Thursday, May 20, 2010

05/20/10

* Iran says can destroy Israel in week Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, said Wednesday that if Israel attacked Iran it would be destroyed within a week.

* Iraq election recount battle over, now comes the hard part The tense challenges to Iraq’s May 6 election results appear over – breaking one political log jam.

* US Envoy Mitchell meets Abbas, Netanyahu on Israeli-Palestinian talks A fresh round of mediation by US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell between the Israelis and Palestinians began this week.

* Obama, Erdogan discuss Iran deal US President Barack Obama phoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday to discuss efforts to engage Iran diplomatically on the issue of its nuclear program.

* US Joins Pro-Muslim 'Alliance of Civilizations' The Obama administration has announced the United States will join the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, another openly anti-Israel organization.

* UK coalition to push for ME peace A two-state solution and the push for peace in the Middle East is the goal of the UK's new Conservative and Liberal Democrat government.

* 'North Korean torpedo' sank South's navy ship A North Korean submarine's torpedo sank a South Korean navy ship on 26 March causing the deaths of 46 sailors.

* Germany's Merkel calls for tougher finance regulation German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stepped up calls for tougher regulation of banks and financial markets.

* Pakistan blocks access to YouTube in internet crackdown Access to the social network Facebook has also been barred as part of a crackdown on websites seen to be hosting un-Islamic content.

* Greece standstill as new anti-austerity strike begins Much of Greece's transport network has been immobilised, as trade unions stage another 24-hour general strike against austerity measures.