05/05/12

* Police Block March to Temple Mount Jerusalem police have ruled that activists cannot hold a march to the Temple Mount this Sunday.

* Hundreds of Jordanians protest Israel peace deal Hundreds of Jordanians burned Israeli and US flags in Amman on Friday and called for the cancellation of the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace accord.

* Putin returns to presidency in a changed Russia Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency on Monday will technically give him greater powers than he wielded as prime minister.

* Hundreds held after fierce Cairo clashes in which soldier killed Military prosecutors have detained over 300 Egyptian protesters following clashes outside the country's Defense Ministry.

* French election: Sarkozy and Hollande keep silence French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his challenger Francois Hollande are observing a mandatory election silence ahead of Sunday's run-off vote.

* Greek elections to usher in anti-bail-out parties Greece's two main parties are set for heavy losses in Sunday's (6 May) elections.

* Gloom builds for euro zone, United States In Europe, the purchasing managers indexes (PMIs), which primarily cover services, suggested a recession across the continent's currency union could now extend to mid-year and be deeper than previously thought.

* Some U.S. aid to Iraq bought 'protection' from militias, insurgents The United States has determined that hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding was relayed to militias in Iraq.

* Ex-IDF intelligence chief: A nuclear Iran more dangerous than military strike Former Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said on Saturday that a nuclear Iran would be more dangerous than carrying out a military strike on Iran.

* Conservative factions dominate Iran's run-off elections Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, now out of favor with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suffered more setbacks in a run-off parliamentary election seen as a pointer for next year's presidential race.