11/30/11

* Central banks act as euro zone crisis rages The world's major central banks acted jointly on Wednesday to provide cheaper dollar liquidity to starved European banks facing a credit crunch.

* 'Popular terrorism': Hamas contractors recruit West Bank teens for attacks on Israelis Israel's intelligence community has determined that former Hamas operatives were forming independent insurgency cells in the West Bank.

* Muslim Brotherhood says it leads Egypt's vote count The Muslim Brotherhood's party said on Wednesday its bloc was leading the vote count in the first stage of Egypt's first election since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

* Mysterious blast in Iran's Isfahan damaged key nuclear site A mysterious blast which reportedly rocked Isfahan in western Iran on Monday damaged a key nuclear facility in the city.

* Muslim Brotherhood Raising Jordan to Boiling Point A growing reality of the nightmare of refugees from Iraq, from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and from Syria swarming across the borders to Jordan, along with the growingly influential Muslim Brotherhood, threaten the kingdom's stability.

* Central banks join forces to ease financial strains Some of the world's biggest central banks have announced a programme of co-ordinated action designed to support the global financial system.

* Qaddafi's Daughter Starts Trouble from Algeria The daughter of former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi is proving true to her genetic ties and is carrying on her father's struggle.

* UK to expel all Iranian diplomats over embassy attack The UK is to expel all Iranian diplomats following the storming of its embassy in Tehran, Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced.

* US Fudges on Hamas’ Standing in PA Elections Should Hamas run in Palestinian Authority elections despite its being a terrorist group? The U.S. says it's an "internal matter."

* 'Germany approves subsidized sale of military submarine to Israel' A senior German official said Wednesday that the government has approved the subsidized sale of another Dolphin-type military submarine to Israel.

11/29/11

* Iran protesters storm UK embassy in Tehran Militant students are said to have removed the British flag, burnt it and replaced it with Iran's flag.

* Iraqi president: Military wants continued U.S. presence beyond 2011 Iraq is still seeking to retain a U.S. military presencein 2012.

* 'Russia to send warships to Syria in 2012' Russia will send a flotilla of warships led by its only aircraft carrier to its naval base in Syria for a port call next year.

* Big turnout predicted as Egypt votes for second day Many protesters occupying Cairo's Tahrir Square have boycotted the vote.

* Russia activates missile early warning radar system Russia has turned on a new incoming missile early warning system in its westernmost region in response to US plans for a missile shield in Europe.

* The Partition Plan - 64 years later On November 29, 1947 the UN General Assembly voted on the partition plan.

* US suspects NATO forces lured into deadly raid NATO forces may have been lured into attacking friendly Pakistani border posts in a calculated maneuver by the Taliban.

* Chinese official: Eurozone collapse would be a 'disaster' A collapse of the eurozone would be a "disaster for everyone" and EU leaders have not "fully realised" the urgency of the situation.

* Former MI chief: Iran has enough material for 4 or 5 nuclear bombs Former Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said Tuesday that Iran had enough material to develop "four or five" nuclear bombs.

* Saudi Arabia urges citizens to 'swiftly' leave Syria Saudi Arabia urged its citizens on Tuesday to quickly leave Syria to avoid getting caught in a military crackdown on months of popular protests.

11/28/11

* "Like It or Not, Egypt is New Iran" say Iranian Guards Egypt is becoming the new Iran, "whether you accept it or not," says a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

* Muslim Brotherhood rally vows to "kill all Jews" Organizers at Cairo's iconic al-Azhar Mosque warn against "Judaization of Jerusalem."

* "US Democracy" Set to Elect Second Mideast Terrorist Party For the second time in six years, the United States urges Mideast elections, and for the second time, a terrorist party is likely to win.

* North Korea supplying Syria, Iran with prohibited nuclear technology German newspaper Die Welt reports that Pyongyang has provided the countries with "maraging steel," used to upgrade missiles and centrifuges.

* Russian Navy backs Syria, delivers weapons and S-300 air defense system Russia is said to have sent warships to deliver an advanced air defense system to Syria.

* "The End is Near": US Store Sales Soar for "Survival Gear" Some Americans are getting ready for a total social collapse by stocking up with survival gear in case of "Occupy the United States."

* Muslim in Germany Gives Birth to "Giant Jihad" If names and weight mean anything, Germany is in trouble. A Muslim gave birth in Berlin to a 13-pound baby and named him Jihad.

* Eurozone crisis: Debt fears loom at White House summit US President Barack Obama is hosting European Union leaders in a summit that is likely to focus on continuing efforts to stem the EU debt crisis.

* France says days of Syrian government are numbered French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has said time is running out for the Syrian leader after the Arab League agreed on sanctions against Damascus over its crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

* Iran: We'll fire 150,000 missiles at Israel if attacked Defense Minister Vahidi tells army volunteers "Israel has to be punished for what it has done to the Muslims in Palestine".

11/26/11

* Cairo rally: One day we'll kill all Jews Muslim Brotherhood rally in Cairo's most prominent mosque Friday turned into a venomous anti-Israel protest, with attendants vowing to "one day kill all Jews."

* U.S. military trainers to remain at 10 Iraqi bases The U.S. military plans to retain a presence in 10 bases in Iraq in 2012.

* Clashes erupt in Cairo as Egyptian protests continue At least one protester died after being run over an army vehicle, reports say - the first fatality since a truce on Thursday calmed violence.

* Palestinian unity efforts stumble despite positive reports Efforts to achieve reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas have stumbled over the formation of a Palestinian unity government.

* 'Iran would hit Israel's nuclear facilities if attacked' A senior military advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warned Saturday that Tehran would retaliate against an Israeli military strike by hitting back at nuclear facilities in Israel.

* Pakistan stops NATO supplies after raid kills up to 28 NATO helicopters and fighter jets attacked two military outposts in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing as many as 28 troops and plunging U.S.-Pakistan relations, already deeply frayed, further into crisis.

* U.S. urges Americans to leave Syria while commercial flights still available The United States has urged its nationals to leave Syria immediately.

* Gaza Residents March Against the 'Judaization' of Jerusalem Tens of thousands of residents of Gaza took part on Friday in a rally in which they called to save Jerusalem from its "Judaization".

* Russia Saber-Rattling at US NATO European Nuclear Shield In what is seen as one of its harshest warnings in decades, Russia has threatened to aim missiles at the U.S.-NATO nuclear shield in Europe.

* Assad: Turkey seeking to recapture imperial days Syrian President Bashar Assad lashed out at his Turkish critics on Saturday.

11/25/11

* Egypt protests: Mass rally in Cairo ahead of election Tens of thousands of protesters have packed into central Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand that Egypt's military rulers step aside.

* Sinai forces on high alert over Jihad threat Alert level in al-Arish raised to unprecedented level after reports suggest Jihad members planning attack on local security headquarters

* Iran's Khamenei presents war scenarios In an unusual step, Iran's spiritual leader publishes commentary on official website outlining three scenarios for strike against Islamic Republic.

* LAF will fight against Israel in next conflict IDF commander estimates Lebanese army will join Hezbollah in next conflict in backdrop of mysterious blast in South Lebanon earlier this week

* Syria unrest: Arab League observer ultimatum passes An Arab League deadline for Syria to allow an observer mission or face sanctions has passed with no response from Damascus to the ultimatum.

* Patrick Cockburn: This was always a civil war, and the victors are not merciful The purge of Gaddafi supporters is made more dangerous by infighting between the militias

* The Makings of History: King James and his bible James Charles Stuart, King of England, won eternal glory by commissioning the biggest best seller in history: The King James Bible.

* EU calls for civilian government in Egypt, as thousands rally in Tahrir Square Tens of thousands gather in Cairo for largest day of protests against ruling military council.

* Abbas, Mashaal hail new Palestinian "Partnership" After meeting in Cairo, Palestinian president, Hamas leader say "there are no more differences between us now."

* EU steps back, as tensions build ahead of Congo elections On seizing power from Zaire's long-standing dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997, Laurent-Desire Kabila changed the country's name to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

11/23/11

* Medvedev: Russia may target US missile defense sites Russia will deploy new missiles aimed at US missile defense sites in Europe if Washington goes ahead with a planned shield despite Russia's concerns.

* Clashes, more deaths in Cairo despite democracy pledge Three more people died in Cairo on Wednesday, a medic said.

* Netanyahu calls for stronger sanctions on Iran than those imposed by U.S. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Wednesday for stronger sanctions on Iran.

* Iraq's Nuri al-Maliki vs. Exxon Mobil Exxon's foray into Kurdistan threatens Iraqi autonomy.

* Egypt unrest stirs fears inside Israel Days of protest in Egypt, ahead of elections expected to produce big wins for the Muslim Brotherhood, have stirred fears in Israel .

* Danish EU presidency to focus on euro crisis Denmark's upcoming six months of chairing EU meetings and overseeing legislation in the making will mainly focus on fire-fighting.

* Brussels pushes for radical shift in budget powers away from parliaments The European Commission has proposed perhaps the most radical shift in decision-making.

* Herod began building Western Wall, but didn't finish it Findings of archaeological excavations, released by The Antiquities Authority Wednesday, challenge the conventional historical concept that Herod alone was responsible for the building of the Western Wall.

* Iraq signs security accords with Iran as U.S. completes withdrawal Iran has reported signing several defense and military cooperation agreements with Iraq.

* Hizbullah: We Have 'Vanquished' CIA, Mossad Syrian and Iranian-backed Hizbullah boasted Wednesday it had vanquished the CIA and Mossad.

11/22/11

* Hezbollah considering military coup if Assad falls Hezbollah's leadership is considering the possibility of taking control of Beirut and effectively carrying out a military coup in Lebanon.

* Israeli Strike on Iran will 'Jam, Blind, Deafen' Defenses An Israeli attack on nuclear sites in Iran would go beyond air strikes from fighter planes and likely include electronic warfare against Iran's electric grid.

* Turkey pressures Assad, calls for regime change Turkish leaders on Tuesday increased pressure on Syria to stop further bloodshed in repression of anti-government protests.

* Continued violence spurs Egypt's cabinet to quit Egypt's entire interim government tendered its resignation Monday.

* F-35 Stealth Fighter to Be Based in Negev The F-35 stealth fighter planes purchased from the United States by Israel will be based east of Be’er Sheva.

* U.S. can't account for 20 percent of weapons sold to Gulf states since 2005 The U.S. government has lost track of many large weapons sold to Gulf Cooperation Council states.

* Libya Tries to Build Army That Can March Straight and Defang Militias The marching can hardly be called crisp as the new Libyan National Army takes form in daily drills at an abandoned air force base here.

* Many similarities in Arab Spring, European chaos The victory of the opposition Popular Party in Spain's general election means that seven leaders or governments around the Mediterranean have been thrown out within the last year.

* ZOA Calls Palestinian Authority 'Vicious Terrorist Culture' The Palestinian Authority has created a "vicious, Jew-hating terrorist culture".

* Jordan: Our relations are with PA, not Hamas Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Tuesday that Jordan has no intention of establishing bilateral relations with Hamas.

11-21-11

* Round 2 of Cairo's Arab Spring: 23 Dead, 1,500 Wounded Round Two of the Muslim Arab uprising in Egypt rages for the third straight day, with a death toll of 23 and 1,500 wounded.

* Dozens of US spies captured in Lebanon and Iran Current and former US officials concede that CIA suffered difficult blow; sources say Lebanon informants were compromised by meeting CIA agents at a Beirut Pizza Hut.

* Al-Assad - Syria will not bow down Officials sparred over a proposed plan to send observers into Syria as the nation's president warned against military intervention.

* Russia says West fanning flames of Syria conflict UK defense minister: "Behavior of Syrian regime is appalling and unacceptable," working with Arab League against Assad.

* King Abdullah Visits Abbas on Eve of Hamas Unity Deal Jordan’s King Abdullah visits Ramallah for the first time in 11 years – and two days before Abbas and Hamas are to from a unity government.

* Iran Begs Israel to Attack and Be Buried A bluff or a threat? A top Iranian commander begs Israel to attack so Iran can throw the "enemy" into the "trash can of history".

* China vice premier sees chronic global recession A long-term global recession is certain to happen and China must focus on domestic problems, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan has said.

* Criticism of Israel at bay as IAEA opens first meet on nuclear-free Mideast Israeli representatives report relative calm at Vienna conference, after chief of UN's nuclear watchdog urges Mideast nations to focus on fresh thinking.

* Spanish elections: 5th EU government to fall due to crisis With markets putting Spanish bonds in the cross-hairs, voters dismayed by the country's economic situation are expected to eject the incumbent government in parliamentary elections.

* Abbas: No signs of resumption of peace talks PA president tells Jordanian king settlement halt is not a pre-condition but rather an obligation, in Ramallah meeting; PA foreign minister: Abbas told Abdullah most pressing issue is reconciliation with Hamas.

11/19/11

* Iran army tests defenses as nuclear tensions rise The Iranian army is conducting a four-day training exercise to test its defenses.

* Pope to call for African peace and reconciliation Pope Benedict is to present plans by the Roman Catholic church to encourage reconciliation in Africa, on the second day of his visit to the state of Benin.

* The Islamic Winter is already here The heavy rains last Wednesday didn't just disrupt traffic. The stormy weather did its work.

* Libya restored as UN humans right panel member The UN General Assembly on Friday restored Libya's membership in the UN Human Rights Council.

* Russia warships to enter Syria waters in bid to stem foreign intervention Russian warships are due to arrive at Syrian territorial waters.

* Pope to call for African peace and reconciliation Pope Benedict is to present plans by the Roman Catholic church to encourage reconciliation in Africa.

* German lawmaker shocked to be on neo-Nazi list A German Jewish lawmaker spoke on Friday of the "nightmarish" discovery his name was on a hit-list found in a neo-Nazi hideout.

* Gamburtsev 'ghost mountains mystery solved' Scientists say they can now explain the existence of what are perhaps Earth's most extraordinary mountains.

* Hevron, a Jewish City From Time Immemorial - and Forever Hevron is the first Jewish city in the land of Israel , home of our patriarchs and matriarchs — Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

* Hundreds injured in Cairo clashes Egyptian riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets stormed into Cairo's Tahrir Square Saturday.

11/18/11

* US army tests advanced hypersonic weapon The Pentagon on Thursday successfully conducted the first test flight of the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW), a "glide vehicle" which will allow the US to strike a target anywhere in the world within an hour.

* Egypt may cancel elections, 'declare military rule' Egypt's new military regime could cancel national elections amid rising unrest.

* Germany's Shocking Neo-Nazi Killers: How Did They Go Undetected? Until last weekend, many Germans were almost complacent about right-wing extremism in their country.

* Erdogan's Moment Red carpets, honor guards and gun salutes are for garden-variety visiting politicians and monarchs.

* Thousands protest in Tahrir against army rule About 50,000 mainly Islamist protesters flocked to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to press Egypt's military rulers to transfer power to elected civilians.

* Libya UN envoy accuses Qatar of arming Islamists Libya's United Nations envoy Mohammed Abdel Rahman Shalgam accused Qatar on Friday of providing weapons and money to Libyan Islamists.

* 'IAEA report threatens lives of Iranian scientists' The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) violated its own terms when it released an incriminating report on Iran's nuclear program.

* Neutrino experiment repeat at Cern finds same result The team which found that neutrinos may travel faster than light has carried out an improved version of their experiment - and confirmed the result.

* Wen warns US on South China Sea dispute China has warned "external forces" not to get involved in its maritime disputes with neighbouring countries over the South China Sea.

* Egypt Prepares to Vote: Cynicism, Confusion and Fear of 'Remnants' On a weekday morning in Cairo's working-class district of Shubra, Mohamed Abdallah, a fruit vendor, is paying little heed to the hand-painted political banners.

11/17/11

* Iran faces big power pressure, IAEA wants mission Vienna-based Western diplomats said that six big powers - United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - agreed Thursday to compromise language for a draft resolution on Iran.

* Million Men to March in Cairo Against "Judaization" of Jerusalem Hamas announced Thursday that the new rulers of Egypt – swept into power as a result of the “Arab Spring” rebellion – have given their blessing to a major demonstration.

* Syria conflict 'similar to civil war', Russia says Russia's foreign minister has said the situation in Syria is beginning to resemble civil war, after renegade soldiers attacked a key army base..

* Russia's military chief warns that heightened risks of conflict near borders may turn nuclear Russia is facing a heightened risk of being drawn into conflicts at its borders that have the potential of turning nuclear.

* EU needs fewer presidents and a new budget 'tsar', say Finns The EU needs fewer presidents and a new budget 'tsar' if it is to emerge from its current economic and political crisis.

* 'Syrian army planting mines along Jordanian border' The Syrian army planted landmines at the border with Jordan in order to "restrict Syrians access to humanitarian asylum in Jordan."

* 'Iran ready to help Turkey with nuclear plant' A senior Iranian official said on Tuesday that Tehran was willing to share its controversial nuclear technology with neighboring countries.

* Internet titans fight SOPA with full-page NY Times ad Nine giants of the Internet — Google, eBAy, AOL, Facebook, Yahoo, Zynga, LinkedIn, Mozilla and Twitter — placed a full-page ad in The New York Times.

* U.S. Banks Face Contagion Risk From Europe Debt U.S. banks face a "serious risk" that their creditworthiness will deteriorate if Europe's debt crisis deepens and spreads beyond the five most-troubled nations.

* Gamburtsev 'ghost mountains mystery solved' The Gamburtsevs are the size of the European Alps and yet they are totally buried beneath the Antarctic ice.

11/16/11

* Netanyahu: 'All options are on the table' regarding Iran Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that "all options are on the table," in a written response to a Knesset discussion on "the dilemma of attacking Iran."

* U.S. Troops Heading Down Under The U.S. is shipping 250 Marines to Australia by the middle of next year, a force that eventually will grow to 2,500.

* Israel, Arab nations to attend rare round of nuclear talks next week Israel and Arab states plan to attend a rare round of talks next week on efforts to free the world of nuclear weapons.

* Syria: Turkish-Arab call for 'urgent' action Turkey and members of the Arab League have called for "urgent measures" to protect Syrian civilians from a brutal government crackdown.

* Iran: Military research caused missile base blast A massive explosion that killed 17 troops including an officer regarded as the architect of Iran's missile defenses last week took place during research on weapons that could strike Israel.

* Eurozone faces systemic crisis, says EU's Barroso European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has warned that the eurozone faces a "systemic crisis" that needs deeper integration to resolve.

* Idaho Man Arrested for Firing Gun at White House Federal law enforcement authorities on Tuesday arrested a 21-year-0ld Idaho man suspected of shooting with a semiautomatic rifle at the White House on Friday night.

* 70% of Arab Youth Want to Leave Region As the Arab Spring heads into an increasingly Islamic Winter some three quarters of Arab youth want to migrate to countries outside the Middle East region.

* Iran: Human chain against Israeli strike Some 1,000 Iranian students created a human chain Tuesday around the Isfahan uranium conversion facility.

* Galaxies bursting with star birth discovered Using its near-infrared vision to peer 9 billion years back in time, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered an extraordinary population of tiny, young galaxies that are brimming with star formation.

11/15/11

* 'Hizbullah on Alert, Preparing for War' Hizbullah has canceled leaves and is preparing for war.

* China's Century — or India's? I saw the Indian hit movie 3 Idiots recently in an unusual location: a cineplex in Hong Kong.

* Tunisia: Islamist Party Big Electoral Winner Tunisia's final election results confirmed the victory of a once-banned Islamist party.

* IDF chief: Gaza violence may lead to significant military action Recent bouts of violence along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip are leading toward significant and offensive military action in the coastal enclave.

* IDF's Judea Brigade Simulates Terror Attack The Judea Regional Brigade of the IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division held an educational program for all its commanders and medical teams.

* Germany, France join opposition to attack on Iran nuclear program It appears that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can rest easy for now.

* EU piles sanctions on Syria, raises possibility of UN troops A french-trained lawyer, the head of a family-run militia and the deputy interior minister are among 18 new people added to EU sanctions on Syria.

* Gas summit starts with call for fair price Leaders of the world's biggest gas suppliers opened their first summit in the Qatari capital.

* Water – Bridge over Troubled Mideast or Bridge to Peace? The Arab-Israeli need for water can be a bridge to peace and not a reason for bloodshed.

* Fighting in Syria kills 40 near Jordan border At least 40 Syrians were killed in fighting on Monday between forces loyal to President Bashar Assad and insurgents in a town near the border with Jordan.

11/14/11

* The Return of the Brown Shirts in Germany The "Brown Shirt Faction" in Germany is the tip of the iceberg of the return of violent neo-Nazi extremism, despite a ban on Nazism.

* Israel refuses to tell US its Iran intentions Israel has refused to reassure President Barack Obama that it would warn him in advance of any pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear capabilities, raising fears that it may be planning a go-it-alone attack as early as next summer.

* Was Israel Behind a Deadly Explosion at an Iranian Missile Base? Israeli newspapers on Sunday were thick with innuendo, the front pages of the three largest dailies dominated by variations on the headline "Mysterious Explosion in Iranian Missile Base."

* Tony Blair: Euro collapse would be catastrophic Former prime minister Tony Blair has told the BBC the collapse of the euro would be "catastrophic" - and Europe must get behind it.

* Gaza Terrorists May Be Planning to Down Airliners Israel is speeding up on-board missile defense systems in light of fears that Gaza terrorists have obtained anti-aircraft missiles.

* Iran subsidizing the conversion of Palestinians to Shi'ites Palestinians have been quietly converting from Sunni to Shi'a Islam.

* Israel's giant UAV becomes operational Dubbed 'world's most advanced UAV' and weighing five tons, Eitan unmanned aerial vehicle to begin operations in several months

* New Bible museum to be built in Jerusalem "It's absurd that in the land of the Bible, there is no center dedicated to it," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* Europol wants to host EU cyber crime center The EU's joint policy body, Europol, is angling to host a new European cyber crime center, with the European Commission due next year to decide where to put its new defense against the threat.

* Jordan's King Abdullah: If I were Syrian president, I would resign Abdullah tells the BBC that Assad should respond to months-long protest against his regime and make sure his successor has the "ability to change the status quo".

11/12/11

* U.S. demands Iran respond to IAEA report within days Iran must respond soon to a report by the UN atomic agency alleging that it is working secretly on developing a nuclear weapon.

* Nasrallah warns of regional war if Iran, Syria attacked Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday warned Israel and the US that a war against Iran and Syria would lead to an all-out regional conflict.

* Most Americans back Israeli strike on Iran Most Americans support an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites.

* 17 dead after explosion rocks Revolutionary Guards base outside Iranian capital A massive explosion at a military arms depot near the Iranian capital Tehran killed 17 people on Saturday and wounded 15.

* Arab League suspends Syria, calls for halt to violence The Arab League suspended Syria and called on its army to stop killing civilians in a surprise move on Saturday that turned up the heat on President Bashar Assad.

* PA marks Arafat's death: 'He was poisoned' Palestinians in the West Bank and overseas marked the seventh anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death on Friday.

* Abbas: PA will continue to push for full UN membership Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas admitted over the weekend that his statehood bid had failed.

* Thousands commemorate Rabin on anniversary of assassination Thousands attended a ceremony marking the sixteenth anniversary of the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

* Will Israeli Flag be the Third on Moon? An Israeli nonprofit team of young scientists is participating in the competition for the Google Lunar X Prize.

* Israel rushes airliner defenses as Libya leaks SAMs Israel has accelerated the installation of anti-missile defenses on its airliners.

11/11/11

* IDF continues to train for war with Hezbollah The shooting came from every direction as the soldiers converged on the small ravine below.

* '30,000 suicide bombers to infiltrate Israel' In response to reports of a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran is threatening to mount an attack on Israel .

* U.S. hands over major base to Iraq; once 505, now 11 The United States has returned the second largest base in Iraq.

* Israel's secret long-range nuke missile could reach any Mideast target Israel is suspected of producing a nuclear missile that could strike Russia.

* Iran's supreme leader warns West of 'strong slap and iron fist' Iran's supreme leader has warned Israel and the United States that Tehran would respond with "a strong slap and iron first".

* Is the euro tearing Europe apart? When the euro became official tender 12 years ago, it was hailed as an economic and social savior.

* American voters' support for Israel rising Americans' support for Israel is up, with the increase coming from unexpected sectors.

* PA warns violence could follow stymied UN bid A Palestinian Authority official warned Thursday that the region could be headed toward “violence and anarchy”.

* Egypt, Tunisia make bid to bring back tourists Against heavy odds, Egypt and Tunisia are trying to woo back tourists with campaigns making use of the social media, celebrities, new slogans and a dose of image re-branding.

* This Week in History: Yasser Arafat dies in Paris On November 11, 2004, Palestinian Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat passed away in a hospital outside of Paris.

11/10/11

* Israel Preparing 'Christmas Surprise' for Iran With an International Atomic Energy Agency report to be issued this week that will state, officials said Wednesday, that Iran is clearly working towards developing a nuclear weapons program.

* Iran's Khamenei warns US, Israel against attack Iran's Supreme leader warned the United States and Israel on Thursday not to launch any military action against its nuclear sites.

* Israeli firm says economic costs too high for Iran strike A leading Israeli investment firm said on Thursday any military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would exact an economic price too high for the world to accept.

* China backs Russia on Iran's nuclear program China's Foreign Ministry joined Russia Thursday in warning Western countries that additional pressure on Iran would not solve the nuclear stand-off.

* Lucas Papademos named as new Greek prime minister Mr Papademos, 64, said he was taking over at a "critical point" for Greece.

* Palestinans resigned to defeat in UN bid The Palestinians are resigned to defeat in their quest for full membership at the United Nations.

* IAEA refutes U.S. intelligence estimate on Iran nukes, cites 'military dimensions' For the first time, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has determined that Iran is conducting a nuclear weapons program.

* French and Germans explore idea of smaller euro zone "France and Germany have had intense consultations on this issue over the last months, at all levels".

* Holy cities face threat from polluting pilgrims An estimated 2.5 million pilgrims have descended on the city of Mecca for the Islamic Hajj.

* Russia: Iran wants more reactors While Western countries are looking to exacerbate sanctions against Iran, Russia, who built the Islamic Republic's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr, is already working on future cooperation.

11/09/11

* Prepare for Iran war Tuesday's dramatic United Nations report indicating that Iran has been working towards producing nuclear weapons constitutes a huge humiliation for the world.

* How will Israel attack Iran? Analysts examine ways Israel could carry out strike against Iran.

* Ahmadinejad: Iran won't retreat from nuclear path President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran won't retreat "an iota" from its nuclear program.

* Giant asteroid passes near Earth An asteroid that is 400m (1,300ft) wide has passed by Earth, much to the delight of astronomers.

* PM: Iranian nukes endanger Mideast, world peace Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called on the international community to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

* Russia rules out new Iran sanctions over nuclear report Russia has ruled out supporting fresh sanctions against Iran, despite a UN report that says Tehran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons.

* IMF chief warns of a 'lost decade' for global economy The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has warned that the global economy is at risk of being plunged into a "lost decade".

* IAEA: Iran Seeking Nuclear Weapons Technology The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report Tuesday saying it had credible intelligence Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology.

* Anti-Semitism Conference Faces Muslim Opposition A regional conference on anti-Semitism scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires this weekend has already upset local Muslim groups.

* Britain to abstain from Palestinian statehood vote at UN Foreign Secretary William Hague says Britain will abstain when the United Nations Security Council votes on the Palestinian bid for statehood.

11/8/11

* 'Iran will battle Zionists on streets of Tel Aviv' As the clock continues to tick ahead of the release of a UN Nuclear watchdog report on Iran's nuclear program, Tehran continues to issue threats against Israel.

* Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatens US A top commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard force threatened to kill "dozens" of American military commanders, should the US kill any one of theirs.

* Sarkozy calls Netanyahu 'liar' French President Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly told US President Barack Obama that he could not "stand" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he thinks the Israeli premier "is a liar."

* Clinton Thinks Twice: Maybe Mideast Democracy Not So Good Months after President Barack Obama hastened the end of the Mubarak regime, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants the military regime in Cairo to move faster on elections.

* Israel may have armed U.S. cruise missiles with nuclear warheads Israel is believed to have modified a U.S. weapon for nuclear attacks.

* 'No evidence' for extraterrestrials, says White House The US government has formally denied that it has any knowledge of contact with extraterrestrial life.

* Syria Death Toll Tops 3,500 United Nations officials said Tuesday the death toll in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown has topped 3,500.

* Sanctions on Iran Fail because of Desire for Money As Iran moves closer to building a nuclear weapon, sanctions on Tehran fail because of trade ties and fears of economic chaos.

* Turkey Gains Foothold in Gaza through Massive Aid Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is gaining influence in Gaza by increasing aid to Hamas 24-fold in the past two years.

* Barak not optimistic about int'l will to stop Iranian nukes Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that he is not optimistic that the international community has the will to come together in order to put a stop to Iran's nuclear program.

11/07/11

* France, Russia warn against military strike on Iran France and Russia have in separate statements warned that a US or Israeli strike against Iran's alleged nuclear weapons facilities could destabilize the Middle East.

* Eurozone crisis: What it means for East and West Eurozone leaders have brought their begging bowl to China, looking for help in boosting their bailout fund. So what does this say about the shift in the global balance of power?

* IAEA says foreign expertise has brought Iran to threshold of nuclear capability Intelligence provided to UN nuclear officials shows that Iran's government has mastered the critical steps needed to build a nuclear weapon.

* Extremely complicated EU bail-out deal proving hard to implement Eurozone finance ministers are to hold an extraordinary meeting on 17 November because the "extremely complicated" legal details of last month's euro rescue plan are proving hard to implement.

* Iran Backs Islamic Jihad’s 8,000-Man Army in Gaza Hamas' rival Islamic Jihad has built an 8,000-man army supported by Iran and "ready for martyrdom or victory."

* Leaving Iraq, US Fears New Surge of al Qaeda Terror As the United States prepares to withdraw its troops from Iraq, senior officials are expressing concern that Al Qaeda is poised for a deadly resurgence.

* Russia's Putin to host China's Wen for security talks Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao will meet Monday to discuss expanding their loose Central Asian security alliance to include Pakistan and Iran.

* New Historic Films Show Warsaw Ghetto, Dead Sea Settlements Two historic films uploaded to the Spielberg Archive show the Warsaw Ghetto and the building of the first Dead Sea settlements in Israel.

* Fatah: Israel's Tax Freeze is a "Declaration of War" Israel has declared war on the Palestinian Authority by freezing tax revenues after the PA joined UNESCO, a Fatah official charges.

11/05/11

* Everybody in Israel is talking about a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities Late Tuesday, MK Tzipi Livni entered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem.

* US would be 'satisfied' with Brotherhood win in Egypt The United States would be "satisfied" should free elections in Egypt produce a victory for the Muslim Brotherhood.

* Earthquakes have a bigger health toll than other disasters Earthquakes have a bigger impact on health than other natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, US researchers say.

* US 'absolutely' concerned Israel will attack Iran The United States fears that Israel may be preparing a strike on Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

* Iran urges UN to condemn Israel, US over military threats Iran blasted the US and Israel on Saturday for their reported plans to attack the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

* Nigeria Boko Haram attack 'kills 63' in Damaturu A series of bomb and gun attacks in the north-eastern Nigerian town of Damaturu has killed at least 63 people, the Red Cross says.

* Greek PM to president: unity talks on the way At a midday audience with the Greek president, Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister George Papandreou said that moves toward cross-party consensus with the opposition conservatives are necessary to put to rest EU fears.

* After UNESCO win, PA to pursue Israel in int'l forums Following its admission to UNESCO, the Palestinian Authority is planning to pursue Israel legally in international forums for allegedly stealing Palestinian antiquities.

* Peres: Israel Closer than Ever to Military Action in Iran President Shimon Peres hinted on Friday that Israel was closer than ever to taking military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.

* Lacklustre G20 closes after being hijacked by eurozone crisis Overshadowed by a tumultuous few days in the eurozone, a two-day meeting in the south of France of the world's most powerful leaders drew to a close Friday.

11/04/11

* Thousands of Iranians protest against Israel, US Thousands of Iranians in Tehran marched in protest against Israel and the United States on Friday.

* Thousands of Russian nationalists march in Moscow Thousands of far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis marched through Moscow on Friday.

* Israeli PM orders investigation into Iran leak Israel's prime minister has ordered an investigation into alleged leaks of plans to attack Iran's nuclear facilitie.

* Hizbullah preparing missile war on Israel as Iran braces for attack The Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah is planning for war with Israel.

* Israel Navy intercepts Gaza-bound aid vessels; no injuries reported The Israel Navy on Friday afternoon intercepted two boats that approached the coast of the Gaza Strip with the intent to violate Israel's naval blockade of the territory.

* This Week in History: The Iranian Hostage Crisis begins On November 4, 1979, several hundred students gathered outside the United States Embassy in Tehran intent on occupying the premises and seizing its staff as hostages.

* Greece PM Papandreou faces knife-edge confidence vote Greece's PM George Papandreou is set to face a crucial no-confidence vote, with the outcome on a knife-edge.

* Simulated Mars mission 'lands' back on Earth Six men locked away in steel tubes for a year-and-a-half to simulate a mission to Mars have emerged from isolation.

* 'New setback' for Palestinian hopes on UN membership A UN diplomat says the UK, France and Colombia have told Security Council members they would abstain in any vote on Palestinian membership.

* EU calls on Syria to implement Arab League plan as violence continues Syria must quickly implement the commitments it made to the Arab League to end violence and allow opposition groups to operate.

11/03/11

* Iran says united and 'ready for war' with Israel Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Thursday responded to reports claiming Israel is planning a military attack against his country.

* Islamic Jihad: We don't expect truce with Israel to hold Gaza terrorist group says it has 8,000 operatives ready for war.

* 'We'll change face of the Mideast if settlements continue' The Palestinian Authority continued on Thursday to issue threats in response to Israel's decision to expedite construction in settlements.

* Israel test-fires missile as Iran debate rages The noon launch near Tel Aviv, which had not been announced in advance, coincided with a week-long surge of speculation in local media.

* Israeli settlements condemned by Western powers The US has joined criticism of Israel's decision to accelerate settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem after Palestinians joined UN cultural agency.

* IDF holds drill simulating rocket attack on central Israel Sirens sounded throughout central Israel on Thursday as part of a Home Front Command drill simulating a rocket attack on civilian infrastructure.

* EU tells Greece: Choose the euro or go Europe delivered a stark ultimatum to Greece on Wednesday night (3 November), demanding that the country’s planned referendum ask plainly whether the country’s citizens wish to stay in the euro or to get out.

* Mulism pilgrims gather in Saudi Arabia for hajj Saudi authorities say nearly 2.5 million Muslims have gathered in this holy city ahead of the annual five-day hajj pilgrimage.

* Israel halts $2 million payments to UNESCO Israel halted its $2 million annual payment to UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

* Ban Reversal: Tells PA Not to Seek UN Membership In a surprising reversal, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority should not pursue its plan to be recognized as a member state of the United Nations.

11/02/11

* 'We have a right to build in our eternal capital' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emphasized Israel's right to build and expand an undivided Jerusalem during a ceremony on Wednesday.

* Israel Air Force conducts drills for long-range attacks While the media and political sphere is abuzz with news on a potential attack on Iran's nuclear development facilities, the Israel Air Force continues conducting comprehensive drills on long-range attacks.

* Iran military head warns of 'heavy damage' should Israel attack Iran's military chief warned Wednesday that an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear development sites will come at a heavy price.

* New Video: Who's to Blame? Why of Course - Israel! New viral video by Ari & Jeremy relates to the big question regarding the Middle East conflict - who is to blame for the lack of peace?

* World's nuclear arsenals growing, think-tank warns The world is heading for "a new era of global nuclear force modernisation and growth" despite anti-proliferation rhetoric in the US and EU.

* PA Tells UNESCO Dead Sea an Arab 'Heritage Site' The Palestinian Authority (PA) intends to use its new UNESCO membership to claim the Dead Sea as a "heritage site."

* As government verges on collapse, Papandreou fires military chiefs EU supremos Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel have called Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to a meeting in Cannes ahead of the G20 summit.

* Israeli iPhone App Trains the Brain -- and the Eyes A new Israeli app for the Apple iPhone trains the brain to translate blurry images into clear ones.

* Rice: Prospects for Mideast peace have worsened under Obama Prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace are far worse today than when she left office, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

* Lieberman: Iran poses most dangerous threat to world order Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Iran poses the largest, most dangerous threat to the current world order.

11/01/11

* Shalom: 'Dramatic' move that will halt Gaza rockets is near Vice Premier Silvan Shalom on Tuesday said that continued rocket fire from Gaza has created an "unbearable situation" in the South.

* UN probe unveils new suspected Syrian nuclear facility U.N. investigators have identified a previously unknown complex in Syria that bolsters suspicions that the Syrian government worked with A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb.

* China to Play a Big Role at G20 Summit Efforts to coax China into throwing the euro zone a lifeline will dominate this week's G20 Summit.

* Eurozone debt crisis: Markets dive on Greek referendum US and European markets have fallen following Monday's announcement of a Greek referendum on the latest aid package to solve its debt crisis.

* UN Security Council concern over Libya arms stockpile The United Nations Security Council has expressed "concern" over the fate of the massive weapons stockpile built up in Libya under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

* Chinese Shenzhou craft launches on key space mission China has taken the next step in its quest to become a major space power with the launch of the unmanned Shenzhou 8 vehicle.

* Nasa examines 'tractor beams' for sample gathering US space agency Nasa has funded a study of "tractor beams" to gather samples for analysis in future missions.

* South Kordofan unrest: Sudan 'kills hundreds' of rebels Hundreds of rebels have been killed in Sudan's South Kordofan state following clashes with the army.

* Check Out the New Israel National Radio! If you've missed hearing talk-radio and being able to call in and comment on the day's events in Israel, now you can do it, and in English.

* Unesco vote highlights EU sympathy for Palestine Just five EU countries voted "No" on admitting Palestine to the UN heritage agency.