03/31/12

* Organizers: Global March to J'lem reached goals Organizers of Friday's Global March to Jerusalem said Saturday that the protest rally commemorating Land Day had achieved most of its goals.

* 'Abbas perpetrating political terror against Israel' Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Saturday accused Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of carrying out "political terrorism" against Israel.

* '2-million-strong march to Jerusalem' fizzles; anti-Zionist rabbis beaten at Jordan protest Clashes in Gaza leave one protester dead and 37 injured, according to Palestinian sources.

* Clinton: Iran talks due in Istanbul on April 13-14 Iran and six world powers will meet in Turkey on April 13-14 for a round of talks over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

* Denmark: Groups rally against Muslims in Europe A long-planned gathering of far right-wing movements from across Europe met in Denmark on Saturday to try to form a pan-European anti-Islamist alliance.

* Inside Man: Behind Tehran's 'electronic curtain' Iranians face increasingly aggressive crackdowns on internet use as the Islamic Republic ramps up its attempts to control information and quash dissidents.

* Dead stars 'to guide spacecraft' Spacecraft could one day navigate through the cosmos using a particular type of dead star as a kind of GPS.

* Iran Supplying Weapons to Gaza, but Not to Hamas The affair between the Hamas terror group and Iran may be over, but the Islamic Republic is still supplying weapons to Gaza.

* Tibi: Arabs have right to Israel's land Thousands of Arab Israelis took part in a Land Day marches across the country on Friday.

* Polish minister: EU and Nato might fall apart Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski has said the EU could unravel and the US might quit Nato, leaving Poland alone to face an increasingly assertive Russia.

03/30/12

* 'One killed, dozens wounded in Gaza Land Day protests' One Palestinian was killed and dozens wounded when protests marking Land Day turned violent in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

* Protesters in Israel's neighbors mark Land Day Protesters gathered in Israel's neighboring countries on Friday for demonstrations marking the 36th annual Land Day.

* Annan demands Syrian government begins ceasefire 'now' The UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, expects the government to implement his peace plan immediately.

* Settlers take up residence in Hebron house Several dozen settlers have taken up residence in a Hebron house overnight, claiming they purchased it from its Palestinian owner.

* 'Iran helps Syria ship oil to China' Iran is helping its ally Syria defy Western sanctions by providing a vessel to ship Syrian oil to a state-run company in China.

* France arrests 19 suspected Islamist militants in raids Police in France have arrested 19 suspected Islamist militants and seized weapons in a series of dawn raids, President Nicolas Sarkozy says.

* Biden: 'Something in the Gulf,' Eurozone could bring down Obama Vice President Joe Biden Thursday made some oblique references to a possible war in Iran  or a Eurozone collapse bringing the Obama presidency to an end in November.

* Daylight Savings Time installed Israel reintroduced Daylight Savings Time (DST) overnight, pushing time forward one hour at 2 am to 3 am Friday.

* 'We need to invest in a European identity' The European Parliament is trying to cultivate a "European identity," with top officials saying that it is the only way to ensure a lasting union between member states.

* Israel Defense Ministry plan earmarks 10 percent of West Bank for settlement expansion For years Israel's Civil Administration has been covertly locating and mapping available land in the West Bank. 

03/29/12

* Blasts as Baghdad opens Arab summit on Syria peace plan Arab leaders have begun talks on a UN-backed peace plan for Syria at the first major international summit to be hosted by Iraq in decades.

* As Global March to J'lem nears, press war rages Organizers of Friday’s “Global March to Jerusalem” launched a press offensive this week.

* 'Iran could recover from military strike in 6 months' Iran’s “workshops” for making nuclear centrifuges and components for the devices are widely dispersed and hidden.

* 'Syria on dangerous trajectory with regional ramifications' United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Syria's President Bashar Assad must turn his acceptance of a six-point peace plan into action.

* Picture captures a billion stars Scientists have produced a colossal picture of our Milky Way Galaxy, to reveal the detail of a billion stars.

* Israel Buys Azeri Air Field on Iran's Northern Border Foreign Policy magazine reported in an exclusive piece this week that Israel has purchased an Azeri airfield on Iran's northern border.

* Jews Move Into House Near Cave of Patriarchs A group of Jews has moved into a house in Hevron near the Cave of the Machpela (Patriarchs), after buying it from an Arab owner.

* IDF to Remain on Full Alert Over Passover The IDF on Tuesday broke with Israeli tradition and ordered all units to cancel the long-customary Passover leaves and remain on full alert over the holiday.

* Erdogan Rejects 'Outside Pressure' on Iran Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cozied up to Iran during a visit to Tehran.

* EU to set up anti-cyber-crime centre The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (28 March) a new European cybercrime centre that will help crack down major online criminal activities. 

03/28/12

* NGO that wants Palestinian refugees let into Israel is barred from Ramallah for being Israeli Zochrot, a radical Israeli NGO that advocates the Òright of returnÓ of Palestinian refugees to the State of Israel, has been forced to cancel a workshop in Ramallah.

* Organizers fear Palestinian Land Day protests could turn violent Organizers of international protest marches scheduled for Friday to mark Land Day have expressed concern that the demonstrations could get out of control.

* Turkey's Erdogan arrives in Iran to discuss nuclear standoff with West Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Tehran Wednesday for a two-day visit, to discuss nuclear policy and regional politics.

* Jordan to Allow Global March to Jerusalem Jordanian authorities confirmed on Tuesday that they will permit a planned Global March to Jerusalem in the Jordan Valley on Friday.

* Abbas to ask Arab nations for urgent aid Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will ask Arab countries for urgent financial aid for the Palestinians during the upcoming Arab summit in Iraq.

* '69% of Israelis favor US-Israeli strike on Iran' Sixty-nine percent of Israelis are in favor of cooperation between Israeli and the US in a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

* Super-Earths 'in the billions' There could be many billions of planets not much bigger than Earth circling faint stars in our galaxy, says an international team of astronomers.

* Army chief cancels IDF-wide Passover vacation Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has ordered all IDF units to cancel their traditional Passover breaks so that they can operate in full capacity over the upcoming holdiay.

* Baghdad hopes Arab League summit stakes its place in changing Middle East It's a sweet irony for Iraq that the main organizer of this weekend's Arab League summit, an annual gathering of Middle Eastern potentates and diplomats, isn't even Arab.

* Iran voices support for UN-sponsored Syria peace plan Iran backs a UN-sponsored peace plan for Syria that calls for the withdrawal of troops that are crushing an uprising. 

03/27/12

* Two million set for 'March on Jerusalem' Friday, organizer claims Israel has urged neighboring states not to let participants reach its borders.

* Barghouti calls for third intifada and cutting ties with Israel Jailed Palestinian leader urges civil resistance and total economic boycott as well as a new UN campaign.

* 'Prepare for Ops You Read About in Books' -- Paratroopers Told "The Israeli nation is in a constant state of battle, and we may have to undertake operations of the kind we've only read about in books," Paratroopers Brigade Commander, Col. Amir Baram, told his soldiers.

* World leaders: Nuclear terrorism a 'grave threat' World leaders have called for closer co-operation to tackle the threat of nuclear terrorism at a summit on nuclear security in Seoul.

* 'Next round of escalation with Gaza will be more violent' The next confrontation between Israel and Palestinian terror organizations in the Gaza Strip will be "more violent" than previous rounds.

* Liberals, Islamists tussle over Egypt constitution Egyptian liberals and leftists wary of Islamist dominance of an assembly drafting a new constitution said on Tuesday they would write their own.

* Syria accepts UN peace plan but bloodshed persists Syria has accepted a peace plan by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan that includes a cease-fire by the Syrian government.

* Medvedev blasts Romney for 'number-one foe' remark Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has rebuked US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney for saying Russia is the "number one geopolitical foe" of the US.

* 'US understands Iran can't proceed like N. Korea' Intelligence Affairs Minister Dan Meridor said Tuesday that the United States understands that Iran cannot be allowed to proliferate nuclear weapons despite sanctions against it.

* EU rebuke masks ongoing divisions on Irsael The EU's mild rebuke of Israel over its avowed boycott of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) masks the fact that several member states sympathise with Israel's view.

03/26/12

* Israel to bar UN fact-finding team from entering Israel cut working relations with the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday and will bar a U.N. team from entering Israel or the West Bank for a planned investigation of Jewish settlements, the Foreign Ministry said.

* Egypt's Islamists tighten their grip on power Egypt's newly empowered Islamists have tightened their grip, giving themselves a majority on a 100-member panel tasked with drafting a constitution that will define the shape of the government in the post-Hosni Mubarak era.

* Tunisian Islamists step up demand for Islamic state Thousands of Tunisian Islamists took to the streets on Sunday to step up their demands for the creation of an Islamic state in one of the most secular Arab nations.

* Israel ready for 'Global March to Jerusalem' Processions planned on Israel's borders to mark 36th anniversary of Land Day; Iran pressuring its Jews to take part.

* The Arab League summit arrives on a sea of troubles As bomb attacks in Iraq threaten to derail Baghdad's efforts to rebuild its status, Syria and the Arab spring are divisive issues

* Dozens of French Muslims training with Taliban Pakistani intelligence officials say 85 Frenchmen training with Taliban over past three years; officials investigating whether Toulouse shootings perpetrator was one of those trained.

* James Cameron back on surface after deepest ocean dive Hollywood director James Cameron has returned to the surface after plunging nearly 7 miles down to the deepest place in the ocean, the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific.

* Watch IDF Elite Combat Troops in Training An IDF video gives a rare glimpse into tough training by crack “Egoz” combat soldiers, lugging and firing the Israeli-made “Tabor” rifle.

* Ahmadinejad: US can not dictate world policy Iran blames world problems on West; Obama says compromise can be reached on peaceful atomic energy for Tehran.

* Turkey Closes Syrian Embassy; Death Toll at 10,000 The international noose is closing in on Assad. Turkey has shut down its Damascus embassy, and Russia warned Syria it faces civil war.

03/24/12

* Hosting Arab leaders, Iraq tries to return to fold A summit of Arab leaders, held here for the first time in a generation, is a prime opportunity for Iraq to reassert itself as a political player in the Arab world.

* 'Iran planned to bomb Israeli ship in Suez Canal' Iran was planning to bomb an Israeli ship while it crossed the Suez Canal.

* Jordan: Hundreds Protest 'Procrastination' on Reform Hundreds of Jordanians demonstrated on Friday against what they charged was ÒprocrastinationÓ on reform in the country.

* Holocaust Memorial Vandalized in Ukraine A Jewish group said on Friday that a Holocaust memorial has been vandalized in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

* Israel Warns Neighbors Over March to Jerusalem As activists are planning to lead a Global March to Jerusalem next Friday, Israel has warned neighboring countries that it would forcefully respond to attempted breaches of its borders.

* Turkey blames Syria for supporting Kurdish rebels, inches closer to military action Will the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) drag Turkey into a war in Syria?

* African Union launches US-backed force to hunt Kony Following viral video, US, AU put together 5,000-strong military force to hunt down fugitive warlord Joseph Kony.

* ISS crew take to escape capsules in space junk alert The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) briefly took refuge in escape capsules as a piece of space junk drifted nearby.

* Pope Benedict: communism no longer working in Cuba Pope Benedict XVI, flying to Cuba for a historic visit, has said that Marxism was out of place in the contemporary world and urged Cubans to find "new models".

* Annan takes Syria peace plan to Russia Syrian peace envoy Kofi Annan arrived in Moscow on Saturday to gauge how far Russia was willing to push its Arab ally.

03/23/12

* Yaalon: Iran World's Number One Threat Vice Premier and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Yaalon said Thursday that Iran's nuclear program is the leading global security threat.

* Toulouse Terrorist Not Alone: Extreme Islam Threatens Europe Mohammad Merah, the terrorist who murdered seven people in Toulouse, France, including four Jews, was killed following a standoff on Thursday.

* French Police Detain Toulouse Killer's Family French police on Friday extended the remand the mother and brother of the self-proclaimed al-Qaeda terrorist who killed seven people in France before being shot dead at the end of a 32-hour standoff with police.

* Syrian activists: Clashes near Turkish border Syrian government forces fired machine guns and mortars Friday.

* Tunisia's Secular Opposition Uniting Against Islamists Five months after an Islamist-led coalition came to power in Tunisia, the country's fractious opposition is working to unite and fight for a secular state.

* EU countries to reduce dependence on US military European defence ministers endorsed plans on Thursday (22 March) to develop air-to-air refuelling capabilities and field hospitals in a bid to reduce military costs.

* Merkel: Eurozone crisis not over yet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday (21 March) said the eurozone crisis is "not over" yet.

* In Egypt, a cellphone is a wireless lifeline Post-revolution chaos, wandering youth spur families to stretch budgets to stay in touch.

* 'Iran may activate US Hezbollah cells after strike' A congressional report finds that Hezbollah fundraising cells are rampant across the United States.

* Summit lockdown frustrates Baghdad residents Hosting an Arab summit may be Iraq's way of opening up after years of conflict, but Baghdad residents have been left smarting as swathes of the city have been largely shut down for it to do so.

03/22/12

* A first look at world's future battleground Unmanned boats, cars and tanks and small remote-control operated aircraft are just some of the new developments presented at this week's AUVSI conference.

* Barak: Israel, US Disagree on Iran Timetable Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Israel and the US disagree on what would be a realistic timetable for stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

* French killings suspect dies shooting at police, authorities say The French police siege to capture a suspected al Qaeda-trained militant came to a bloody end Thursday.

* Islamists seek influence in Syria uprising The gunmen in eastern Syria, wielding grenade launchers and assault rifles, announced on the Internet they were forming the "God is Great" Brigade.

* 'Anti-Semitic notions' on rise among French, other Europeans The French have grown more likely to believe that Jews hold too much power in business or world finance.

* Egypt struggles for spy satellite program progress Since Egyptian technicians lost touch two years ago with an observation satellite they hoped would help carry the country into the "space club," the country has struggled to make progress in gaining intelligence satellite capabilities.

* Effective World Government Will Be Needed to Stave Off Climate Catastrophe Almost six years ago, I was the editor of a single-topic issue on energy for Scientific American that included an article by Princeton University's Robert Socolow that set out a well-reasoned plan for how to keep atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations below a planet-livable threshold of 560 ppm.

* Clashes rage across Syria despite UN statement Syrian troops shelled and raided opposition areas and clashed with rebel fighters around the country Thursday.

* Zawahiri to Afghans: Rise Against 'Crusader Swine' Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Afghans to rise up against "Crusader swine" in an audio message on Wednesday.

* Oil Prices at $200 a Barrel? Some Think It's Coming Signs that crude futures may hit much higher levels are converging, say oil traders and analysts.

03/21/12

* French police surround suspect in Jewish school shooting Some 300 police officers surround suspect's building in preparation to storm his apartment.

* Barak: Israel will decide its own fate over Iran Israel will decide its own fate with regards to Iran, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

* Al-Qaida claims responsibility for Iraq attacks Al-Qaida's front group in Iraq claimed responsibility Wednesday for a wave of attacks that killed 46 people across the country this week.

* Ashton faces wrath of Israel over Toulouse-Gaza remark Just about every top politician in Israel has in the past 24 hours attacked EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton for her remarks about killing of Jewish and Palestinian children.

* Egypt's Brotherhood may bid for president The Muslim Brotherhood might make a policy U-turn and contest May's presidential election.

* Israel purchases sixth submarine from Germany Defense Minister Ehud Barak signed a contract for the purchase of a sixth submarine for Israel's navy on Wednesday.

* Fayyad: Palestinian Cause Does Not Justify Terror Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad said Wednesday that extremists must stop using "the Palestinian cause" as a justification for terror.

* New Film Presents Israelis from Pioneers to Entreprenuers Israel will celebrate its 64th Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut) on April 26.

* Russia out to maintain clout, improve image on Syria Russia's sharper tone toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is calculated to improve Moscow's image.

* Security Council Makes Toothless Show on Syria The UN Security Council on Wednesday called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to immediately implement proposals by international envoy Kofi Annan.

03/20/12

* 50 dead in Iraq attacks ahead of Arab summit A wave of attacks killed 50 people in more than a dozen Iraqi cities on Tuesday.

* Nato commander: EU could not do Libya without US Last year's Nato operation in Libya, code named Unified Protector, is unlikely to have succeeded without US military support.

* Russian Anti-Terror Troops Arrive in Syria A Russian military unit has arrived in Syria, according to Russian news reports.

* 'Syrian troops threw civilians from rooftops' Rebels battled government forces in Damascus on Monday, in the most violent clashes Syria's capital has seen since the start of the year-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

* Pentagon Fears 'Regional War' Pentagon war games predict an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites may quickly spiral out of control and result in a large regional war.

* Russia Fears 'Nuclear Arms Race' Russia warned Tuesday that Iran would have no option but to develop nuclear weapons if it came under attack from either the United States or Israel.

* Anti-Semitism in Europe on the rise, ADL poll finds Anti-Semitic attitudes in ten European countries remain at "disturbingly high levels,".

* 'Paralysis warfare': China's cyber focus is to cripple U.S. infrastructure China’s cyber warfare capabilities have become sophisticated enough to easily cripple key elements of the U.S. national defense infrastructure.

* Germany warns Israel against attack on Iran Germany said on Tuesday it will sell Israel a sixth military submarine and shoulder part of the cost.

* 'Less focus on Israel expected at nuclear summit' Israel is less concerned than it was two years ago that the Arab world will pounce on it over its reported nuclear capabilities.

03/19/12

* Israeli official: Iranian military experts operating in Gaza, Sinai Iran pressured Islamic Jihad and popular resistance groups in Gaza to continue firing rockets into Israel despite cease-fire, says high-ranking Jerusalem official.

* Barak Warns Iran Nuclear Program Soon to be Strike-Proof Iran's nuclear program will soon be strike-proof, according to Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

* Iraqis demand better services on war anniversary Followers of the anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Monday demanded better living conditions in Iraq on the ninth anniversary of the US-led invasion of their country.

* An Iraq-style civil war seems to be taking off in Syria Both the Syrian government and the Free Syrian Army deny responsibility for a spate of recent bombing attacks, and indeed, a third option exists.

* Syria training Hezbollah to use antiaircraft guns IDF officers believe that Hezbollah use of advanced antiaircraft missiles could jeopardize Israeli aerial supremacy.

* Jews around world under growing terror threat Former Counterterrorism Bureau chief tells 'Post' that jihadist organizations seeking to attack Israeli, Jewish targets overseas.

* Russia fuels Syrian arms increase of 580% SIPRI report notes that Russia supplied 78% of Syria’s arms imports in 2007–11, arms sales stayed strong in Middle East.

* In China, millions make themselves at home in caves Some are basic, others beautiful, with high ceilings and nice yards. 'Life is easy and comfortable here,' one cave dweller says.

* Defiant North Korea says rocket launch to go ahead North Korea on Sunday rejected criticism of its planned long-range missile launch which threatens to upset its only major benefactor, China, and put relations with the United States back in the freezer just as they seemed to be starting to thaw.

* This WEEK in the European Union The Union's next seven-year budget, new tax laws, Palestinian refugees, Belarus and Syria stand out on next week's EU agenda.

03/17/12

* Iran: Israel 'a barking dog' that will not dare attack Islamic Republic over nuclear program Iran's parliamentary speaker has called Israel a "barking dog" that won't dare attack the Islamic republic over its controversial nuclear program.

* Annan: Syrians 'want to get on with their lives' The U.N. point man on Syria said Friday that he's working hard to stop the yearlong violence there and "get unimpeded access" for humanitarian relief.

* North Korean Missile May Explode Food Deal The United States on Friday denounced North Korean's plan to launch a long-range rocket to put a satellite into orbit next month as "highly provocative."

* 'Deadly blasts' shake Syrian capital Damascus At least 27 people have been killed and 97 wounded in two explosions in the Syrian capital Damascus, officials say.

* The bin Laden plot to kill President Obama Before his death, Osama bin Laden boldly commanded his network to organize special cells in Afghanistan and Pakistan to attack the aircraft of President Obama and Gen. David H. Petraeus.

* Uganda to head new military force to hunt for Kony Uganda will head a new four-nation military force to capture Joseph Kony.

* Bin Laden urged cronies to stress Palestinian cause Osama bin Laden chided terrorists in his network for not making the Palestinian cause a primary issue.

* Saudi Grand Mufti: 'Destroy All Churches' The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah declared, last Monday, that it is "necessary to destroy all the churches of the region."

* Hamas Angry at Adidas Over Jerusalem Marathon As more than 15,000 runners from 50 countries prepared for the Jerusalem Marathon which was held on Friday, Hamas was busy organizing a protest against it.

* Tauran: Christians under attack According to the Vatican, more than half of Iraq's Christians have left the country since the US-led invasion in 2003.

03/16/12

* Panel: J'lem of incidental importance in Islam Jerusalem is of incidental significance to Islam, its importance varying through history according to political circumstances.

* Netanyahu says Israel won't need U.S. OK to hit Iran Israeli aircraft and Gaza rocket squads traded strikes across the border on Thursday.

* Iran Behind 'Global March to Jerusalem', Say Experts Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center presents proof that Iran is behind the Global March to Jerusalem on March 30.

* Syria activists urge intervention as Annan briefs powers Activists called for rallies across Syria on Friday to demand "immediate military intervention".

* Iraq lets Iran fly arms to Syria despite U.S. protests The Iraqi government has refused U.S. requests to stop Iranian cargo flights to Syria.

* China, Russia still arming Sudan for attacks on Darfour China and Russia remain the largest military suppliers to Sudan and have been fueling the war with the newly-established South Sudan.

* Baghdad marketplace oasis holds 'Iraq of dreams' After a recent wave of attacks in Baghdad, urbane intellectuals sought refuge.

* Gulf Arab states close embassies in Syria Four members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)- the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait- closed their embassies in Syria.

* Dutch public TV pulls 'anti-Semitic' game from site Dutch public broadcasting network VPRO removed a game decried by human rights groups as anti-Semitic from its website on Wednesday.

* U.K's Cameron: No justification for Israeli attack on Iran There is no current justification for an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said.

03/15/12

* Panetta Seeks to Defuse Afghan Tensions US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Wednesday sought to defuse tensions in Afghanistan in the wake of a Quran burning and the killing of 16 civilians by an American soldier.

* Saudi loses student visa over 'indicators' of security issues: He threatened to blow up White House A Saudi national has lost his student visa to the U.S. after triggering "several indicators of national security concerns".

* Plotting against Iranian nuke sites The first indication that Israel has resorted to military action against Iran's nuclear program would be explosions across the Islamic republic.

* Netanyahu is preparing Israeli public opinion for a war on Iran Since his return from Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mainly been preoccupied with one thing: Preparing public opinion for war against Iran.

* FM: If Iran gets nukes it will destabilize Mideast Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Thursday said that if Iran gets nuclear weapons it will destabilize the region.

* Obama: Window for diplomacy in Iran shrinking US President Barack Obama warned Wednesday that the window to resolve the crisis over Iran's nuclear program diplomatically was shrinking.

* EU report notes huge increase in Jewish settler attacks EU countries' ambassadors in Ramallah have said Israeli authorities are not doing enough to stop a massive increase in attacks by Jewish extremists against Palestinians.

* Karzai calls for NATO to leave villages; Taliban scrap talks Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai called for NATO troops to leave Afghan villages.

* Fatah-Hamas Unity? Not This Year Fatah officials on Wednesday admitted they do not expect Hamas leaders in Gaza to follow through on its end of the Cairo reconciliation deal "anytime soon."

* Eyesight 'clue' to mental decline Looking at the back of the eye may offer an insight into the health of someone's brain, according to the US researchers.

03/14/12

* Netanyahu says 'Gaza is Iran' Iran is the primary actor responsible for escalations in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said.

* Russia Asked to Warn Iran of 'Last Chance' The United States has asked Russia to warn Iran that negotiations slated for April are a last chance to avoid military strikes against its nuclear program.

* More Americans than Israelis support Iran strike A series of recent polls has shown that more Americans than Israelis support an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

* Antiquities Authority Rips Netanyahu over Temple Mount The Knesset's Education Committee discussed Tuesday the ongoing damage to the Temple Mount caused by Muslims.

* Israel Strikes Oil Off Tel Aviv Coast Israel has struck oil again, this time off the Tel Aviv coast. Developers maintain the find includes 100 million barrels of oil, worth $10 billion.

* Israelis warned: Terror threat in Turkey Counter terrorism bureau says terrorists intending to attack Israeli, Jewish targets in Turkey in coming days.

* Moscow Refuses to Stop Arms Sales to Syria Russia on Tuesday adamantly rejected calls it stop arming Damascus irrespective of emerging reports of war crimes by forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

* Russia: we're happy to sell arms to Assad Russia insisted yesterday that it would not halt arms shipments to Syria.

* China central banker: EU is our biggest uncertainty In a sign of growing confidence on the global stage, China on Monday (12 March) singled out Europe as the "biggest uncertainty" for the future of its economy.

* Syrian army intensifies attacks on eve of anniversary The U.N.-Arab League envoy, Kofi Annan, said he had received a reply from Damascus to peace proposals that he had laid out at the weekend.

03/13/12

* Afghan government team attacked, Taliban fume over massacre Suspected insurgents opened fire on Tuesday on senior Afghan investigators of the massacre of 16 civilians by a lone U.S. soldier.

* IDF official: Army ready for ground op in Gaza The current round of fighting between Israel and Palestinian terror groups could prompt Israel to launch a ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

* Joseph Kony 2012: Invisible Children release new film responding to criticism The chief executive of a group that produced a wildly popular video about African warlord Joseph Kony answered its critics on Monday with a second film on YouTube.

* Islamic Jihad: Truce a victory for shahids The Islamic Jihad welcomed the Gaza ceasefire with Israel.

* Some 200 rockets hit Israel since start of latest Gaza escalation Nearly 200 rockets have exploded in Israeli territory since the latest round of violence between Israel and Gaza broke out on Friday.

* The Western Wall is for the birds When the swifts come back to Jerusalem's Western Wall this week there will be rejoicing as bird watchers and the religious welcome them home to Judaism's most sacred site.

* Fed Unveils Doomsday Scenario for Banks The Federal Reserve released its "worst-case scenario" bank stress test criteria Monday and said it will release full results Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

* Poll: Obama's a Muslim to many GOP voters in Alabama, Mississippi After years of battling false claims and viral emails alleging that he is a Muslim, President Obama hasn’t gotten far among Republican voters in Alabama and Mississippi.

* Tourists Ignore War Threats, Flock to Israel in Record Numbers Israel continues to attract tourists from around the world despite general Middle East instability and talk of war with Iran.

* Hitler's Mein Kampf Unlawfully Reprinted in Albania Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," ("My Struggle"), infamous for its unparalleled anti-Semitism upon which the hate-ridden Nazi ideology was founded, has been released in Albania for the first time.

03/12/12

* "Global March to Jerusalem" Seeks to End "Judaization" Global March to Jerusalem aims at gathering one million Arabs to infiltrate Israel; demands "freedom for Palestine, Jerusalem."

* Afghan massacre: US soldier acted alone in Kandahar A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in a night-time rampage acted alone, US officials say.

* IDF: We are ready for possible military operation in Gaza Army says Islamic Jihad is frustrated by its inability to inflict real damage on Israel; Netanyahu hints at expanding military operations; UN calls for "maximum restraint."

* The Spymaster: Meir Dagan on Iran's threat Meir Dagan has been described as "hard-charging" and "stops at nothing."

* Russia And China Claim Honorable Motives Behind Pro Assad Policy Russia and China defend their pro-Assad Syrian policy a essential to protect international law and sovereignty.

* US military unveils non-lethal heat ray weapon A sensation of unbearable, sudden heat seems to come out of nowhere -- this wave, a strong electromagnetic beam, is the latest non-lethal weapon unveiled by the US military this week.

* Terrorists using human shields Gaza terrorists firing rockets from densely populated areas, civilians hurt in Israeli strikes as result of Palestinian tactics, army says; some 25 Arabs killed in fighting so far

* Arab revolts led to Islamization, instability "Arab Spring" is wrong term to describe region's unrest, says INSS study marking year since start of protests.

* Quartet to Meet, Discuss Stalled Peace Process Members of the Quartet will meet in New York, after recent failed attempts to revive peace talks between Israel and the PA.

* Venus and Jupiter to pass in the night sky The pairing of Jupiter and Venus in the sky is set to reach its closest point in the coming days.

03/10/12

* Moscow protest against Putin win sees drop in support Fresh protests have been taking place in Moscow and other Russian cities following Vladimir Putin's victory in last weekend's presidential election.

* Syria crisis: Assad issues 'terrorism' vow to Annan Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told visiting UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan that no political dialogue can succeed in his country while "armed terrorist groups" are operating.

* IDF officials: We will respond forcefully to attacks Senior IDF officials that met regarding the ongoing escalation in southern Israel said on Saturday that the IDF will respond forcefully to any rocket attack against Israeli civilians.

* Mideast Quartet to meet amid stalled peace talks The Quartet of Middle East negotiators - the United States, Russia, the United Nations and European Union - will meet on Monday to discuss the long-stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

* Palestinians fire 92 rockets at southern Israel Palestinian terrorists in Gaza targeted cities, towns, and farming regions in southern Israel with waves of rockets throughout Friday and Saturday.

* Gaza strike: Terrorists vow revenge The Popular Resistance Committees' retaliation for the assassination of its leader will "shake the earth," the group threatened Friday.

* Pope Benedict warns against gay marriage Pope Benedict XVI has denounced gay marriage in a speech to US bishops visiting Vatican City.

* Space storm packs late punch, biggest since '04 A strong space weather storm packed a late punch overnight and ended up being the most significant geomagnetic event since 2004.

* Prosor: Arab Countries Support an Attack on Iran Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, said on Friday that he is concerned about the slowness of the international community regarding Iran's nuclear program.

* An old world comes alive during colorful Purim The ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea She'arim gets loud and festive in celebration of Purim.

03/09/12

* Israel asks U.S. for arms that could aid Iran strike Israel has asked the United States for advanced "bunker-buster" bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran's underground nuclear sites.

* Netanyahu Hints Iran Attack Just Months Away Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu set a general timetable for a possible strike on Iran Thursday evening, for the first time.

* Arab World: Confusion in the ranks This week, leading Gaza- Hamas activist Salah al-Bardawil told The Guardian newspaper that in the event of a war between Iran and Israel, Hamas would not back Teheran.

* Northern lights: aurora borealis displays sparked by solar storm A space weather storm that was forecast to be the strongest in five years has fizzled out and ended up causing no impact to power grids or modern navigation systems.

* 'Israel is only safe state for Mideast Christians' Israel has become the only safe haven for Middle Eastern Christians.

* Legal skull-duggery in Greece may doom Portugal Europe has ring-fenced Greece's debt crisis for now but its escalating recourse to legal legerdemain has shattered the trust of global bond markets.

* IDF upgrades tracking system in face of growing missile threat The Israel Defense Forces has acquired a new system that will let it see exactly where every missile strike has landed if the home front is under attack.

* Egyptian Cleric Hazem Shuman Calls to Spread Islam to South America "They Are Ready for Islam. They Hate the Jews and America Just Like Us".

* Greece: It's the geopolitics, stupid! The eurozone decided to grant Greece a second bailout, but this does not mean that the country received a wallet full of money.

* Joseph Kony 2012: a model of modern campaigning The campaign to get Joseph Kony arrested is a case study in how the web has changed political campaigning, says Matt Warman.

03/08/12

* Fears of disruption as big solar storm strikes the Earth The Earth is currently being battered by a storm of charged particles from the Sun, which could disrupt power grids, satellite navigation and plane routes.

* Top Nuclear Watchdog Demanding Answers The International Atomic Energy Association on Thursday directly accused Iran of refusing to come clear about its nuclear program.

* Obama focused on Iran diplomacy in tense meeting with Netanyahu Little love was lost in the March 5 meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* Khamenei hails Obama's remarks against Iran strike Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has welcomed comments by U.S. President Barack Obama pushing forward diplomacy.

* Israeli official: Satellite images back our claims Iran is developing nuclear weapon An Israeli official claims satellite images that raised suspicions Iran is trying to conceal a key nuclear test back Israel's concerns that Tehran is developing an atomic bomb.

* 'Mossad warns Turks of Iranian plan to hit Israelis' The Mossad has warned Turkey that Israel's diplomatic missions in the country could be in danger of Iranian "bomb attacks."

* 'No unity talks until Fatah can operate in Gaza' Fatah official says talks over formation of unity gov't will remain on hold until Hamas allows elections commission in Strip.

* Alawite defections from Syrian army may be on rise Defections of Syrian soldiers and officers from President Bashar Assad’s Alawite sect may be on the rise.

* PA: Register Church of Nativity under 'Palestine' For the first time in their history on Thursday, Palestinians have the right to act as a state before the World Heritage Committee.

* 'One-state solution' campaign promoted in West Bank A recently launched campaign in the West Bank calls on Palestinians and Israelis to desert the two-state solution and form one democratic state in its place.

03/07/12

* PM: Israel has acted against US advice before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told congressional leaders Tuesday that Israel viewed things differently than the US did at times, because it was not a global power and was more vulnerable.

* 'Israel must be ready to strike Iran if talks fail' Head of the National Security Council Maj.-Gen. (res.) Ya'akov Amidror said Wednesday that Israel must be ready to act against Iran.

* Fast Day in Memory of Esther's 'Life-Threatening Request' Wednesday's "Fast of Esther" is in memory of Queen Esther of Persia's risking her life by approaching King Ahasueros, her husband, to save the country's Jews.

* Nazi March Banned in Latvian Capital Latvia's capital announced it would be banning demonstrations on March 16, the date of a controversial annual march honoring troops who fought on the side of the Nazis during World War II.

* Erdogan Dismisses Rumors He is Dying Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan dismissed reports that emerged in the Turkish press on Tuesday that he has cancer and only two years to live.

* Libya's Leader Threatens War to Maintain Unity Libyan leader Mustapha Abdul Jalil on Wednesday threatened to maintain national unity "with force" after tribal leaders declared semi-autonomy for an eastern region.

* What the IDF's Iran wish list would look like New smart bombs with extended ranges and greater penetration as well as landing rights on aircraft carriers are just some of the requests that would appear on an Israeli military wish list.

* Apple unveils new iPad with high-definition screen It said the resolution of the display was 2,048 by 1,536 pixels. The tablet is also powered by a new A5X chip with improved graphics performance.

03/06/12

* Rabbis warn Jews against going to Temple Mount Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, along with several other senior rabbis, has issued a public statement to warn the public that visiting the Temple Mount is forbidden by Jewish law.

* Fresh Iran nuclear talks agreed with world powers - EU Six major world powers and Iran are to hold fresh talks on Tehran's nuclear program.

* Netanyahu at AIPAC: A nuclear Iran must be stopped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the AIPAC conference in Washington Tuesday (GMT), following a meeting with US President Barack Obama.

* Obama warns against effects of 'premature' military action on Iran U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that it is his belief that there is a still a "window of opportunity" to use diplomacy instead of military force to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

* Temple Institute in Debate over Mount Rav Chaim Richman, Director of the International Dept. of the Temple Institute, issued a dissenting opinion to the proclamations by the chief Rabbis regarding the proihibition of ascent to the Temple Mount.

* 'United States of Islam': The logic behind the emerging Arabic Caliphate The Arabic Caliphate is not a figment of the imagination anymore.

* Israel reports improved bunker-busters could destroy nuke sites on first strike Israel has reported the enhancement of bunker-busters for its Air Force, without U.S. assistance.

* Gingrich Vows to Replace Iran's Regime GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich sought to upstage his fellow Republican contenders on Tuesday by saying he would "undermine and replace the Iranian dictatorship."

* Eric Cantor: Obama Trying to 'Micromanage' Israel House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has accused the Obama administration of sending "mixed messages" to Israel's enemies and trying to "micromanage" the Jewish state.

* Jordanian general: Palestinian power could grow Israelis should think carefully about whether they want such a concentrated Palestinian power on their eastern border.

03/05/12

* Hamas Preacher: Al Aqsa Can't Remain under Apes, Pigs Palestinian incitement against Jews; Hamas preacher declares Al Aqsa cannot remain under the control of asses carrying books.

* Netanyahu talks tough in Obama Iran meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told US President Barack Obama that Israel must always remain "master of its fate".

* Russia election: Monitors say vote skewed for Putin Russia's presidential election was "clearly skewed" in favor of the winner, Vladimir Putin, international monitors have said.

* Stop shielding Israel, Palestinians tell Obama US President Barack Obama should stop shielding Israel, a senior Palestinian official said on Monday, calling a speech by the US leader a day earlier disappointing.

* IAEA voices 'serious concerns' about possible military dimensions to Iran nuclear program UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano tells IAEA's 35-nation board of governors about the lack of progress in two rounds of talks between the Vienna-based UN agency and Tehran this year.

* Mailmen Refuse to Deliver New Testament MK Orlev says Communications Minister and Postal Service agreed to halt distribution of missionary material.

* Top Russian analyst: Putin is good for Israel Election monitors say voting was skewed in Vladimir Putin's favor, following official announcement of his win.

* EU institutions back Putin despite vote-rigging concerns EU institutions have said it is business as usual with Russian leader Vladimir Putin despite questioning the legitimacy of his re-election.

* China to send envoy to Syria in bid to ease Syria crisis Beijing's effort appears to be latest attempt to counter accusations from Western and Arab government that it and Russia abetted Syria violence by vetoing UN resolutions against Assad.

* Obama will Refuse to Name Red Lines on Iran Netanyahu wants U.S. president to lay down timetable on Iran strike, but administration officials say he won't.

03/03/12

* Today's King Of Israel? Tamar speaks with Yosef Dayan, an Israeli man who says he can prove he is from the lineage of King David.

* Abed Rabbo: Israel is building a settler state Israel is working toward establishing a state for Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem instead of a Palestinian state.

* Iran touts high turnout, Ahmadinejad faction losing Iran, under intense Western pressure over its disputed nuclear program, declared an initial turnout of 65 percent in a parliamentary election shunned by most reformists as a sham.

* Daylight: New film blasts Obama's Israel record One day before the AIPAC conference kicks off in Washington, an anti-Obama pro-Israel group is widening its criticism of President Barack Obama's record on Israel.

* Palestinians to give Israelis deadline on talks Palestinian officials said Saturday they plan to give a deadline to Israel to accept ground rules for negotiations.

* Putin poised to regain Kremlin; protests likely Vladimir Putin appears all but certain to return to the Kremlin in Sunday's Russian presidential election.

* Police Stand By As Israel Advocacy Event Silenced A pro-Israel advocacy group brought two Israelis to a Californian university; were met with hate as police stood by.

* Amid fresh violence in Syria, Turkey calls on Iran to cut support for Assad regime As the number of deaths in Syria continues to grow, the international community can't formulate a practical decision on military intervention.

* EU leaders told to practice what they preach on economy Top EU officials on Friday (2 March) urged national leaders to implement their fine talk on jobs and growth.

* Libya's Muslim Brother picked to lead new party Libyan Islamists and independents have formed a new political party and elected a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood.

03/02/12

* Netanyahu: Israel reserves the right to defend itself In his first public comments on a North American visit that will include talks with US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday Israel reserved the right to defend itself against Iran.

* Security and Defense: A larger calling Two years after the invasion of Poland, Arieh Herzog was born.

* Terror Expert Warns of Continued Threat to Israelis Abroad The outgoing head of the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau warned on Thursday that Israelis abroad are still under the threat of terror attacks.

* Netanyahu to Demand Obama Commit to Military Action in Iran Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will press U.S. President Barack Obama for an explicit threat of military action against Iran if sanctions fail.

* A-Jad Tested as Iran Votes Polls have opened in Iran's parliamentary elections, the first major voting since the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009.

* Egypt: Christians, Actors Targeted as Islam Rises As Islamist parties gain power in Egypt, the country has seen a wave of lawsuits accusing various figures of "insulting Islam."

* 'Twisted' waves could boost capacity of wi-fi and TV A striking demonstration of a means to boost the information-carrying capacity of radio waves has taken place across the lagoon in Venice, Italy.

* EU summit: All but two leaders sign fiscal treaty All but two of the EU's 27 leaders have signed a new treaty to enforce budget discipline within the bloc.

* Liberman: Israel prepared to provide aid to Syria Israel is prepared to provide humanitarian aid to victims of the clashes in Syria at any moment that it is asked.

* Clinton congratulates Serbia on EU candidacy US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated Serbia Friday for achieving the status of candidate for admission to the European Union.

03/01/12

* Russia, China join Security Council statement on Syria crisis The United Nations Security Council urged Syria to halt a humanitarian crisis taking place in the country.

* 2 US troops killed in Afghanistan following Koran burning Two American soldiers were killed Thursday in a shooting by an Afghan soldier and a literacy teacher at a joint base in southern Afghanistan.

* Female terrorist hosts talk show on Hamas TV Ahlam Tamimi, who drove the Sbarro bomber in 2001 and was released in the Gilad Schalit deal, hosting a show on prisoners.

* Russia upgrades radar station in Syria to aid Iran Russia has upgraded a surveillance station it maintains in Syrian territory in order to provide Iran early warning of an Israeli attack.

* U.S. has military plan should Iran conflict erupt, says air force chief U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz said Wednesday that Washington has prepared military options to strike Iran's nuclear sites should conflict erupt.

* Putting the Mideast energy risk in perspective The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), usually at the forefront of concerns about political stability, poses relatively little risk to the world's energy supplies from domestic instability.

* Turkey's Erdogan to visit Iran following nuclear summit Turkish Prime Minister will visit Iran next month to discuss the results of preceding nuclear security summit in South Korea.

* Iran elections: The most important ever, says Khamenei Iran's Islamic regime is using every tool to convince Iranians to vote tomorrow in parliamentary elections.

* For Vladimir Putin, winning Russia's presidency may be the easy part he Russian election has been engineered for a Vladimir Putin victory.

* 'Missiles on Israel preferable to nuclear Iran' Former top Israeli official predicts Iran's reaction to Israeli strike will cause thousands of casualties, but '40 rockets are better than nuclear Iran'.