* Saudi textbooks teach annihilation of Jews Despite promises to clean up violent and xenophobic content from textbooks, recent editions in Saudi Arabia continue teach school children barbaric practices.
* Arab observers head to Syria to monitor peace plan An Arab League advance team was headed to Syria on Thursday to launch a hard-won observer mission to oversee a plan to end nine months of bloodshed.
* 'Jerusalem bill' up for debate A storm in the making? The Ministerial Committee on Legislation is set to debate the "Jerusalem bill" which aims to officially declare Jerusalem as the "united capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel."
* Israeli Company to Dig for Uranium in the Negev The Water and Energy Ministry (formerly the National Infrastructures Ministry) is set to grant a license to Gulliver Energy to search for uranium in the Negev.
* Iran Navy to hold 10-day war game in Persian Gulf Iran's navy will launch a 10-day war game in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
* Netanyahu and the New (Old) Testament Some two months ago, the Prime Minister's Office received a request to arrange a conference call with some Jewish and Christian leaders.
* Banks queue up for cheap ECB loans Over 500 European banks rushed to borrow almost half a trillion euro in cheap loans from the ECB on Wednesday.
* EU countries confront Israel on latest land-grab The four EU countries on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have used unusually strong words against Israel's latest expansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land.
* Dozens killed in co-ordinated Baghdad attacks Dozens of people have been killed in a wave of apparently co-ordinated bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
* US Navy women have first gay kiss Two female US sailors have become the first same-sex couple to share the traditional dockside "first kiss" since the US ended a ban on gays in the army.