06/30/11

* US to resume formal Muslim Brotherhood contacts The United States has decided to resume formal contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

* Riyadh will build nuclear weapons if Iran gets them, Saudi prince warns A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East.

* Are subs, not the planes, the best way for Israel to counter Iran? Most experts interpreted former Mossad chief Meir Dagan's warnings against an Israeli attack on Iran as being aimed first and foremost at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* 4 Hizbullah Terrorists Indicted for Hariri Murder in Lebanon Four top Hizbullah terrorists have been indicted by the Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon for the murder of former President Rafik al-Hariri.

* U.S. now quietly seeking regime change in Syria After steadfastly defending his regime, the United States is seeking to build an alliance against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

* Libya: Russia decries French arms drop to Libya rebels Russia has strongly criticised France for dropping weapons to Libyan rebels and demanded an explanation from Paris.

* 'Monster' driving cosmic beacon Astronomers have spied a monster black hole - the brightest object yet seen in the early Universe.

* Israeli software supports theory that Bible was written by multiple authors Software developed by an Israeli team is giving intriguing new hints about what some researchers believe to be the multiple hands that wrote the Bible.

* Putin says Russian 2012 election will be dirty Putin, Russia's most popular politician, made clear he would play a significant role in the election.

* Obiang Tells World Not To Intervene In Africa Foreign military intervention has caused massive suffering in Africa and should only be carried out with the consensus of African nations, the African Union's rotating chairman said.

06/29/11

* UK: Iran tested nuclear-capable missiles Iran has carried out secret tests of ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload in breach of UN resolutions.

* 'World economy at stake' in Greek austerity vote Europe ramped up pressure on the Greek parliament Tuesday to approve drastic austerity measures.

* Israel Warns Assad He Is on Death List If He Attacks: Report A Kuwaiti newspaper reports that Israel has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that if he will be targeted if he tries to start a war with Israel.

* Jordan to oppose PA statehood bid A senior Jordanian official says the Hashemite kingdom will vote against a Palestinian statehood bid.

* As police crush protests, EU narrowly wins Greek vote As the Greek parliament managed to narrowly pass a package of sweeping privatisation and draconian cuts to public services at the insistence of the EU and IMF, police deployed an unprecedented level of violence.

* Gaza-bound flotilla underway French ship Dignity which departed for the rendezvous with vessels participating in the Gaza flotilla on Saturday has apparently decided to skip the Athens stop.

* Fayyad: UN's 'PA State' Symbolic Only Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad admitted Tuesday that United Nations recognition of a PA state would basically change nothing.

* EU holds on to IMF chairmanship French finance minister Christine Lagarde has been appointed as the new chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

* Official: More than 1,000 hurt in Egypt clashes A senior official says more than 1,000 people have been hurt in two days of clashes between police and protesters.

* Gaza flotilla makes Internet splash It may still be anyone's guess when a small international convoy of vessels carrying pro-Palestinian activists will set sail from Greece to the Gaza Strip in a challenge to Israel's naval blockade.

06/28/11

* Iran test fires long-range missiles capable of striking Israel, U.S. bases Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested 14 missiles on Tuesday.

* U.S., EU to present Mideast peace plan in last push to prevent Palestinian UN bid The Mideast Quartet is planning to present a new international peace plan at a summit in Washington on July 11.

* ICC chief prosecutor: 'Game over' for Gaddafi in 2-3 months "It is a matter of time ... Gaddafi will face charges. The arrest warrants are not going away," Hague prosecutor says.

* Netanyahu: Abbas, Just Say the Six Words Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas to "just say six words - I will accept the Jewish state".

* Mickey Mouse tweet by Egypt's Sawiris angers conservatives One of Egypt's richest men has been accused of mocking Islam after tweeting cartoons of Mickey and Minnie Mouse wearing conservative Muslim attire.

* IDF's Cyber-Commander Prepares Internet Assault "Computers and keyboards are the weapons, Facebook and Twitter are the battlefields. It is there that we fight, each and every day."

* Most Palestinians support UN statehood bid, poll finds Most Palestinians support the PA plan to seek statehood in the United Nations in September.

* 'Egyptian curricula states Jews, Christians are infidels' Egypt's school curriculum, laden with anti-Semitic and anti-Christian sentiment, must undergo drastic reform to comply with international standards.

* Horn of Africa sees 'worst drought in 60 years' More than 10 million people are thought to be affected across the region.

* Long-Serving Finance Minister Calls for Reforms to Bolster Russia's Power It has been an unusual season for Aleksei L. Kudrin, Russia's finance minister, one of Moscow's quietest and most powerful men.

06/27/11

* Netanyahu Orders Navy to Interdict Flotilla Prime Minister Binyamin ordered Israel's defense establishment Monday to interdict the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla 2.

* Is the 'Peace Process' the Road to War? Last week, President Shimon Peres warned that written peace agreement on Jerusalem will cause a "world war."

* Iran to stage missile war games Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards began a 10-day missile training exercise on Monday.

* Tourism Minister Has Plan to Keep Dead Sea from Dying Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov is hoping the government adopts his plan to keep the Dead Sea from dying.

* No Jews to be Allowed on Delta-Saudi Air Line Flights According to a Religion News Service report, "Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly code-share flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta.

* New York Says 'I Do' to Same Sex 'Marriage' New York became the sixth and largest state in the United States Friday to legalize same-sex "marriage."

* S. Carolina Legislature Unanimously Endorses 'United Israel' The South Carolina state legislature has unanimously passed a bill calling on the state of Israel to retain control over the West Bank.

* Fear and trembling in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia’s Harrat Lunayyir lava field doesn’t seem the kind of place that would generate much concern from anyone.

* Enter the dragon 'to save the euro' It is in the interest of cash-rich China to help resolve the eurozone debt crisis.

* Egypt: Muslim extremists 'surround church and threaten to kill priest' Hundreds of Muslim extremists surrounded a church in central Egypt and threatened to kill the local priest.

06/25/11

* Muslim Brotherhood Creates Super-Coalition Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has created a coalition of 17 parties, including liberal and secular groups, to form a common platform ahead of legislative elections.

* Afghanistan: Deadly attack on Logar hospital A deadly car bomb has hit a hospital in Afghanistan's eastern Logar province, with women, children and elderly among the casualties.

* Iran's supreme leader accuses US of terrorism Iran's supreme leader on Saturday accused the United States of supporting terrorism.

* Assad journal: Syria crisis over A day after 15 protestors were shot to death by Syrian security forces, Damascus is signaling that the crisis in the country is over.

* New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law Lawmakers voted late Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed.

* EU leaders call US bluff on 1967 borders in Israel EU countries have called on the US to get behind an initiative to revive Middle East peace talks based on a format disliked by Israel.

* EU's Ashton: With its changing neighborhood, now is the time for Israel to move The leaders of the European Union are nonetheless putting time and energy into getting the ball rolling again on the Israeli-Palestinian front.

* First Temple period archeological site unveiled in J'lem A large complex of ruins from the First Temple period called the Ophel City Walls Site was inaugurated on Tuesday in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park.

* Ahmadinejad accuses US of profiting from 9/11, Holocaust The attacks of September 11, 2001 are questionable and the United States is benefiting from them.

* US issues stern warning to Gaza flotilla activists The US State Department on Friday warned activists planning to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.

06/24/11

* PM Says Abbas Must Recognize Israel's Jewishness Before Peace Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday said an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict would come when Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas recognizes Israel as a Jewish State.

* Syrian refugees continue to flock to Turkey More than 1,500 Syrian refugees streamed across the border to safe havens in Turkey in one day.

* EU names Iranian Guard commanders in Syria sanctions More than 1,500 Syrian refugees fled to Turkey on Thursday as Syrian President Bashar Assad's military crackdown on protests swept up to the border.

* Rebels: Gaddafi could stay in Libya as part of settlement Libyan rebels rule out any role for Muammar Gaddafi in a future government but could let him remain "in a remote part of Libya" as part of a settlement.

* Palestinian UN envoy: Talks with Israel won't stop bid for state recognition The Palestinians will seek membership as an independent state at the UN in September even if peace negotiations with Israel are underway.

* Muslim Brotherhood Creates Super-Coalition Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has created a coalition of 17 parties, including liberal and secular groups, to form a common platform ahead of legislative elections.

* 'Erekat says Turkey to help build support for PA bid at UN' Turkey has pledged to help the Palestinians enlist additional nations to support their bid for statehood in the United Nations.

* Israel's Vatican envoy praises Pope Pius XII for saving Jews during the Holocaust A leading Israeli official has praised Pope Pius XII for saving Jews during the Nazi occupation of Rome.

* China sends friendly face on EU tour The friendly face of the Chinese regime will on Friday (24 June) start an EU peregrination designed to strengthen economic and political relations.

* This Week in History: The sinking of the 'Altalena' Decision to send Jewish soldiers against fellow Jews has never been forgiven by some who view it as betrayal of the purpose of a Jewish army.

06/23/11

* Analysis: Obama's Afghanistan Withdrawal Speech - Text & Subtext U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of 33,000 American troops by next summer.

* Syrian troops near Turkish border, refugees flee Syrian troops massed near the Turkish border, witnesses said on Thursday.

* Hizbullah May Attack Israel to Take Spotlight off Syria Lebanese terror organization and political force Hizbullah is preparing for a possible war with Israel.

* 'Frantic' Arms Race in Middle East, Says Air Force Chief "The Middle East is in the throes of a frantic arms race, both in numbers of weapons and unbelievable financial costs", Maj. Gen. Ido Nehoshtan.

* Ashton's secret diplomacy upsets EU states EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton has annoyed some member states by taking part in a secretive meeting.

* 2012 Troop Pullback Worries Military Experts On Afghanistan’s battlefields, the most significant effect of President Obama’s latest orders will be felt at this time next year.

* Third Intifada App Removed from Apple 'App Store' A computer application called “The 3rd Intifada” has been removed by the giant Apple computer firm from its App Store.

* 'Hezbollah preparing for war against Israel to protect Syria's Assad' Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group is preparing for a possible war with Israel to relieve perceived Western pressure to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.

* Dutch court acquits anti-Islam lawmaker A Dutch court acquitted right-wing politician Geert Wilders of hate speech and discrimination.

* Libya conflict: Gaddafi accuses Nato of murder Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has accused Nato states of murder.

06/22/11

* Min. Edelstein Asks Apple to Remove Anti-Israel App Israeli officials were up in arms Tuesday after Apple cleared for release into the iPhone App Store an application that encourages violent uprising against Israel.

* Online Game: Let's See What Happens if Israel Concedes Territory A new online game outlines the dangers that would occur if Israel withdraws from Judea and Samaria.

* Blair: Iran must not be allowed to develop nuke program Iran must not be allowed to develop its nuclear program, Quartet envoy Tony Blair said Tuesday.

* US takes on illegal Israeli kiosk workers United States authorities have decided to take a stand against the popular phenomenon of foreigners, mostly Israelis.

* Syrian foreign minister condemns extended EU sanctions Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has attacked the European Union for extending sanctions against his country.

* West begins preparing for Syria regime collapse On June 18, Western governments began to warn their nationals of an impending collapse in Syria.

* Barack Obama and Pentagon split on Afghanistan pullout US president set to reject military advice by withdrawing more troops from Afghanistan.

* Europe's ATV space freighter burns up Europe's space freighter has destroyed itself over the South Pacific.

* PA Claims Israel Steals Gas in Exploration of Gaza Waters The Palestinian Authority is claiming that authorization by the Israeli government for the Noble Gas firm to explore the waters off the coast of Gaza for potential natural gas fields constitutes "theft."

* Profile: Ban Ki-moon He was re-elected for a second term by the UN General Assembly, unopposed and unanimously, on 21 June 2011, with effect from 1 January 2012.

06/21/11

* Best preserved site of First Temple Ruins inaugurated A large complex of ruins from the First Temple Period called the Ophel City Walls Site was inaugurated on Tuesday in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park.

* Paris Air Show: Israeli companies unveil defense systems The Israeli mission to the 2011 International Paris Air Show held in Le Bourget comprised of 15 companies representing Israel's top defense systems manufactures.

* New iPad application calls for "third intifada" A new iPad application was released on Tuesday calling for a "third intifada."

* U.S. economic metrics similar to those of Greece; Inaction moves global economy to the brink Half-measure solutions offered by the Greek Prime Minister and the European Union on June 15-17 to resolve the Hellenic Republic's structural economic and productivity crisis have failed.

* Syria unrest: Clashes as large Pro-Assad rallies held Clashes have broken out between supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and anti-government protesters in Homs, Hama and Deir al-Zour.

* The YouTube the Palestinian Authority Does Not Want You to See A YouTube video depicting the history of the Temple Mount may be yanked after Arab complaints that not enough people view it.

* France predicts Syrian leader will be next to fall French foreign minister Alain Juppe has predicted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be next to fall in the Arab Spring.

* IMF tells EU: Stop 'unproductive debate' and integrate 'now' The International Monetary Fund has bluntly warned the European Union it must put an end to its "unproductive debate" over debt restructuring.

* West Bank settlements open gates to foreign tourists Welcome to the West Bank, where Jewish settlements built on land Palestinians seek for a state are opening their gates to foreign tourists and Israeli visitors.

* UK treasury pondering death of the euro The UK's treasury minister has - during a cut-and-thrust debate in parliament - admitted that London is preparing for a potential break-up of the eurozone.

06/20/11

* Peres: Time is running out on a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal President tells CNN need for peace agreement is "very urgent", says Palestinians' UN bid for statehood will not change situation on the ground.

* Muslim states call on Hamas to recognize Quartet terms Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, including Egypt and PA, drafts unusually Israel-friendly resolutions.

* Nato suggests weapons systems failure in Tripoli raid Nato admitted a weapons systems failure may have led to civilian casualties in Sunday morning's air strike.

* Assad blames unrest on saboteurs, pledges reforms Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pledged political reforms within months to address a wave of protests against his rule.

* Medvedev hints he and Putin won't be 2012 rivals Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed talk of a deepening rift with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

* Prayer and politics: How Friday became the Middle East's day of protest Ever since he was a boy, Friday has been a day of prayer and rest for Murad Alazzany.

* Declaring Israeli Sovereignty in Yesha: Let the Debate Begin Most people on the right – in fact, most people in Israel – believe that the only real solution to the security situation is the eventual declaration of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

* Turkey warns Assad: You have less than a week to start implementing reforms Senior aide to Turkish President Gul says foreign intervention will begin unless Syrian president heeds calls for change.

* Israel to stress safety of its nuclear reactors at IAEA special session There are two declared nuclear reactors in the country: the 5-megawatt reactor at Nahal Sorek and the 24-megawatt reactor at Dimona.

* Navy chief: Flotilla will enable Hamas armament Admiral Eliezer Marom speaks at divers' graduation ceremony, urges elements involved in Gaza-bound sail to reconsider participation

06/18/11

* 'Palestinian state declaration means the end of talks' Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a meeting with his EU counterpart Catherine Ashton on Friday that if the Palestinians unilaterally declare statehood, it will bring an end to the Oslo Accords.

* Al-Qaeda: No compromise on Palestine After naming Osama bin Laden's long-serving number two, Ayman al-Zawahri, Al-Qaeda's new leader, the terror group said it "will never recognize any legitimacy for the alleged state of Israel."

* The Egyptian doctor who globalized his caliphate crusade Ayman al-Zawahri is an Egyptian medical doctor from a wealthy family who became involved in militant Islamism.

* Powerful cosmic blast as black hole shreds star Astronomers have spied a star's swan song as it is shredded by a black hole.

* Syria forces storm border town near Turkey Syrian troops and gunmen loyal to President Bashar Assad stormed a town near the Turkish border on Saturday.

* Conference to offer alternative to 2-state solution A mini-conference next week on the subject of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is the first step in an effort to present an alternative to the two-state solution.

* Peres warns: Israel in danger of ceasing to exist as Jewish state President Shimon Peres is concerned that Israel might become a binational state, in which case, he warned, it would cease to exist as a Jewish state.

* The Iranian Space Monkey Cometh Iran plans to send a live monkey into space in the summer.

* Turkish ship involved in Gaza flotilla raid pulls out of next convoy The Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) announced on Friday that the Mavi Marmara ship will not participate in the Gaza flotilla.

* This Week in History: First US presidential visit to Israel On June 16, 1974, US President Richard Nixon made the first visit to Israel by a sitting US president.

06/16/11

* Ayman al-Zawahiri appointed as al-Qaeda leader The long-serving second-in-command of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has been appointed its head following the death of Osama Bin Laden, the militant organization said in a statement.

* Russia, China warn West against Arab interference Russia and China oppose outside interference in the unrest in the Arab world.

* Possible Al-Qaida Hit List Targets Specific Americans An al-Qaida-linked website has posted a potential hit list of targets that include names and photos of several U.S. officials and business leaders.

* Mufti of Lebanon: Palestinians are 'trash', not welcome The mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, was quoted this week as saying that Palestinians are no longer welcome in his country.

* Photo gallery: Lunar eclipse seen round the world Spectators in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia enjoyed the longest lunar eclipse in over a decade and photographers took stunning photos.

* Circumcision Ban Fight Turns Ugly with Anti-Semitic Comics The controversy on banning circumcision in San Francisco moved on to stereotypic anti-Semitism as a promoter of the ban distributed a technologically modern, but all-too reminiscent of medieval, Nazi and Tsarist Jew-hatred, comic.

* Jordan's king: Mideast peace prospects in 2011 slim King Abdulla II of Jordan is fairly pessimistic about the chances to see the Israeli-Palestinian peace process come to fruition in 2011.

* China military paper urges steps against U.S. cyber war threat China must boost its cyber-warfare strength to counter a Pentagon push.

* Egypt's al-Karama party wants to cancel peace treaty with Israel The Egyptian al-Karama party, whose leader plans to run in the upcoming presidential elections, has said the cancellation of the Camp David Accords is its top priority.

* IDF Practices for Next Flotilla The IDF has released video showing some of the preparations for the next flotillas expected to try and break through Israel's naval blockade.

06/15/11

* Russia urges Iran to cooperate with IAEA on nuclear program Russia urged Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday to be "more constructive" in his cooperation with global powers on nuclear issues.

* Watch: Syrians burn Iran, Hezbollah flags An online video uploaded by Syrian opposition activists shows protestors setting fire to Iranian and Hezbollah flags during a demonstration held east of Damascus.

* Ahmadinejad joins China, Russia leaders at summit Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday joined the Chinese and Russian leaders in a rare encounter at a summit in Kazakhstan.

* Ashton in bid to save Middle East peace talks EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has launched a bold initiative to avert a potentially explosive dispute at the UN in September.

* Middle East Christians facing 'extremist atrocities' The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that there are extreme forces at work that have turned the Arab Spring into a "very anxious time" for Christians.

* Sudan: Barack Obama calls for ceasefire US President Barack Obama has called for a ceasefire in Sudan, following an upsurge in fighting in the South Kordofan region.

* Australian dinosaur had UK double A 5cm-wide (2in) fossil may have something big to say about how dinosaurs ranged across the Earth.

* 'Arab Spring' bad news for Russian arms industry Russia could lose up to $10 billion in arms sales amid the "Arab Spring" uprisings throughout the Middle East.

* Fleeing Syrians Take Refuge Along Border With Turkey Hundreds of Syrians displaced by a ferocious crackdown on the uprising here fled to the Turkish border by tractor, truck and foot.

* Turkish organization may cancel Gaza flotilla as IDF prepares at sea The Turkish organization IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation) is considering the cancelation of the Gaza flotilla.

06/14/11

* Syria faces US pressure to stop crackdown The US has renewed calls on Syria to halt its crackdown on anti-government protests.

* Eastern Europe new battleground in Mideast rift Warsaw and Prague might seem like unlikely battlegrounds in the Middle East conflict.

* Police Training to Stop Mass Invasion of Arab Protesters Police are conducting a large-scale training exercise in preparation for a possible massive Arab from Judea and Samaria in September.

* Syrian army pursues 'scorched earth' campaign Syrian armed forces continued a "scorched earth" campaign near the country's borders with Turkey and Iraq.

* New Egypt? 7,000 civilians jailed since Mubarak fell Egypt's military rulers told human rights advocates Monday that at least 7,000 civilians have been sentenced to prison.

* China rebukes US over South China Sea disputes China criticized the U.S. on Tuesday over a senator's call for multilateral negotiations to resolve festering territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

* Besieged Ghetto? Gaza Water Park Opens Influenced by Arab and leftist propaganda, the world sees Gaza as a ghetto under siege by the cruel Israeli army.

* Antiquities Robbers Caught Red Handed The Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Theft in the Antiquities Authority has staged a successful operation in which Arab antiquities robbers were caught red-handed while digging at an archaeological site.

* Hamas nominates Haniyeh to head government Several days after Fatah nominated Salam Fayyad to head the new Palestinian government, Hamas announced it was pushing for Ismail Haniyeh's appointment.

* Poland seeks new status in EU arena Poland hopes that its upcoming EU presidency will complete its transformation from a prickly newcomer to an established member of the EU elite.

06/13/11

* Somalia Interior Minister Killed by Al Qaeda Locals A local Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group has murdered Somalia's interior minister.

* Hezbollah rise in Lebanon gives Syria, Iran sway Hezbollah and its allies rose to a position of unprecedented dominance in Lebanon's government on Monday, giving patrons Syria and Iran greater sway in the Middle East.

* Israel Holds Out Olive Branch to Turkey Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, visiting Italy, held out an olive branch on Monday for Turkey following Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election.

* Turkey election: Victorious Erdogan pledges consensus Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to build consensus with opposition parties, after securing a third term in office.

* Lebanon PM: New government to liberate land under occupation of Israeli enemy Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati announces long-delayed new government dominated by allies of Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is likely to cause alarm among Western powers.

* Lithuania gets EU backing for confrontation with Communist past A strong promoter of shedding light on the crimes against humanity committed under the Soviet occupation, Lithuania on Friday managed to get the political backing of the other 26 EU member states for measures aimed at educating the public about all totalitarian regimes in Europe.

* More Israeli-Vatican Talks, Following Vatican Call for PA State Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon heads Monday for the Vatican, leading an Israeli delegation taking part in a plenary session of the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between Israel and the Vatican.

* Abbas Set to Fire Dahlan in PA Power Struggle Palestinian Authority PA Chairman and Fatah party leader Mahmoud Abbas is tying to fire Mohammed Dahlan, his former Gaza strongman, but the Fatah movement’s Revolutionary Council is resisting and wants Dahlan investigated for corruption.

* Tony Blair reads Quran, Bible daily In interview with Observer Former British PM discusses his intriguing reading habits and why he now has better understanding of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

* Attacks on Christians: Can Egypt Deal with Extremist Mobs? "I didn't know what was happening," he says. But before he could consider the possibilities, the mob had pulled him from the truck. "They demanded to know if I was Christian."

06/11/11

* 'Iran to convene nuclear conference targeting Israel' Iran will convene a nuclear disarmament conference that will focus on the international community's "policy of overlooking Israel's nuclear programs."

* White House waiting for Netanyahu to accept Obama’s peace talk principles There is a chance to avert the UN General Assembly vote in September on the recognition of the Palestinian state.

* Turkey's parties wind up campaigning on eve of vote Turkish politicians made their last campaign rounds on Saturday on the eve of an election that is expected to see Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan win.

* Iran defense minister: Aggression against us will be met with 'decisive' response Iran's defense minister warned on Saturday that in the event of aggression from any outside forces.

* Thousands flee Syria for Turkey More than 4,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape a crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

* US defence chief: Europe may no longer be worth defending Under pressure to cut its military spending, the US is losing patience with Europe's unwillingness to pay for its own defence.

* Israel seeks Kosovo-type EU split on Palestine The Israeli foreign ministry is targeting Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia in an attempt to split the EU.

* Police Storm Temple Mount After Stones Thrown Israel Police and Border Guard forces were forced to storm the Temple Mount compound Friday after stones were hurled at the end of afternoon prayers.

* CNN poll shows rise in American sympathy for Israel A new poll conducted by American news network CNN has reported that 67 percent of the American public feel sympathy for Israelis and not Palestinians.

* China ratings house says US defaulting A Chinese ratings house has accused the United States of defaulting on its massive debt.

06/10/11

* Concerns over democracy dominate as Turkey votes The last time Turks voted in a general election in 2007, opponents feared the socially conservative ruling party was turning Turkey into an Iran-style Islamic state.

* Iraq will ask US troops to stay post-2011, says Panetta HumankilarystemIraq will ask the US to keep troops in the country beyond an end-of-2011 pullout deadline, says the nominee to be the next US defence secretary.

* PA: "If I Forget Thee, Oh Jerusalem" First Said by Crusader Continuing its policy of denying Jerusalem's Jewish heritage the Palestinian Authority publicized the claims of an Arab researcher.

* Fleeing violence, Syrian refugees warn of potential massacre Syrian refugees continued to stream into Turkey Thursday, fleeing an expected revenge attack from the regime against their town of Jisr al-Shughur.

* Hamas Summer Camps Train Next Generation Terrorists Hamas is reporting record turnouts for its summer camps for children in 2011.

* Voyagers ride 'magnetic bubbles' Humankind's most distant emissaries are flying through a turbulent sea of magnetism as they seek to break free of our Solar System.

* Police enter Temple Mount to stop riots Police and Border Guard forces broke into the Temple Mount compound on Friday after stones were hurled at the end of Friday prayers.

* US Senators oppose Israel return to 1967 lines US senators proposed a resolution on Thursday opposing any Israeli withdrawal to 1967 lines.

* 'Iran caught 10 times trying to send arms to terrorists' Iran has been caught red-handed in 10 different attempts in recent years to transfer weaponry to terrorists throughout the Middle East.

* 'Palestinians expressing second thoughts over UN path' Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wants to "climb down from the tree" and restart peace talks.

06/09/11

* Netanyahu: Israel needs to be at forefront of cyber warfare Israel should be a global cyber-power, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Thursday during a conference on cyber warfare at Tel Aviv University.

* US Secret War on Yemen-Based Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula The United States is taking advantage of a power vacuum in Yemen to bomb Al Qaeda terrorist bases.

* Blair calls for elected European leader Former prime minister Tony Blair on Thursday warned the European Union that it must elect a leader or face being left behind by the world's emerging economies.

* Iran: Israel and U.S. are trying to provoke a regional war Iran blames Israel and the U.S. for trying to provoke a military conflict in the region.

* New US-Russia arms race? Battle lines grow over missile defense Moscow's previously troubled relations with NATO have improved greatly over the past two years.

* Syria crisis: Refugee surge to Turkey 'as troops mass' Growing numbers of Syrians are escaping over the border into Turkey ahead of a feared government assault on the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.

* Rich, Famous and Powerful Converge at Bilderberg Dominique Strauss-Kahn, naturally, isn't attending this year, and his likely successor Christine Lagarde is in China.

* The Coming Single World Currency Wow, what confusion in the markets, eh? One day the Dow Industrials are up 100 points or so, the next day it’s down sharply.

* EU softens Syria resolution in bid for UN support EU countries have indicated there will be no military action in Syria and called for protesters not to attack security forces.

* US calls Iran enrichment plan 'brazen' defiance Iran's announcement that it plans to triple its production capacity of higher-grade uranium is a "brazen" example of Tehran's defiance of international obligations.

06/08/11

* Iran says it will triple uranium production capacity Iran will shift its production of higher grade uranium to an underground bunker and triple its production capacity.

* PA may delay plans to ask UN for statehood in September The Palestinian Authority may postpone plans to ask the UN in September to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines.

* Qaeda's Zawahri says U.S. facing Muslim rebellion Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said the United States faced a Muslim rebellion following the death of Osama bin Laden.

* Gaddafi vows to fight to the death Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed on Tuesday in a speech broadcast live on state television to fight to the end.

* Israel's new battlefield: Iranian submarines The recent wave of uprisings across the Arab world provided Iran with numerous strategic and tactical opportunities to expand its status as a regional hegemon.

* Landmark Hitler letter on Jews unveiled in New York A letter by Adolf Hitler - said to be the earliest expression of his ideas on anti-Semitism - has been shown publicly for the first time in New York.

* East Africa faces 'world's worst food security crisis' The world's worst food security crisis is continuing in the eastern Horn of Africa, a US agency has warned.

* OPEC Talks Break Down, No Deal to Lift Oil Supply OPEC talks broke down in acrimony on Wednesday after Saudi Arabia failed to convince the cartel to lift production, sparking a rebound in global oil prices.

* EU countries push for UN resolution on Syria The UK and France have put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution urging Syria to stop killing protesters.

* France to move forward on Mideast conference French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says France will move ahead with its proposal to bring Palestinians and Israelis together at a peace conference later this summer despite US reservations.

06/07/11

* 'Iran sends submarines for reconnaissance in Red Sea' Iran has sent submarines to the Red Sea.

* 77% of Israelis oppose going back to pre-'67 lines Seventy-seven percent of Israelis oppose returning to pre-1967 lines even if it would lead to a peace agreement.

* Chag Sameach! Holiday of the Torah Begins Tuesday Night The Jewish holiday of Shavuot is set to begin Tuesday night.

* Nuclear weapons threat not decreasing, study says More than 5,000 nuclear weapons are deployed around the world and nuclear powers continue investing in new weapon systems.

* Japan 'unprepared' for Fukushima nuclear disaster Japan was unprepared for a nuclear accident on the scale of the one at the Fukushima plant, the government said in a report to be submitted to the IAEA.

* Syrian newspaper: Naksa Day protests just the start The events on Israel's Syrian border on "Naksa Day" are just the beginning.

* Operation 'Opera' Took Out Saddam's Reactor: 30 Year Anniversary Thirty years ago Tuesday, on Sunday, June 7, 1981, eight IAF F-16s and and six F-15s took off from the IAF's Etzion Base in northern Sinai.

* Egypt accepts Muslim Brotherhood as legal party Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood's political party was declared legal by Cairo Tuesday.

* 'No western offer will stop Iran's uranium enrichment' Iranian President Ahamdinejad says no incentive offered by world powers can convince Tehran to stop enriching uranium.

* Yemeni Leader Was Severely Burned in Attack President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen suffered injuries far more extensive than previously known in an attack on his presidential palace last week.

06/06/11

* IDF vows to use "all defensive means" to protect Israel's borders IDF chief says army must "remain alert and prepared" in wake of violent Naksa Day clashes along Syria border.

* Iran can produce nuke within 2 months Airstrikes can no longer stop nuclear program, US can do nothing short of military occupation

* Yemen opposition backs power transfer to vice-president Yemen's main opposition coalition says it will accept a transfer of power to the vice-president, after President Ali Abdullah Saleh left for Saudi Arabia.

* Nasrallah, Hamas praise Naksa border marches Hezbollah leader says protests show how US is trying to hijack "Arab Spring"; Hamas encourages more marches at Israeli border.

* 1967-2011: Video of Six-Day War, but Arabs Still Try for Victory Israel annihilated Arab enemies in the Six-Day War that began today (Sunday) 44 years ago, but the Arab world calls the loss a “setback” (Naksa, in Arabic) and tries to turn it into victory.

* IAEA nuclear watchdog meeting to focus on Syria The International Atomic Energy Agency board is meeting amid pressure from the US and other nations to rebuke Syria over alleged illicit nuclear activity.

* OPEC Overshadowed by Qaddafi in Most-Hostile Meeting Since 1990 Gulf War OPEC’s decision on production quotas this week may be complicated by hostilities in Libya as members meeting in Vienna find themselves supporting opposing camps of a military conflict for the first time in 21 years.

* Civil War Threatens Heavily-Armed Sinai Area South of Israel Civil war may break out among heavily-armed Bedouin tribes in the Sinai, which has become a lawless area since the Egyptian uprising this year.

* Anger over EU alert system as E. coli scare hits producers Spain is calling for the EU's rapid alert system to be reformed after German officials mistakenly labeled organic cucumbers from Spain as the most likely source of a deadly E. coli virus, sending vegetable sales into a downward spin.

* Decline and fall of the American empire The US is a country with serious problems.

06/04/11

* Saudi Arabia brokers new truce in Yemen Saudi Arabia has brokered a fresh truce between a powerful Yemeni tribal federation and forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

* New Al Qaeda Video: American Muslims Should Buy Guns, Start Shooting People In a new video message released on the internet Friday, American-born al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn calls on Muslims living in America to carry out deadly one-man terrorist acts.

* Tradition Today: The significance of Sinai It was the Exodus that made us a free people. It was Sinai that made us a holy nation.

* Syrians relive Hama massacre A Syrian city that was bombed into submission three decades ago after a crushed uprising has become a new center for protest and violence.

* Gates: US ready to use force against cyber attackers Defense secretary says it must be decided what punishments hackers could face for committing what he called "acts of war."

* Obama delays relocation of US Embassy to Jerusalem Following the practice of his predecessors, President Barack Obama has invoked US national security interests to notify Congress he will not move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

* 'No calm in Mideast as long as Israel exists' Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday repeated his assertion that there will be no tranquility in the Middle East as long as Tehran's archenemy, Israel, continues to exist.

* Muslim Group Offends Some Christians With Jesus Advertisements "Jesus: A prophet of Islam" states the provocative tagline in a "public awareness" advertising campaign launched by a Muslim group in Australia's largest city.

* Germany steps up hunt for deadly E.coli source Racing to curb the spread of a killer food bug, Germany set up a task force on Friday to hunt down the source of a highly toxic strain of E.coli.

* China Has Divested 97 Percent of Its Holdings in U.S. Treasury Bills China has dropped 97 percent of its holdings in U.S. Treasury bills.

06/03/11

* US: Peace summit instead of flotilla The American administration is considering offering the Turkish government a deal.

* Palestinians cancel Naksa Day march to Israel-Lebanon border Palestinian organizers in Lebanon who had planned a march to the border with Israel later this week say they have canceled it.

* EU not invited back to monitor Gaza border The European Union has not been asked to return to monitor the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip.

* Vatican calls for independent Palestinian state 'soon' The Vatican on Friday called urgently for a just and lasting peace between peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

* China calls US culprit in global 'Internet war' The Chinese military accused the U.S. on Friday of launching a global "Internet war" to bring down Arab and other governments.

* 500 Palestinians set for mass 'fly-in' to B-G Airport In the wake of "Nakba Day," "Naksa Day" and an anticipated Gaza-bound flotilla later this month, pro-Palestinian activists are planning to send hundreds of Palestinians living abroad on commercial flights to Ben-Gurion Airport next month.

* This Week in History: Titus breaks through the J'lem wall In the year 66 AD, a great Jewish revolt began against the Romans in Israel.

* Global War on AIDS Bears Fruit The United Nations reported modest success in the global “War on AIDS” on Thursday night.

* Obama Inspired Ship to Join IHH Gaza Flotilla A ship flying US colors and carrying 34 passengers is set to joint this year's Gaza-bound, IHH-sponsored "Freedom Flotilla 2" in June.

* Stars mistaken for enemy aircraft The security forces' fear of an infiltration of hostile elements into Israel appears to be so deep, that air traffic controllers recently sent two warplanes and two assault helicopters towards suspicious lights in the sky, which turned out to be... stars.

06/02/11

* First Time: Temple Mount Priestly Blessing on Jerusalem Day Hundreds of religious Jews from all streams were able to happily commemorate the 44th anniversary of the first-ever entry of Israeli soldiers onto the Temple Mount.

* Scottish councilor: Hamas are freedom fighters A Scottish politician playing a leading role in an anti-Israel boycott says members of terror group Hamas are “freedom fighters”.

* Outbreak is new form of E. coli The World Health Organization says the E. coli outbreak in Germany is a new form of the bacterium.

* 'Lebanon declares border closed military zone' The Lebanese Army declared the area near the border with Israel a closed military zone on Thursday as Naksa Day approached.

* 'ME status quo between Israel, Palestinians is intolerable' French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe made a last ditch effort on Thursday to revive peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

* Medvedev Plans Middle East Talks With Biden, Berlusconi Russian President Dmitry Medvedev plans to hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden later today on a range of issues.

* Study offers snapshot of new European Jewish identity A generation after the fall of communism, Jews in Central Europe feel comfortable where they live but are concerned about anti-Semitism.

* Global war on drugs 'has failed' say former leaders The Global Commission on Drug Policy report calls for the legalisation of some drugs and an end to the criminalisation of drug users.

* Libya conflict: UN accuses both sides of war crimes UN investigators have accused government forces in Libya of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

* Study offers snapshot of new European Jewish identity A generation after the fall of communism, Jews in Central Europe feel comfortable where they live but are concerned about anti-Semitism.

06/01/11

* PM: Divided J'lem 'suffocates,' united J'lem 'blossoms' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of Jerusalem’s unity during a special Knesset plenum session on Wednesday, Jerusalem Day.

* Peres: Jerusalem will see peace in our time President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that peace could be achieved in Jerusalem in "our time".

* Hundreds of Israelis march through East Jerusalem under heavy security Several hundred Israelis marched through the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah on Wednesday.

* Islamic Jihad Hosts Abbas in Egypt: Jerusalem a Red Line Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who tells the United States he wants to talk with Israel, met with Islamic Jihad leaders in Egypt.

* Video: Jerusalem - Has It Always Been This Way? Jerusalem is a mosaic of different peoples, faiths, and nationalities. Nevertheless, despite this diversity, under the sovereignty of Israel, Jerusalem is a city that works.

* Iran: Renewing Egypt ties would force 'Zionists' to leave Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Egypt on Wednesday to rebuild diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.

* US social media users favor Israel A recent survey of numerous blogs, Facebook posts and Twitter tweets, conducted in the week following US President Barack Obama's Mideast policy speech, revealed overwhelming support for Israel.

* 'Pentagon to view cyber attacks as acts of war' Two days after Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest defense contractors, announced that it detected "a significant and tenacious attack on its information systems network, the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday reported that the pentagon plans to adopt a new strategy by which severe cyber attacks will be considered an act of war.

* Anti-racism campaigners slam Finnish colour-coded ID cards European anti-racism campaigners have criticised moves by Finnish authorities to colour-code the country's ID cards.

* African club defends role in Libya conflict Senior African envoy Jean Ping has told the EU and Nato that the African Union is keen to end the Libya crisis by diplomacy, not war.