* Icon of US military now in Iraqi hands Inside palace walls built by Saddam Hussein, U.S. generals plotted the war's course, tracked the mounting death toll and swore in new American citizens under gaudy glass chandeliers.
* Putin prepares the Russian empire to strike back As prime minister for the past four years, Vladimir Putin never really went away.
* Jerusalem holy sites 'need special status': cardinal Peace negotiations in the Middle East must tackle the issue of the status of the holy sites.
* Egypt awaits poll results, Tahrir protest planned Egypt will hear the results of elections which Islamist parties look set to win on Friday.
* Arab World: Fire spreads both ways Before the Arab upheavals of 2011, the Middle East was dominated by a cold war.
* The war against Iran's nuclear program has already begun The war is under way, though no one declared it and no one will confirm it.
* Merkel: eurozone crisis will take 'years' to solve German Chancellor Angela Merkel has dismissed talk that next week's summit will bring about a definitive solution to the eurozone crisis.
* Mayans 'did not predict world to end in 2012' The calendar used by the ancient Mayan civilisation does not predict the end of the world in December 2012 as some believe.
* Senate Approves Bill that Legalizes Sodomy and Bestiality in U.S. Military The Senate on Thursday evening voted 93-7 to approve a defense authorization bill that includes a provision which not only repeals the military law on sodomy, it also repeals the military ban on sex with animals--or bestiality.
* Israel seeks new friends to counter Islamism Israel is actively looking for friends and allies further afield to counterbalance dramatic Islamic gains in the immediate neighborhood.