian state should agree to land swaps which would make settlement blocks part of Israel proper and in return make certain Arab towns part of Palestine.

* Mullen to visit Jerusalem, TA In another sign of growing cooperation between Israel and the US ahead of a new round of sanctions on Iran, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen will arrive in Israel on Sunday.

* Collapse of the euro is 'inevitable': Bailing out the Greek economy futile, says FRENCH banking chief The European single currency is facing an 'inevitable break-up' a leading French bank claimed yesterday.

* U.S. official: We want to boost ties with Syria The decision to appoint a new U.S. ambassador to Syria reflects a growing interest in strengthening bilateral ties with the country.

* Ultraconservative jihadists challenge Hamas rule in Gaza Jihadi Salafis preach global jihad, or holy war, adhere to an ultraconservative form of Islam and are becoming a headache even for Hamas.

* Tension among Haiti's religions grows after quake Christian and Voodoo leaders put aside their differences for a moment Friday, joining hands under a canopy of tropical trees as some earthquake survivors on crutches and in wheelchairs mourned the more than 200,000 Haitians killed.

* Thousands flee Somalia fighting, says UN refugee agency Thousands of people have fled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, since Wednesday.

* Hamas: Next war with Israel will be regional conflict Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal warned on Friday that should another war erupt with Israel, the majority of battles would not be contained to the Gaza Strip.

02/12/10

* Mashaal: Next war will span entire Mideast Hamas politburo chief Khalad Mashaal warned that should another war with Israel erupt, the fighting will not be limited to the Gaza Strip. 

* Looming NATO offensive raises few Afghan spirits A NATO offensive is a hard sell to some Afghans, even if it breaks the Taliban's iron grip on their lives and eventually delivers Western aid. 

* Quartet envoy Blair to work with Mitchell to renew Mideast talks Middle East envoy Tony Blair will "intensify" his work with U.S. negotiator George Mitchell to broker peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. 

* EU sanctions against Iran 'within days,' says minister The European Union could announce "very strong sanctions" against Tehran within "days or weeks." 

* Iraq election campaign under way amid candidacy row Campaigning for the election in Iraq is getting under way amid a continuing row over the ban on scores of candidates. 

* International broadcasters condemn Iran over 'jamming' Three major international broadcasters have strongly condemned Iran for its "deliberate electronic interference" in their broadcasts. 

* Airborne Laser Testbed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile. 

* China Moves to Tighten Curbs on Lending For the second time in less than five weeks, China’s central bank has moved to limit lending to consumers and businesses by ordering big commercial banks to park a larger share of their deposits at the central bank. 

* Iran: We are now among world's top 15 nuclear states Iran is among the top states in terms of its nuclear technology, the country's atomic chief was quoted as saying Friday. 

* Iran supreme leader lauds state rally, warns West Iran's supreme leader praised the mass turnout at the government-backed rally marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution and warned the West to stop putting obstacles in his country's path.

02/11/10

* Iran is now a 'nuclear state' says Ahmadinejad as thousands take to the streets Iran is now a 'nuclear state', President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced this morning.

* EU President's secret bid for economic power The new President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, is using the financial crisis sweeping the eurozone to launch an audacious grab for power over national budgets.

* Ahmadinejad warns Israel against any military move Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel should be resisted and finished off if it launched military action in the region.

* A Greek crisis is coming to America It began in Athens. It is spreading to Lisbon and Madrid. But it would be a grave mistake to assume that the sovereign debt crisis that is unfolding will remain confined to the weaker eurozone economies.

* Israel's Netanyahu keeping mum about Obama's virtual arms embargo Israel's government has kept its silence during a year-long ban on weaopns sales imposed by the United States at the same time the administration has approved $10 billion in weapons sales to Arab states.

* Time Magazine Digging Up Trouble in Jerusalem The United States-based Time Magazine complained this week that the archaeological activities of the City of David Foundation, also known as “Ir David” or “Elad,” are making life difficult for President Barack Obama.

* EU deal 'agreed' on Greece debt woes EU leaders have reached a deal on helping Greece tackle its debt crisis.

* China to push aside Japan as No. 2 economy China is likely to soon overtake Japan to become the world's second largest economy, a milestone that will only fuel growing fears about the economic might of the world's largest country.

* Dramatic images of World Trade Centre collapse on 9/11 released for first time We have seen the Twin Towers collapse hundreds of times on TV. The steel and glass skyscrapers exploding like a bag of flour, the dust and smoke pluming out across Manhattan.

* Global bank tax near, says Brown Gordon Brown said on Wednesday the world’s leading economies were close to agreeing a global bank tax.

02/10/10

* Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri warns of Israel 'threat' Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he is concerned about "escalating" threats posed to the Middle East by Israel.

* European Debt Issues Top Agenda for Meeting With the European Union's single currency in the grip of the worst crisis in its history, the bloc's new president is expected to use the growing alarm over debt levels to argue for a new form of "economic government" in Europe.

* Euro MPs back new European Commission The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new 27-strong team of European commissioners.

* China PLA officers urge economic punch against U.S. The calls for broad retaliation over the planned U.S. weapons sales to the disputed island came from officers at China's National Defence University and Academy of Military Sciences.

* Jordan negotiates construction of nuclear power plant Jordan is moving forward with its plan to set up a nuclear reactor.

* Barroso urges new wave of optimism in Europe European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday (9 February) celebrated EU enlargement and the single currency as the bloc's main achievements in the face of crisis-related gloom in Europe.

* Obama ups military aid to Arab League states The administration of President Barack Obama has proposed an increase in U.S. military aid for several Arab League states.

* Google prepares Facebook assault Google is set to make a fresh attempt to gain a stronger foothold in the booming social networking business on Tuesday as it seeks to counter the growing threat that Facebook poses to some of its core services.

* Byzantine-era street uncovered in Jerusalem Archaeologists said Wednesday that they have unearthed a section of a stone street in Jerusalem that provides important new evidence about the city's commercial life 1,500 years ago.

* PM's first year far better than '96 Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu enjoyed a much more trouble-free first year in office than in his first term as prime minister.

02/09/10

* FM: Turkey can't keep slamming Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday leveled criticism at Turkey for what he called "weekly" condemnations of Israel.

* 'What's the Alternative?' MK Orlev: Jordan is Palestine Asked to present his alternative to the "two-state" Israel-Palestine option, MK Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home) says, "The Arabs of the Palestinian Authority already have a state – Jordan."

* Hamas sees 'no prospects' for Mideast peace The leader of Hamas said Monday he sees "no prospects" for a Mideast peace settlement, a stand that could reduce Russia's chances of holding a Middle East peace conference that includes the Palestinian militant group.

* Yemen's al-Qaeda calls for jihad against Jews, Christians The Yemen-based wing of al-Qaeda called on Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula to wage jihad, or holy war, against Christians and Jews in the region.

* Deficit concerns continue ahead of EU summit Just days before EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss measures to increase the region's competitiveness, market concerns over public finances continue to rattle national governments and hog the media limelight.

* Why Iran unrest is not revolution re-run As the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution approaches this week, with the promise of mass protests from Iran's growing opposition movement, it's tempting to compare the upheaval with unrest that ultimately toppled the shah of Iran.

* Abbas under 'intense' pressure from EU to return to talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is under "intense" pressure by the international community to return to negotiations.

* Iran 'starts enriching nuclear fuel to 20%' at Natanz Iran has started the process of enriching uranium to 20% in defiance of the West.

* Barroso team set for parliament approval after lengthy delay The new European Commission team is set to win a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday (9 February) after a three month delay and a prolonged period of infighting between the EU's two main institutions.

* Russia in stand-by mode over US missile plans in Romania Moscow is "concerned" and expects "proper explanations" on US plans to deploy anti-ballistic missile defence systems in Romania.

02/08/10

* New Iran nuclear sanctions 'only path', says US The US has said new sanctions against Iran are the "only path" after Tehran announced it was stepping up its uranium enrichment program.

* “Israel’s obliteration is certain” Iran's supreme leader vows to “defend Palestinians due to their heartfelt beliefs.”

* Assad: Syria will stand by Lebanon Syrian president, Lebanese official discuss "repeated Israeli threats."

* Lieberman: 'Land for Peace' is Dead Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Israel Our Home party, says, "It's time to forget our obsession of "territory in exchange for peace; all future agreements must be based on 'peace in exchange for peace.'"

* Iran to make 'advanced' attack drones Iran has begun making 'advanced' unmanned drones capable of carrying out 'assaults with high precision'.

* Jordan urges US to push ME peace King Abdullah: "Decades of instability" if two-state solution becomes unviable.

* Hamas leader Mashaal visits Moscow Group's leader arrives for talks just a week before PM scheduled to visit there.

* Giant bizarre deep sea fish filmed in Gulf of Mexico Extraordinary footage of a rarely seen giant deep sea fish has been captured by scientists.

* Pluto's dynamic surface revealed by Hubble images The icy dwarf planet Pluto undergoes dramatic seasonal changes, according to images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

* Palin: Obama Will Win Again If He Backs Israel and Bombs Iran Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor who ran with Sen. John McCain against the Obama-Biden ticket, said that U.S. President Barack Obama can win again if he starts backing Israel and decides to attack Iran.

02/06/10

* Syria: We're ready for peace or war Syria's official newspaper Tishreen said Saturday that while Damascus is ready to make peace with Israel, it is also prepared for war.

* West greets Iran nuclear claim with scepticism Western powers have responded with scepticism to a claim by Iran that a deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel could now be close.

* Euro Debt Crisis Is Political Test for Bloc What began with worries about the solvency of Greece in the face of high deficits, fake budget figures and low growth has quickly become the most severe test of the 16-nation euro zone in its 11-year history.

* World financial leaders focusing on budget crises A crisis in Europe over budget belt-tightening has upended global markets and seized the attention of financial leaders meeting in the Canadian Arctic.

* Transatlantic, meet Pacific: China's bold stance at Munich security conference Today Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi, speaking with unusual bluntness in front of 300 leading diplomats – including senior US officials – here in Munich publicly stated that China is getting stronger on the international stage.

* PA questions US on Mitichell's offer The Palestinians have asked the Obama administration to clarify a US Mideast envoy George Mitchell's proposal to restart long-stalled peace talks with Israel .

* Russia urges U.S., Europe for joint assessment of missile threats Moscow highlighted the need to carry out an assessment of missile threats jointly with both Washington and Europe in response to U.S. plans to deploy missile defense elements in Romania.

* Hamas backtracks on missile apology The Hamas government in Gaza has distanced itself from an earlier statement in which it expressed regret for harming Israeli civilians in rocket attacks.

* Why are U.S., allies telling Taliban about coming offensive? Thousands of U.S., British and Afghan troops are poised to launch the biggest offensive of the war in Afghanistan in a test of the Obama administration's new counterinsurgency strategy.

* Putin scolds party after rally exposes discontent About 10,000 people attended a rally in the Baltic region of Kaliningrad last week to call for the dismissal of the governor.

02/05/10

* US urges Syria, Israel to show restraint As tension continues to rise between Damascus and Jerusalem, the United States is urging Syria and Israel to show restraint and return to the negotiations table.

* Iran: Moscow gave missile reassurance Russia has assured Iran that it still intends to deliver long-range air-defense missiles.

* Israel Reportedly Training Kurdish Forces According to recent media reports, Israeli military and intelligence agents are currently operating in Iraqi Kurdistan.

* Assad: Golan withdrawal before peace "(The Israelis) are like children fighting each other, messing with the country; they do not know what to do."

* Bombings hit Iraq Shia pilgrims in Karbala Two suicide bombers have killed 27 people and injured dozens on the outskirts of the Iraqi city of Karbala.

* Assad sits comfortably on his throne The UN probe into the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri pointed at direct involvement of senior members of the Assad regime.

* World stocks hit by fears of debt crisis contagion World stocks tumbled again Friday as investors worried that the debt crisis enveloping Greece may spread to other vulnerable countries in Europe such as Portugal.

* Iran rocket puts mouse, turtle, worms into orbit Iran has reported another launch of an indigenous rocket into space.

* Romania to host new version of US missile shield Romania on Thursday announced it had agreed to the new US anti-missile defence shield envisaged by the Obama administration after scrapping initial plans in Poland and the Czech Republic.

* 'Strike on Iran would not help Israel' An Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear program will neither completely stop Teheran's nuclear march, nor bring down the ayatollahs' regime.

02/04/10

* Assad: Israel pushing Middle East to war Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday said Israel was not serious about wanting peace, and accused the Jewish state of leading the Middle East towards war.

* Assad: Israel pushing Middle East to war Israel is pushing the Middle East toward a new war, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Wednesday.

* FM: If Syria provokes Israel, Assad will be out of power Lieberman blasts Syrian president for claiming Israel leading Middle East towards war.

* U.S. report: Blond-haired, blue-eyed Americans may be joining Al Qaida The Senate has expressed concern over American converts to Islam who were joining the Al Qaida network in Yemen.

* China Renews Opposition to Iran Sanctions Adding to a growing catalogue of disputes between Washington and Beijing, a senior Chinese official said on Thursday that pressure for tighter sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program could block chances of a diplomatic settlement.

* Hamas wants talks with US, Europe: Haniya Hamas is ready for dialogue with the international community, including the United States and European Union.

* PM: Peace talks could resume in weeks Seven years after then-prime minister Ariel Sharon unveiled his Gaza disengagement plan at the Herzliya Conference.

* More Than 25% of Knesset Joins 'Land of Israel Forum' A new Land of Israel Forum has been formed in the Knesset, with representation from no fewer than seven parties.

* Free Speech on Trial: 15 Defense Witnesses Disallowed The free-speech trial of anti-Islamization Fitna movie-producer Geert Wilders has taken a break – after the court rejected 15 of Wilders' requested witnesses.

* Huckabee in Israel: Iran threatens US as well Governor Mike Huckabee is in Israel this week leading a delegation of 170 American Christians.

02/03/2010

* 'FT sees Israel as main cause of ME problems' The Financial Times views Israel is the key cause of problems in the Middle East, according to a study published by a London-based media monitoring organization this week.

* 'Israel infiltrated Hamas leadership' The mysterious death of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month has prompted Hamas to launch an internal investigation.

* How to save the Obama presidency - bomb Iran President needs dramatic gesture to change perception of him as lightweight ideologue.

* Iran launches research rocket into space Iran announced Wednesday it has successfully launched a 10-foot-long research rocket carrying a mouse, two turtles and worms into space.

* US military ban on openly gay personnel 'should end' Openly gay people should be allowed to serve in the US military, the country's top commander has said.

* EU president to hold 'intimate' summit in old library The EU's new president, Herman Van Rompuy, has opted to hold his first EU summit in an old library in order to create an informal atmosphere.

* Hamas: EU must stop letting Israeli spies use its passports Palestinian militant group Hamas has demanded the European Union work to prevent Israeli security services from using EU passports to carry out "targeted assassination" attempts.

* US blames Lisbon Treaty for EU summit fiasco The US State Department has said that President Barack Obama's decision not to come to an EU summit in Madrid in May is partly due to confusion arising from the Lisbon Treaty.

* U.S., Russia Agree to Nuclear-Arms Accord U.S. and Russian arms-control negotiators have reached an "agreement in principle" on the first nuclear-arms-reduction treaty in nearly two decades.

02/02/10

* Jewish Growth in Judea/Samaria Tops the Charts The number of Jews in Judea and Samaria has grown to 313,000 – double the growth rate of the rest of Israel.

* Obama said to block attack helicopter upgrades for Israel The administration of President Barack Obama is delaying an upgrade project for Israel's military on the grounds that it could be deployed against Palestinian militants.

* As internal pressure builds, Iran could 'lash out' using Hamas and Hizbullah, U.S. warns The United States has warned that Iran could use its proxies to spark a war in the Middle East as an increasingly restive Iranian population continues to challenge the regime.

* Jordan strips Palestinians’ citizenship A US-based human rights group criticized Jordan Monday for stripping the citizenship of nearly 3,000 Jordanians of Palestinian origin in recent years.

* Iran's Mousavi says he will continue fight for reform Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has said he will continue his struggle against the government.

* US anti-missile test of 'Iran or N Korea' attack fails A US missile defence test designed to shoot down long-range missiles was aborted when the radar system failed.

* Pope criticised for attack on UK Equality Bill The Pope has faced a backlash after urging Catholic bishops in England and Wales to fight the UK's Equality Bill with "missionary zeal".

* PMW: Jihad Boy Featured on PA TV A new Palestinian Authority TV news report revealed by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) shows a young child vowing to "liberate Palestine" - "with our weapons."

* Mitchell to Abbas: No more excuses, renew Mideast talks United States special Mideast envoy George Mitchell has urged Europe to step up pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

* Berlusconi 'dreams' of Israel becoming an EU member Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi began a three-day tour of Israel on Monday (1 February) by saying he wants the Jewish state to join the EU.

02/01/10

* US rushes Gulf defense systems Official: Adjustments should be seen as measures designed to avoid aggression.

* US military strategy focuses on fighting multiple wars The US military must shift its focus to fighting a wide range of threats - from cyber attacks to terrorism - the Pentagon's 2010 draft strategy says.

* Israel could lose Turkey's friendship Erdogan slams Netanyahu for “climate of mistrust” that is undermining ties.

* U.S. Arms for Taiwan Send Beijing a Message For the past year, China has adopted an increasingly muscular position toward the United States.

* Abbas: Direct talks possible PA president suggests 3-month J'lem building freeze to get negotiations going.

* Israel reprimands top officers over UN compound strike Israel has revealed it has reprimanded two top army officers for authorising an artillery attack which hit a UN compound in Gaza last year.

* Gaddafi thwarted over African Union presidency Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi has failed in his bid to stay on as president of the African Union for another year.

* Female suicide bomber kills dozens in Iraq At least 41 people have been killed and 106 injured by a female suicide bomber in north-east Baghdad, an interior ministry spokesman has said.

* IDF to Remove ‘Jesus Gun’ Codes A Michigan company that supplies gun sights to Israel and other companies has agreed to provide a kit to remove the “JN8:12” code, a reference to the New Testament passage of John 8:12 that Jesus is the “light of the world.”

* Berlusconi says wants to see Israel in EU Italian premier visits Israel along with several of his ministers; describes meeting with PM Netanyahu as 'extremely important' to Jerusalem-Rome relations.