01/31/11

* Egypt protesters step up pressure Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has announced a new cabinet amid pressure from protesters, who have gathered in Cairo again in their tens of thousands.

* Peres: Israel has great respect for Egyptian president President acknowledges "not everything [Mubarak] did was right," in official reception of Costa Rican ambassador.

* Israel allows Egypt troops in Sinai for first time since 1979 peace treaty Due to street protests threatening Mubarak's regime, Israel agrees to let about 800 Egyptian soldiers into Sharm el-Sheikh area in Sinai.

* Netanyahu warns outcome of Egypt revolution could be like Iran's Netanyahu meets with German chancellor to discuss Egypt crisis, Mideast peace; Merkel says Israel must freeze settlements to move peace process forward.

* ElBaradei a 'Stooge for Iran,' says US Jewish Leader Hoenlein Mohammed ElBaradei, the hero of the Egyptian protest movement, is nothing more than a stooge for Iran, according to Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice-president of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations.

* Tunisian Islamist leader Rachid Ghannouchi returns home The leader of Tunisia's main Islamist movement has returned home after 22 years in exile following the ousting of President Ben Ali earlier this month.

* Iran to showcase new rockets, satellites Iran said on Sunday it will showcase what it called a new range of rockets and satellites during annual celebrations marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

* New estimates put Pakistan's nuclear arsenal at more than 100 Pakistan's nuclear arsenal now totals more than 100 deployed weapons, a doubling of its stockpile over the past several years in one of the world's most unstable regions, according to estimates by nongovernment analysts.

* Gazing Afar for Other Earths, and Other Beings In a building at NASA’s Ames Research Center here, computers are sifting and resifting the light from 156,000 stars, seeking to find in the flickering of distant suns the first hints that humanity is not alone in the universe.

01/29/11

* Egypt protests: Mubarak names Omar Suleiman as VP Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has named intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as his first ever vice-president as he struggles to regain control of the country.

* Iran Sees Rise of Islamic Hard-Liners Hopeful that the protests sweeping Arab lands may create an opening for hard-line Islamic forces, conservatives in Iran are taking deep satisfaction in the events in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen.

* Top cleric: Mubarak, go away! The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brothers movement and one of the world's most prominent Sunni clerics is urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to leave Egypt.

* Egyptian Civil Strife Sends Oil Close To $100 On Suez Canal Fears Investors have their eyes on Egypt as civil unrest in the North African country has progressively escalated into a full blown crisis with international repercussions.

* Israeli intelligence: Hizbullah to control Lebanon but will avoid official role Officials said the intelligence community has concluded that Iran was restraining Hizbullah and ordering it to maintain a low profile in the next government.

* Israel fears radical takeover in Egypt A fundamental change of government in Egypt may lead to a "revolution in Israel's security doctrine."

* EU 'troubled' by Egypt, but will keep paying aid The European Union has described repression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Egypt as "deeply troubling".

* Lebanon's tension abates as eyes turn to Egypt Stand with your back to the city of Beirut and stare out into the dull-blue waters of the eastern Mediterranean and some trick of the light makes it appear that the great container ships on the horizon are utterly still.

* Looting engulfs Cairo, other Egyptian cities Cairo residents boarded up homes and set up neighborhood watches armed with guns, clubs and knives Saturday as looting engulfed the capital.

* PA officials express concern over events in Egypt Palestinian Authority officials in the West Bank expressed concern over the current events in Egypt.

01/28/11

* Egypt protests escalate in Cairo, Suez and other cities A protester in Suez was killed in clashes with police, witnesses said.

* Thousands in Jordan protest, demand PM step down In 3rd day of protests, opposition supporters took to the streets in Amman to express their anger at rising prices, inflation, unemployment.

* Hizbullah, Lebanon PM Deny Cozy Relationship Lebanon's new prime minister and his backers are each working to deny the Hizbullah terrorist organization is pulling the strings of the new national government.

* Italy calls for EU crisis mission, as Egypt boils over Italy has said the EU should send a crisis mission to north Africa.

* 'We're living on a volcano,' experts warn Israeli security experts are casting an uneasy eye at the civil unrest spreading through the region.

* Google: Eric Schmidt hints at China ambitions Eric Schmidt - stepping aside as chief executive of Google - has told the BBC he has ambitions to promote the web firm's business in China.

* Controversial Muslim cleric caught being smuggled into U.S. over Mexico border U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric - banned from France and Canada - curled up in the boot.

* Yaalon: Hizbullah Operating in Gaza Hizbullah agents have infiltrated Gaza and are teaching local terrorist groups more advanced tactics.

* Russia, US set date for new nuclear arms pact Moscow said Friday that the world's first nuclear arms deal in two decades would come into force early next month.

* Bill Clinton: Israel has never had better peace partner Former US president Bill Clinton on Thursday urged Israel to make peace with the Arabs, saying the Jewish state will never have a better partner than the current Palestinian leadership.

01/27/11

* German, Polish leaders honor Holocaust victims The memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II was honored around the world on Thursday.

* Egypt unrest: ElBaradei 'ready' to lead transition Nobel peace laureate and Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei says Egypt must change and he is ready to lead the transition if asked.

* Europe marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed worldwide Thursday.

* Sarkozy: 'Failure of euro would be cataclysmic' French President Nicolas Sarkozy has come out swinging in defence of Europe's single currency, saying France and Germany "will never let the euro fail."

* Mediterranean Union chief resigns as Egypt unrest continues The secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean has announced his resignation.

* Russia bombing: 'Islamist group suspected' Reports say Vitaly Razdobudko, from Stavropol on the edge of the northern Caucasus, either organised or carried out the attack.

* Al-Jazeera Against Fatah, Abbas A position paper by a senior policy analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs states that leaks of Israel-PA talks by Al-Jazeera are designed to harm the PA and block resumption of talks with Israel.

* Muslim birth rate falls worldwide Falling birth rates will slow the world's Muslim population growth over the next two decades.

* Muslims to visit Auschwitz in project to curb Holocaust denial An international delegation that includes many Muslim members will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp site next week.

* New Lebanon PM Mikati says he's committed to US ties The billionaire chosen by Hizbullah to become prime minister of Lebanon told the US ambassador Thursday that he is committed to having good ties with Washington.

01/26/11

* PM: World has not put into practice lessons from Holocaust Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday slammed the international community, saying that "it has not put into practice the lessons learned from the horrors of the Holocaust."

* Egypt protests: Demonstrators 'face prosecution' Egypt is to crack down on public protest and has vowed to arrest and prosecute anyone found taking to the streets against the government.

* Palestinian papers: Leaks threaten my life, Erekat says Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has accused al-Jazeera TV of putting his life in danger by leaking secret papers on the peace talks with Israel.

* Calm returns to Lebanon after days of protests over Hezbollah power play Thousands have taken to the streets across the country over the last two days, burning tires, throwing rocks and accusing Hezbollah of a coup d'etat.

* Heritage Oil finds 'major gas field' in Iraq British exploration firm Heritage Oil has announced the discovery of what it is calling a "major gas discovery" in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

* Tony Blair criticised for 'Israeli bias' Tony Blair, envoy of the Middle East quartet, was attacked by Palestinian officials for being biased in favour of Israeli security needs.

* Mubarak's Wife and Son Flee to London amid Protests The wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and their son Gamal, considered the successor to his father as president, have fled to London.

* Huge Jordanian Generators Sighted on Temple Mount Huge electricity generators donated by the government of Jordan were brought into the Temple Mount Tuesday.

* Expert: Here's the 'Demographic Gap' That Will Really Happen While most Israelis worry about a prospective demographic imbalance between Jews and Arabs in the Land of Israel, with demographers claiming that, under current trends, Arabs will eventually outnumber Jews.

* Yad Vashem, Google team up to put Shoah data online The world's largest collection of Holocaust documents is going digital.

01/25/11

* Hezbollah-backed Najib Mikati appointed Lebanese PM Lebanon's president has appointed Najib Mikati, who is backed by the Shia Islamist group Hezbollah and its allies, as prime minister-designate.

* Cairo protest: Clashes on Egypt's 'day of revolt' Police in Cairo are using tear gas and water cannon to try to quell rare anti-government protests.

* Palestinians seek source of leaked Mid-East papers Palestinian officials are searching for the source who leaked confidential papers from the Mid-East peace process.

* Nasrallah: Hezbollah will not control next Lebanon government Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday that his organization will not be the leader of Lebanon's new government.

* Palestinian embassy to open in Ireland The Irish government decided Tuesday to upgrade the Palestinian diplomatic mission in the country to an embassy.

* Moscow airport bomb: Dmitry Medvedev seeks shake-up Russia needs Israeli-style airport security in the wake of a suspected suicide bombing in Moscow, the country's president has said.

* Taking aim at Iranian Holocaust denial Yad Vashem, Israel's central Holocaust memorial and documentation center, launched on Sunday a new YouTube channel in Farsi.

* 5 Arab states could go the way of Tunisia Five Arab League states could follow the collapse of the regime in Tunisia.

* Mubarak's election year tactics may endanger Egypt's Christians Congress has been warned that the Coptic minority in Egypt is facing an unprecedented threat.

* Digging completed on tunnel under Old City walls in East Jerusalem The Israel Antiquities Authority has completed an archaeological dig of a tunnel that will enable visitors to cross under the walls of Jerusalem's Old City, not far from the Temple Mount.

01/24/11

* FM on leaked papers: Radical Islam is the true threat Lieberman says Hamas, not settlements, are the biggest danger to the PA.

* Moscow bombing: Carnage at Russia's Domodedovo airport Moscow's Domodedovo airport has been rocked by a bomb explosion that an airport spokesman says has killed 35 people.

* Palestinians attack al-Jazeera distorted talks leaks The Palestinian Authority has accused al-Jazeera TV of distortion, after it leaked documents purporting to show offers of major concessions to Israel.

* Arctic air blast prompts warnings An arctic blast from Canada is bringing brutally frigid air and wind chills expected to dip to 50 below zero to northern New England, prompting officials to warn residents to take precautions against the cold.

* Urgent action needed to avert global hunger A UK government-commissioned study into food security has called for urgent action to avert global hunger.

* Iran: Warships to sail to Mediterranean Fleet of ships may soon enter waters very close to Israeli coast as part of drill, says admiral

* Davos 2011: Who needs a World Economic Forum? Every year some of the world's most powerful people come to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

* Hezbollah wins enough support to name new Lebanon PM Billionaire businessman and former premier set to clinch the nomination after Hezbollah and its allies, including Druze leader, tip balance with 11-member bloc voting in favor of Mikati.

* French G20 leadership to focus on commodity prices French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that tackling instability in global commodity markets will be a key aim of France's presidency of the Group of 20 major economies.

* Anti-Semitism, Circa 2010 The Auschwitz Death Camp was liberated on January 27, 1945.

01/22/11

* Tony Blair: West must prepare to confront Iran Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged the west to confront Iran with force in order to face the "looming and coming challenge" from Iran.

* Protesters demand Jordan's government step down Thousands of Jordanians calling for their government to step down marched in several cities Friday in an outpouring of anger over economic hardship.

* Ashton: World powers 'disappointed' with Iran's stance in nuclear talks The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced Saturday that nuclear talks with Iran have ended with no agreement.

* Shalom says 'Iranian government' in Lebanon possible Druze leader Walid Jumblatt's decision to join forces with Hezbollah against Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri increases the risk that an "Iranian government" will be established in Lebanon.

* Ban Ki-moon: Settlements are illegal, hamper talks United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized the continued building of settlements in the West Bank.

* Hizbullah said to stage coup rehearsals in Beirut The Iran-sponsored Hizbullah organization, which recently collapsed the Lebanon coalition government by withdrawing, is said to have simulated a coup in Beirut.

* Algerian democracy rally broken up Several people have been injured after police broke up a banned pro-democracy demonstration in the Algerian capital, Algiers.

* Muslim World: Iran's execution binge In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 15 in the isolated and overcrowded Urumiya prison in western Iran, the authorities hanged one of their opponents.

* Abbas: We will not make unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ruled out a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state.

* Afghan Lawmakers Fail to Reach Compromise With Karzai Afghan lawmakers met with President Hamid Karzai on Saturday, trying to resolve a looming constitutional crisis sparked by his decision to delay the newly elected Parliament's opening.

01/21/11

* Angry Palestinians mob French minister in Gaza A crowd of angry Palestinians mobbed the car of French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie as she toured the Gaza Strip on Friday.

* Lebanon Druze leader backs Hezbollah ahead of parliamentary talks Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Friday his group was committed to support the Islamist movement Hezbollah.

* Tony Blair 'regrets' Iraq dead in Chilcot grilling Tony Blair has said he "regrets deeply and profoundly the loss of life" during and after the 2003 Iraq war.

* Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Istanbul The United States and other world powers went into another round of talks with Iran.

* Bin Laden says France will pay a 'high price' for its policies in Afghanistan Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden warned French President Nicolas Sarkozy that his refusal to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was a "green light" to kill French hostages.

* Arab World Won't Donate to Palestinian Authority Palestinian Authority representatives, who arrived on Wednesday at the Arab League's economic summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, came equipped with an armload of financial requests.

* In Pakistan, Islamic hard-liners expanding their grip on society The killing of a governor opposed to the nation's blasphemy law, and the warm reception for his accused killer, has exposed Islamic fundamentalists' growing sway over the nation.

* Breakthrough after U.S. warns China on North Korea The United States warned China that it would redeploy forces in Asia if it failed to rein in North Korea.

* Muslim World: Iran's execution binge In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 15 in the isolated and overcrowded Urumiya prison in western Iran, the authorities hanged one of their opponent.

* 'We won't allow discussion of nuclear enrichment freeze' "We will not allow any talks linked to freezing or suspending of Iran's enrichment activities to be discussed at the meeting in Istanbul," senior official in the Iranian delegation Massoud Zohrevand said.

01/20/11

* Iran: We'll be able to enrich uranium even if attacked Iran will be able to enrich uranium even in the event of a military attack on its nuclear facilities.

* Saudis end Lebanon mediation, say country at risk Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had abandoned mediation efforts in Lebanon between Shiite Hezbollah and Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri.

* Police fire shots to disperse new Tunis protest Tunisian police fired shots into the air on Thursday to try to disperse hundreds of protesters.

* Muslim Brotherhood Plans 2nd Week of Protests in Jordan More unrest is expected to hit Israel's closest eastern neighbor on Friday when Jordan's local Muslim Brotherhood chapter leads a second protest against the government.

* Losing the war of ideas to radical Islam Imagine two lines on a graph — one zigs and zags, another rises rapidly. They could represent two current unsettling world currents.

* Yad Vashem Youtube in Persian: Virtual War on Holocaust Denial The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem has been concentrating on fighting Holocaust denial in Persian of late.

* PA draft resolution: Declare settlements illegal The Palestinians submitted to the Security Council a draft resolution proposing to declare Israeli settlements as illegal.

* Arab League chief says Tunisia is dire warning The secretary general of the Arab League on Wednesday linked the upheaval in Tunisia to deteriorating economic conditions throughout the Arab world.

* U.S. envoys arrive in Israel in bid to advance peace talks with Palestinians U.S. diplomats Dennis Ross and David Hale arrived in Israel Thursday morning in a renewed attempt to revive stagnated peace talks.

* Bombs targeting Shiite pilgrims in Iraq kill 51 Three car bombs blasted through security checkpoints ringing the Iraqi holy city of Karbala.

01/19/11

* Iran urges U.S., Israel to stop 'interference' in Lebanon Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday urged Israel, the United States and several European nations to stop meddling in Lebanon.

* China's Hu Jintao and Barack Obama pledge stronger ties US President Barack Obama has hailed relations with China, saying the two countries have a huge stake in each other's success.

* Hizbullah 'Practicing to Take Over Beirut' Hizbullah's black-clad terrorist militia are training to take over Beirut’s airport and highways and carried out dry-run maneuvers early Tuesday as Beirut residents fled in panic.

* Syria would suppress a Tunisia-like revolt Syria is prepared for a revolt of the kind recently seen in Tunisia.

* Senators Pressure Clinton to Veto UN Anti-Israeli Resolution Sixteen U.S. senators have urged U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to order a veto of a United Nations resolution condemning Jewish development in United Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

* Palestinians raise flag at Washington office Palestinians on Tuesday raised their flag over the PLO diplomatic mission in Washington for the first time.

* Arabs submit settlement resolution to Security Council Arab nations have formally submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council condemning Jewish settlement building in Judea and Samaria.

* Russia, Jordan vow to achieve an independent Palestinian state The leaders of Jordan and Russia on Wednesday vowed to work together to achieve an independent Palestinian state and boosted cooperation in the energy sector.

* Iran seeks to boost corps of cyber police Iran's top police chief envisions a new beat for his forces: patrolling cyberspace.

* Medvedev reaffirms Soviet recognition of Palestine Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday Moscow had recognized an independent Palestinian state in 1988 and was not changing that position adopted by the former Soviet Union.

01/18/11

* Israel Crosses into Gaza after Bombing Attempt Israeli tanks and bulldozers crossed several hundred feet into Gaza Tuesday afternoon and killed one terrorist.

* Jews Must Flee Holland in 2011 During last summer, a monumental tree trunk collapsed in Amsterdam.

* Iran: Sanctions won't stop nuclear drive Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Teheran is making steady progress in its nuclear program.

* 'European countries may recognize Palestinian state' Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Yuval Diskin said on Tuesday that he believed that international recognition of a Palestinian state will spread.

* Medvedev: As we did in 1988, Russia still recognizes an independent Palestine Russian President Dmitry Medvedev endorsed a Palestinian state on Tuesday, saying Moscow had recognized independence in 1988.

* PM determined to advance peace talks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to speed up the dialogue with the United States in a bid to renew the regional peace process.

* EU intelligence services opening up to collaboration EU member states' intelligence services are among the most jealously-guarded national assets despite five decades of integration.

* New Year message: 'Geriatric' EU needs 'vigorous' Turkey Turkish leader Recep Tayip Erodgan has lambasted the EU as a spent force on the international stage.

* Tunisia coalition hits trouble on day two Tunisia's new coalition government hit trouble on Tuesday when four ministers quit and an opposition party threatened to walk out.

* Will Obama and Hu Jintao Find Middle Ground? One Chinese saying about the country's ties with the U.S. goes like this: the U.S. and China are too dependent on one another for their relationship to be terribly bad.

01/17/11

* Tunisia unrest: Renewed anti-government protests New protests have broken out on the streets of Tunisia's capital, Tunis, hours before the expected announcement of a new national unity government.

* Tunisia Chaos a Sign for Caution on PA State, Warns Netanyahu The current rebellion, mayhem and ensuing violence in Tunisia serves a warning against rushing into establishing the Palestinian Authority as a new Arab country without proper security guarantees.

* Amid Lebanon unrest, UN tribunal expected to blame Hezbollah for Hariri murder Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah accuses UN tribunal of working under the auspices of the U.S. and Israel.

* Hu Highlights Need for U.S.-China Cooperation, Questions Dollar Chinese President Hu Jintao emphasized the need for cooperation with the U.S. in areas from new energy to space ahead of his visit to Washington this week.

* Erekat to ask UNSC to declare all settlements illegal Palestinian negotiator set to request UN demand to halt all settlement construction; hopes to win support of 14 of 15 council members.

* Tunisia - first popular uprising in Arab world The spontaneous revolution of Tunisian people has forever changed Arab world; it has shown that grassroots revolution can happen everywhere.

* First US ambassador in 5 years arrives in Syria Robert Ford assumed post in Damascus days after government in Lebanon collapsed after Hezbollah ministers, allies resigned from cabinet

* Egypt Sentences Muslim to Death in Killings of Christians An Egyptian court sentenced a Muslim man to death Sunday for killing six Christians and a Muslim police guard outside a church in a drive-by shooting more than a year ago.

* Venezuela Says Oil Reserves Surpass Saudi Arabia's Venezuela has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the world leader in oil reserves with certified deposits leaping to 297 billion barrels at the end of 2010, President Hugo Chavez's government said.

* Experience the Warsaw Ghetto Visitors to a new exhibit at the Yad Mordechai Museum can take a virtual train to a virtual death camp, and feel the cannon-fire in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

01/15/11

* UN tribunal to link Iran's Supreme Leader with Hariri assassination A United Nations tribunal is to indict Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with ordering the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

* International ambassadors tour Iranian nuclear facility Several international envoys — but crucially none from the world powers — got a look inside an Iranian nuclear site Saturday.

* A warning to Arab dictators Arab dictators have good reason to be afraid in light of the ouster of Tunisian President Zein al-Abideen Bin Ali.

* Security and Defense: Digital strike Eric Byres was shocked. Sitting in his office in Vancouver, Canada a few weeks ago, he began sifting through some of the requests submitted via the Internet to gain access to blocked-off parts of the website of his company.

* Tunisia tries to form coalition, shooting on streets Gunmen fired at random from cars in Tunis on Saturday and inmates staged a mass jailbreak.

* Lebanese minister: UN findings to be released next week Lebanese Labor Minister Boutros Harb has said that the UN investigation on the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri results will be released Monday.

* BP and Russia in Arctic oil deal The "strategic global alliance" will see the firms exchange expertise in exploring the region.

* Inflation in eurozone rises in December Rising fuel prices helped push annual eurozone inflation up to 2.2% in December, from 1.9% in November.

* 'Israel's Economy is Good and the World Should Know It' The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) held on Thursday its annual press briefing for members of the international media.

* Vatican Welcomes First Anglicans Converting Under New Rules The Vatican on Saturday welcomed the first group of traditionalist Anglicans who plan to convert to Roman Catholicism.

01/14/11

* The ghost of Saddam Hussein One of the General Staff generals refuses to regard Iraq's hostility as a thing of the past.

* Russia nears arms pact approval, warns on pullout Russia's parliament moved closer to approving a landmark arms reduction treaty with Washington.

* Saudi Arabia's war against al-Qaida The war between Arab governments and militant Salafi Islamists led by al-Qaida plays out across the Middle East and beyond on a daily basis.

* Turkish PM: Hamas is a 'Political Group,' Not Terrorists Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday night that his nation "stands by Hamas," which he called "a political group."

* Golani Soldiers Swear In at the Western Wall On Wednesday, the inaugural ceremony of the Golani Brigade took place at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

* IDF collecting settlers' weapons The Judea and Samaria Division has decided to collect hundreds of weapons handed to West Bank settlers by the army.

* Obama forming Mideast 'task force' The Obama administration is looking for new ideas to jumpstart the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

* Mideast Quartet to meet in latest bid to renew peace talks The Mideast Quartet - consisting of the United Nations, European Union, the United States and Russia - are set to meet next month.

* Turkey deplores Europe's 'lack of vision' Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday (13 January) deplored EU leaders' "lack of vision" for blocking Ankara's EU accession talks.

* US ambassador lampoons Nordic military pact Proposals for the five Nordic countries to create a mini-Nato alliance are "dreams in Polar fog".

01/13/11

* A newsletter-publisher said to have ties with the Obama administration has called on Washington to end its strategic alliance with Israel George Friedman, publisher of Stratfor, has published a book that called on the Obama administration to reorder U.S. foreign policy.

* Turkey PM: Netanyahu has worst government in history of Israel Turkish Prime Minister Tayyep Recep Erdogan on Thursday decried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as the "worst" in the history of Israel.

* Clinton says Mideast faces disaster without reform US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday delivered a stark warning to Arab leaders that they will face growing unrest.

* Lebanon crisis raises risk of conflict on EU's southern fringe The threat of a fresh and potentially contagious Middle East conflict has sharply increased after the collapse of the Lebanese government.

* Hamas deploys forces near Israel-Gaza border to enforce truce The Gaza Strip's ruling Hamas movement has ordered its security commanders to enforce a cease-fire with Israel.

* Biden and Maliki say they are still committed to troop withdrawal by end of year Vice President Biden and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday reiterated their commitment to the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this year.

* NY: Jewish, Christian Leaders Against 41% Abortion Rate Rabbi David Zwiebel and other NYC religious leaders call for new efforts to reduce the city's abortions.

* Joschka Fischer: United States of Europe is the only way to preserve EU influence. At a large gathering on Wednesday evening (12 January) in the European Parliament, members of the Spinelli Group, a new network of prominent euro-federalists, called for an acceleration of European integration.

* Israel needs to be concerned Hizbullah’s decision to topple the Lebanese government was exactly what OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot expected would happen.

* Netanyahu: Iran Has Been Unmasked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu conducted on Tuesday his annual meeting with the international press.

01/12/11

* Hezbollah ministers quit over Hariri probe, toppling Lebanon government Eleven Lebanese government ministers, 10 of them from Hezbollah and its allies, announced their resignation.

* Egypt to Hamas: Stop Gaza rockets or face new Israel war Egypt has told Hamas that Israel might launch a Gaza war to curb rocket attacks.

* Netanyahu: WikiLeaks showed three top issues in Mideast are Iran, Iran, Iran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told foreign journalists Tuesday that the American diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks showed that Iran and its nuclear program were the primary concern for leaders in the Middle East.

* Netanyahu: Only 'credible' military threat led by U.S. can stop nuclear Iran Only the convincing threat of military action headed by the United States will persuade Iran to drop plans to build an atomic bomb.

* Outrageous assassination elevates Pakistan to the Numero Uno crisis A Washington mesmerized by entering a new domestic political era may not recognize it, but Pakistan should now be the major — certainly foreign — preoccupation for policymakers.

* Ministers clash over event at pilgrim site A historical ceremony is planned next week to officially reopen the Qasr al-Yahud ritual baptism site on the Jordan River.

* 'Greater' Hungary heading for fresh EU controversy with 'history carpet' The Hungarian EU presidency is steering into a fresh controversy with the installation of a 'history carpet' featuring a map of 'Greater Hungary'.

* Huckabee Leads in First GOP State Nominations for President Solidly pro-Israel Mike Huckabee leads the polls for the Iowa caucus nomination .

* Barak: Israel closely monitoring Lebanon situation The fall of Lebanon's national unity government following the resignation of Hezbollah ministers and their allies has raised concerns in Israel.

* More e. Jerusalem Palestinians seeking citizenship Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem are increasingly lining up to request Israeli citizenship.

01/11/11

* Amano: 'Know too little about Teheran's nuclear activities' Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano said that "we still know too little about Teheran's nuclear activities."

* Pope Benedict Urges Pakistan to Repeal Blasphemy Law In a forceful appeal for religious freedom, Pope Benedict XVI urged Pakistan on Monday to repeal contentious blasphemy laws.

* Israel reconsiders deployment of rocket protection system near Gaza border In light of harsh criticism from the Israeli public, Israel's defense establishment has announced that it may reconsider its policy regarding the Iron Dome missile defense system.

* U.S. sees North Korea becoming direct threat, eyes ICBMs North Korea is becoming a direct threat to the United States and could develop an inter-continental ballistic missile within five years.

* China conducts first test-flight of stealth plane The confirmation came after images of the 15-minute flight in Chengdu appeared on several Chinese websites.

* Hubble telescope zeroes in on green blob in space The Hubble Space Telescope got its first peek at a mysterious giant green blob in outer space and found that it's strangely alive.

* Israeli recruitment plans for ultra-Orthodox called 'significant revolution' Israel's military is targeting the huge ultra-Orthodox Jewish community for recruitment.

* Biden Assures Karzai of U.S. Presence Beyond 2014 Visiting Vice President Joseph R. Biden met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here Tuesday and promised a lasting American commitment to the country well beyond 2014.

* Soccer and Foul Language on the Temple Mount A new video which was recently posted to YouTube depicts Arabs playing soccer on the Temple Mount.

* Al-Qaeda to target royal wedding? Al-Qaeda intends to carry out a massive terrorist attack during Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.

01/10/11

* "Travel Palestine" ad is a step back to rejectionsim Board of Deputies of British Jews responds to text in "National Geographic" ad which seems to blot out Israel's existence.

* Palestinians to seek UN recognition for independent state in September Move part of Palestinians' "Plan B" of pursuing alternative to a negotiated peace deal while talks with Israel remain stalled.

* Israel Shocked, Insulted as EU Calls Jerusalem a Settlement Israel is shocked by international criticism of the demolition of a Jewish-owned property in Jerusalem.

* EU envoys: Treat East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital EU envoys in the Middle East are urging Brussels to treat East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state.

* Robert Gates in China: Beijing seeks to ease US fears China's defence minister has sought to play down the country's military build-up, after talks with US counterpart Robert Gates in Beijing.

* Hamas Leader Joins Ahmadinejad, Calls Holocaust a Lie A senior Hamas leader has followed in the footsteps of his organization's Iranian benefactor and calls the Holocaust a lie.

* Egyptians chafe under Mubarak's protracted tenure Arab leader on shakey grounds following church terror attack, endures much speculation about upcoming elections

* Greece blasts EU hypocrisy for opposing Turkey wall plans Athens has slammed the "hypocrisy" of unspecified EU member states criticising its plans to erect a wall at the border with Turkey, while at the same time denouncing its incapacity to stem irregular migration.

* Pope decries attacks against religious minorities In his annual "State of the World" address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, Pope Benedict XVI spoke Monday about religious intolerance and discrimination toward Christian minorities around the world.

* Netanyahu defends settlement after U.S. criticism Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Jews have a right to live anywhere in Jerusalem, defended a settlement project that drew criticism from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

01/08/11

* Iraq Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr urges Iraqis to unite Anti-US Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has told an enthusiastic crowd of followers in Iraq to give the country's new government a chance.

* 'US failed to convince Israel to halt settlement building' Palestinian Authority UN observer says Palestinians are seeking UN resolution demanding Israel immediately stop all settlement activities.

* Help wanted: Real leader to end the death spiral of once-promising Pakistan Pakistan is a difficult country to run. Since its creation, the revolving door of civilian governance and active military rule has paralyzed the country's growth.

* Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans.

* Iran claims nuclear technology breakthrough Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi says his country is now capable of making the fuel plates and rods used inside nuclear reactors.

* Clinton set to depart for Gulf ahead of Iran talks US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to depart for the Gulf Saturday with discussions about Iran sanctions high on the agenda.

* Chile announces recognition of Palestinian statehood After a day of conflicting reports, Chile joined a growing number of Latin American nations on Friday night officially recognizing Palestinian statehood.

* Hungary to change media law if EU deems necessary The Hungarian government has said it is willing to change a controversial new media law.

* Gates Packs Familiar List of Issues for Beijing In late 2007, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates flew to Beijing bearing pledges of harmony and vows.

* EGYPT: Some Copts and Muslims come together during Orthodox Christmas Christian Orthodox Christmas has long been a nettlesome holiday for Egypt's Muslims.

01/07/10

* Analysis: No strike at Iran as Pardo takes Mossad baton Military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would be counterproductive and would exact an enormous diplomatic, economic and military price.

* EU's Ashton calls for Quartet talks The EU foreign policy chief called on Thursday for the Quartet of Middle East mediators to meet early next month to help Israel and the Palestinians overcome the deadlock in peace talks.

* US defense visit will renew ties with rising China As America's top defense official visits China next week, its growing military capabilities are redrawing the security landscape in Asia.

* Hitler exhibition in Berlin extended due to throngs of visitors Over 915,000 visitors viewed exhibit in 2010, with 28% from Berlin, just under 40% from the rest of Germany and some 32% from abroad.

* Ashton: EU will not check Iran's nuclear sites The European Union will reject Iran's offer to tour its nuclear site.

* Chilean Jews: Gov't has not recognized Palestinian state Chile has not recognized a Palestinian state contrary to recent reports on the Web.

* Security and Defense: Can Damascus be swayed? When Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi hangs up his uniform next month and vacates his office in the Kirya military headquarters.

* U.S. denies Turkey's request for combat UAVs The United States has banned a range of advanced weapons for export to Turkey.

* 'The Best Youth': 300 Start IAF Pilots Course The Air Force welcomed this week its largest group of pilot course cadets in five years.

* PA seeks UN vote next week on resolution condemning West Bank settlements The Palestinians are hoping for a vote next week on a UN resolution demanding that Israel stop all settlement activities immediately.

01/06/10

* Is Mossad Systematically Killing Iranian Nuclear Scientists? Iran's state-run Fars News Agency (FNA) is accusing Israel's international intelligence agency of killing the country's nuclear scientists.

* China stealth plane still 'years away', says Pentagon The US is downplaying pictures which appear to show a working prototype of a Chinese stealth aircraft, invisible to radar.

* US to send 1,400 additional marines to Afghanistan The US is to send an additional 1,400 marines to southern Afghanistan in an effort to counter a Taliban offensive, a Pentagon official has said.

* Ashton meets Abbas, Fayyad; urges return to talks EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad separately.

* Egypt on alert as Copts gather for Christmas Eve Coptic Christians are preparing to celebrate Christmas Eve amid tight security after a bomb attack on a church in Egypt in which 23 died.

* Arab states work to finalize anti-settlement draft A group of Arab states launched negotiations on a resolution against Israeli building in West Bank settlements.

* Mindsets and geography: China changes the map half a world away In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, after agreeing to dismember Czechoslovakia to appease Hitler, described it as "a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing."

* Netanyahu to tell Mubarak: We won't let Hamas and Hezbollah disturb the quiet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday as part of an effort to revive stalled Middle East peace talks.

* Hamas, Winner of PA Elections, Teaches: Destroy Israel A Hamas member of the PA parliament visited and emphasized his organization’s commitment to liberate all of Palestine.

* Ivory Coast: Deadly ethnic clashes in Duekoue At least 14 people have died in ethnic clashes in Ivory Coast between groups that support opposing sides in the crisis over the disputed election.

01/05/10

* Blair: Serious trouble if no talks soon The Quartet Special Envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair said Tuesday on CNN that Israel and the Palestinians will be in serious trouble if they don't begin talks in the near future.

* PM, Blair meet as peace process returns to int'l agenda The EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, meanwhile, is expected to arrive on Wednesday for meetings in Jerusalem with Israeli leaders.

* 'Feminism' in Gaza: Women Train as Suicide Bombers "Terrorist feminists" in Hamas-controlled Gaza are training to be suicide bombers and to shoot machine guns to kill Israelis.

* Hearings on the 'radicalization of the American Muslim community'? Not 'blather' but 'sensible' As a result of the November elections, in which Republicans won control of the House of Representatives, Congressman Peter King is the new Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

* Muslim School in Jerusalem Teaches Children to Seek Death The Palestinian Media Watch organization, which monitors PA media, often finds cases of incitement to terrorism and hatred of Israel, including incitement targeting young children.

* EU pushes Mideast talks, says 'no alternative' to negotiated deal Progress in Middle East peace talks is urgently needed because there is "no alternative" to a negotiated deal.

* World Bank issues its 1st yuan bonds in Hong Kong The World Bank is issuing its first bonds denominated in China's yuan in Hong Kong.

* Anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr returns to Iraq Iraqi officials say anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has returned to Iraq after a nearly three-year absence.

* UN Nixes Lebanese Attempt to Stop Israeli Offshore Drilling The United Nations has rejected an attempt by Lebanon to stop Israel from drilling for oil and natural gas in the Mediterranean.

* Egypt Church Bombing Fuels Sectarian Rift It was a tragic year for Egypt’s minority Coptic Christian community that began with a drive-by shooting at a church in southern Egypt, and ended in deadly clashes near Cairo after authorities halted construction of a church.

01/04/11

* Tower of Babel's Ruins Waiting for Archaeologists Archaeologists are hoping to save the ruins of the Biblical era Tower of Babel, located in Iraq.

* A Triage to Save the Ruins of Babylon The damage done to the ruins of ancient Babylon is visible from a small hilltop near the Tower of Babel.

* Iran invites foreign diplomats to nuclear sites Iran has invited foreign diplomats to tour its nuclear facilities, ahead of fresh talks with key world powers over its controversial nuclear program.

* China's strategic game plan in the Persian Gulf Realpolitik is now a more important guide to Chinese political thinking than revolutionary ardor.

* Al Qaida tied to bombing of church in Egypt Al Qaida is believed to have conducted a mass-casualty strike in Egypt.

* UK: Number of Muslim converts doubled in 10 years The number of Britons choosing to become Muslims has nearly doubled in the past decade.

* Egypt's pope: State must address Copts woes In rare criticism, the head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church has called on the government to address Christian grievances about discrimination.

* Guard kills governor of Pakistan's Punjab province The governor of Pakistan's central Punjab province, a senior member of the ruling party, was shot dead by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on Tuesday.

* Islamists 'build their scapegoat' for church bombing The New Year's Eve suicide bombing at an Egyptian Coptic church that killed 21 people is stoking fears of a new onslaught against Christians by radical Islamists.

* Indirect Talks with Syria to Trade 'Apples for Water' Israel and Syria are involved in indirect talks for a novel proposal to export Israeli apples in return for Syrian water.

01/03/11

* WikiLeaks quotes IDF chief: Iran could hit Israel within 12 minutes Gabi Ashkenazi told US officials in 2009 that Israel was preparing for war against Hamas, Hezbollah and that rocket threat against Israel is "more serious than ever".

* Sabretooth cats threatened most ancient human ancestor Humankind's oldest known ancestor probably lived in fear of several large sabretooth cats that roamed the same ancient lakeside habitat in Africa.

* Alexandria church bomb: Egypt police on high alert Hundreds of Egyptian riot police are deployed outside the church in Alexandria where 21 Christians were killed in a New Year's Day bomb attack.

* Turkish IHH Continues to Lead Incitement Drive The Turkish IHH, which directed the 'Free Gaza' flotilla led by the Mavi Marmara, continues at the forefront of an anti-Israeli hate and incitement campaign.

* Opposition groups urge Jordanian government to severe ties with Israel Statement comes in the wake of reports that national security chief Uzi Arad met secretly with Jordanian FM in Amman last week.

* Ex-Lebanon president: Extremists waging genocide against Christians in Middle East Following New Year's suicide bombing at a church in Egypt, Amin Gemayel urges Middle East leaders to give Christian communities a larger political role.

* Obama Tries to Reassert His Christian Bona Fides, With Words and Deeds Barack Obama went to church on the Sunday after Christmas in his native Hawaii, worshiping at a multidenominational service at a chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

* Iran says Bushehr plant nearly ready to join power grid Salehi tells Iranian television that progress being made at power plant, says fuel has been pumped into core for several months.

* Russian president's visit to Israel cancelled due to Foreign Ministry strike Foreign Ministry workers threatened to cause problems upon Dmitry Medvedev's arrival, so the planned visit was cancelled to avoid an embarrassing diplomatic incident.

* China in nuclear power advance China has developed its own technologies that will enable it to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, state television has reported.

01/01/11

* Egypt bomb kills 21 at Alexandria Coptic church President Hosni Mubarak has urged Egypt's Muslims and Christians to stand united against terrorism after a bombing outside a church in Alexandria.

* Pope Benedict XVI to hold religious peace summit Pope Benedict XVI has said he will organise a summit in Assisi with religious heads to discuss how they can promote world peace.

* Washington Post calls Russian regime untrustworthy after endorsing New START A Washington Post editorial on Nov. 19 endorsed Senate passage of the New START treaty with Russia.

* Estonian cashpoints begin pumping out euro-notes Cashpoints in Estonia began issuing euro banknotes at around 20 minutes past midnight local time on Saturday (1 January) in a development marking the fourth phase of expansion for the troubled single currency.

* Please, not again Without boldness from Barack Obama there is a real risk of war in the Middle East.

* 'US secretly talking to Damascus about Israel-Syria peace' Kuwaiti paper 'Al-Rai' reports Syrian officials told Dennis Ross they are prepared to distance themselves from Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas.

* Top Israeli news story of 2010: The Gaza flotilla raid Like other military and diplomatic conflagrations in the past, the Gaza flotilla's aftermath was most felt in its exposure of Israeli weaknesses.

* NKorea warns war would bring 'nuclear holocaust' North Korea welcomed the new year Saturday with a call for better ties with rival South Korea, warning that war "will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust."

* Website aims to be Facebook for gays in military After nearly two decades of hearing "don't ask, don't tell," gay U.S. military men and women are now hearing, "do ask, do tell," and even, "find a friend" from a new social network website, Out Military.

* Palestinians vow revenge following protestor's death Member of Bilin popular committee says 'Israel's lethal response to our campaign will not be ignored' following death of Jawaher Abu Rahma who inhaled large quantities of tear gas in anti-fence protest