06/30/12

* Brotherhood's Mursi sworn in as Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi has been sworn in as Egypt's first civilian, democratically elected president at a historic ceremony in Cairo.

* Russia, West lock horns at Syria peace talks Russia and Western powers locked horns over a peace plan for Syria on Saturday.

* Morsi vows support for Palestinian people to regain their 'legitimate rights' Egypt's newly elected president sent an implicit message of reassurance to Israel in his first major address after taking office.

* Officer: 'We are Preparing for Possibility of War' "We are in preparations for the possibility of war and in the midst of deployment with the situation in Syria in mind," a top IDF officer said.

* UNSC publishes report on Iran arms trade with Syria A UN Security Council committee has published a report on Iranian sanctions violations.

* Dempsey: US-Israel drill to take place in fall The United States and Israel are expected to hold a joint military exercise sometime around October.

* Timbuktu shrines damaged by Mali Ansar Dine Islamists Islamist fighters in Mali have damaged the shrines of Muslim saints in the city of Timbuktu, witnesses say.

* Egypt Seizes Libyan Weapons Headed for Gaza Egyptian security forces on Friday seized a large stash of weapons, including rockets and automatic machine-guns.

* EU summit deal leaves many questions open The EU summit has failed to produce a big step towards a political and economic union, say analysts.

* Beit El Resident: Netanyahu, Obama – You Won't Move Us Alex Traiman was among those expelled from their homes in Beit El this week.

06/29/12

* Syrian Tanks Gather on Turkish Border The Syrian army has gathered roughly 170 tanks near the Turkish border.

* Hamas Man Assassinated – but Who Did It? Senior Hamas terrorist Kamal Ghanaja, second-in-command to Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, was killed in Damascus this week.

* Officer: 'We are Preparing for Possibility of War' "We are in preparations for the possibility of war and in the midst of deployment with the situation in Syria in mind."

* Mursi to address Tahrir ahead of swearing-in Egypt's Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi will give a speech to crowds in Tahrir Square on Friday.

* Merkel defends compromise deal on eurozone banks Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is satisfied with a deal to help finance debt-laden eurozone countries.

* UNESCO: Nativity Church heritage site in 'Palestine' The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Friday became the first World Heritage Site to be listed under the name of Palestine.

* Arab World: Staying on the sidelines Syria’s Kurds are sitting out the civil war, which they see as a clash between Assad's regime and Turkish-backed Sunni Arabs.

* Top Iran official: U.S. threats of military attack against nuclear program are empty U.S. warnings of the possibility of a military strike against Iran are void, and only meant to undermine the stability of other nations.

* Clinton arrives in Russia for Syria showdown US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were heading for a face-to-face showdown over Syria on Friday.

* Israel stages Holocaust survivor beauty pageant A beauty pageant for Holocaust survivors has been held in Israel for the first time, stirring controversy.

06/28/12

* Russia won't call for Syrian president to step down Russia on Thursday said it would not endorse a call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to give up power.

* Turkey sends anti-aircraft guns to Syrian border Columns of military vehicles have been seen moving from military bases to the border, close to where the jet crashed.

* Islamist Rebels Seize Northern Mali, 20 Dead Islamist rebel separatists have seized northern Mali, killing 20 as they clashed with a second rebel force.

* Strong explosion rocks Syria's capital A strong explosion rocked the Syrian capital Thursday near a busy market and the country’s highest court.

* IDF bolstering defenses along Syrian border The IDF is bolstering defenses along the Syrian border and beefing up its forces due to concern that terrorist groups are planning a cross-border attack in the Golan Heights.

* Tantawi to Remain as Egyptian Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Mohamed Tantawi is to remain at his post as Egypt's Defense Minister in the new government cabinet.

* Divided EU leaders meeting for 'big leap' summit A stormy two-day summit kicks off on Thursday (28 June), with EU leaders still at odds over ceding core national powers to Brussels.

* The EU and Turkey: Stronger together At a time when the EU faces economic challenges and continuing instability in the Middle East, our relationship with Turkey matters more than ever.

* Arab Rage: Putin Recognized Jerusalem's Jewish Past Arab Muslims are enraged by remarks made by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kotel.

* Fatah to Israel: Do What We Want, or Face Intifada If Israel does not surrender all the lands liberated in the Six Day War of 1967, set up an Arab state with Jerusalem as its capital, and make significant concessions in accepting as citizens descendants of Arabs who fled Israel in 1948, a third intifada should, and must, be conducted.

06/27/12

* Turkey won't strike back at Syria, for now In the case of its downed fighter jet, Turkey's bark has proved mightier than its bite.

* Iraq PM calls for early elections Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has called for early elections.

* We may have confused Turkish jet for an Israeli one, Syrian minister claims Syrian soldiers who shot down a Turkish military jet on Friday may have confused it for an Israeli plane.

* Turkey deploys tanks on Syrian border; Assad says country in a 'real state of war' Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Tuesday his country was in a real state of war and gave no sign of a softer approach towards a pro-democracy revolt.

* The Bear at the Door Russian strategic nuclear bombers threatened U.S. airspace near Alaska earlier this month and F-15 jets responded by intercepting the aircraft taking part in large-scale arctic war games.

* Israelis divided on US role in peace process Israelis are divided over whether US involvement in the Middle East peace process has had a positive or negative impact.

* Iran's media 'optimistic' about relations with Egypt Even as Egyptian president-elect Mohammed Morsy moved to deny that he had told an Iranian news outlet he planned to rethink a peace treaty with Israel and rekindle ties with Tehran.

* Gunmen 'kill seven' at Syrian pro-Assad Ikhbariya TV Gunmen have attacked a Syrian pro-government TV channel, killing seven people.

* Liberman on Iran VP: Hitler also said crazy things Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday condemned Iranian first Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi for a speech he gave at a UN conference in Tehran.

* Russian media reports: S-300 sale to Syria cancelled Russia has suspended the sale of the advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria.

06/26/12

* Turkey PM Erdogan issues Syria border warning PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan told parliament that if Syrian troops approached Turkey's borders, they would be seen as a military threat.

* Syrian rebels clash with elite troops outside Damascus Syria's elite Republican Guard forces clashed with rebels just outside Damascus Tuesday in some of the most intense fighting.

* Putin Warns Attack on Iran Will Backfire Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin warned President Shimon Peres Monday that attacking Iran could backfire.

* EU hopes for 'big leap' with fiscal, political union plan EU officials have drawn up a far-reaching plan that would eventually turn the eurozone into an outright fiscal union.

* Africa's Islamist militants 'co-ordinate efforts' Three of Africa's largest militant Islamist groups are trying to co-ordinate their efforts.

* EU builds situation room for Arab League in Cairo Catherine Ashton's foreign service has built a situation room for the Arab League in Cairo to help handle future crises.

* MI5 fighting 'astonishing' level of cyber-attacks MI5 is battling "astonishing" levels of cyber-attacks on UK industry, the intelligence agency's chief has said.

* NATO says downing of Turkish jet 'unacceptable,' but no action in offing NATO's North Atlantic Council condemned Tuesday Syria's downing of a Turkish jet on Friday, but did not recommend military action for the act.

* Putin praises Abbas for his 'responsible' position in negotiations with Israel Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his Palestinian counterpart Tuesday for what he said was a "responsible" position in negotiations with Israel.

* Iraq gives media 45 days to comply with regulations Iraq's interior ministry has given dozens of media outlets 45 days to comply with Communications and Media Commission (CMC) regulations over licences, or they will face "legal procedures."

6/25/12

* Morsy says he'll 'review' peace treaty with Israel In interview with Iranian media, Egyptian President-elect says he wants to restore ties with the Islamic Republic.

* Putin in Israel to Boost Power in Mideast Putin visits Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan in an effort to improve his image, blackened by support for Syria and Iran.

* Turkey calls emergency Nato talks on Syria Turkey has invoked the softer article four of the Nato treaty after Syria shot down one of its warplanes on Friday (22 June).

* Syria official says Damascus did not know downed warplane was Turkish Washington Post cites spokesperson of Syrian Foreign Ministry as refuting Turkey's account of the incident, which heightened tensions between the one-time allies.

* "Waqf Trying to Drive Jews from Temple Mount"  Waqf officials told a Jew to take off his kippah in effort to make Jews uncomfortable on the Temple Mount, sources say.

* White House congratulates Egypt's Morsi The White House congratulated Egypt's president-elect Mohamed Morsi on his victory in that country's presidential election, calling it a "milestone" in the country's transition to democracy.

* 'Warning! Your Salad May Be Turning You Into An Infidel!' An Egyptian Salafist group warned that eating tomatoes are "forbidden because they are Christian."

* Mixed messages from Israel as Islamist wins Egypt presidency Netanyahu says he respects result and urges cooperation; senior official says Israel's prediction that Arab Spring would become 'Islamic Winter' was correct; Morsi promises to respect Egypt's international accords.

* Barak: We will monitor peace treaty with Egypt After Morsy says he'll review peace accords, Barak says Israel will closely watch security developments,

* Will Egypt's new leader Islamize largest Arab state? Experts are divided on whether Morsy's election will mean danger for Israel. 

06/23/12

* MK: End Muslim Occupation on Temple Mount MK Aryeh Eldad (Ichud Leumi) called Thursday to end Muslim control over visits to the Temple Mount.

* Gul: Turkey can't ignore that Syria shot down jet Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Saturday it was not possible to ignore the fact that Syria had shot down a Turkish fighter jet.

* Iran general: Military strike would be end of Israel If Israel wants to act illogically, "it is they who will be destroyed," Iran's deputy chief of staff says.

* Egypt presidential poll results 'due on Sunday' The delayed results of Egypt's presidential run-off will be announced on Sunday.

* Lavrov: Don't Threaten Iran Over its Nuclear Program Russia's foreign minister said on Friday that Iran should not face threats over its nuclear program.

* Another 'make-or-break' EU summit next WEEK The EU's pre-summer-break summit looms large on next week's agenda, as the crisis, which wrecked Greece.

* Saudi Arabia plans to fund Syria rebel army Saudi officials are preparing to pay the salaries of the Free Syria Army as a means of encouraging mass defections from the military.

* Gaza terrorists fire 23 rockets at Sderot area, hitting school and factory Gaza-based terrorists fired 23 rockets into southern Israel on Saturday.

* Laser treatment for Earth-bound asteroids A study suggests our best chance of defending the planet from asteroids is to equip spacecraft with solar-powered lasers.

* Palestinians push UNESCO to make Bethlehem's Nativity church a World Heritage site The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is becoming the church of contention.

06/22/12

* Expert: 'Flame' can sabotage computers, attack Iran The powerful Flame computer virus is not only capable of espionage but it can also sabotage computer systems.

* Putin wants to show he is key player in region Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose support for Syrian President Bashar Assad is straining his ties with the West.

* Gaza's global jihadis Jihadi groups are said to be operating in the Strip without any consideration for Hamas's interest.

* Muslim Brotherhood candidate urges prompt release of Egypt's election results The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate for president has urged Egyptian authorities to release the results of the weekend's election as soon as possible.

* Turkish military jet 'downed by Syria' near border The Turkish military earlier said it had lost contact with an F-4 Phantom over the Mediterranean Sea on Friday morning.

* Erekat: Israel must choose - peace or settlements Israel must choose between peace and settlements and release Palestinian prisoners.

* 'Iran, Israel would back down from all-out war' Rising tensions between Israel and Iran are just a bluff and Iran's bigger concern is the deepening instability in the Arab world.

* Egypt anti-military protesters fill Tahrir Square Last weekend, the military dissolved parliament, claiming legislative power.

* Eurozone four leaders agree economic growth package Leaders of the eurozone's four biggest nations have agreed in principle to measures to boost growth equal to 1% of the currency area's economic output.

* IMF piles pressure on Germany to help struggling eurozone banks directly The head of the International Monetary Fund has piled pressure on Germany by recommending a series of crisis-fighting measures.

06/21/12

* Jewish Visitor to Temple Mount Told to Remove Kippah During a visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, a Jewish student was told by Islamic Waqf officials to take off his kippah.

* MK: End Muslim Occupation on Temple Mount MK Aryeh Eldad (Ichud Leumi) called Thursday to end Muslim control over visits to the Temple Mount.

* Syrian fighter pilot defects to Jordan A Syrian fighter plane has landed at a military air base in the north of Jordan and the pilot has been granted political asylum, officials say.

* 'Nuclear Iran would trigger Middle East arms race' Ehud Barak pessimistic over ongoing P5+1-Iran talks, says Israel can't wait "years," praises US for commitment to Israel.

* Blair to Israelis: Your security is our security Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Thursday asked the Israeli public to trust that the international community is doing everything in its power to ensure that Israel remains safe.

* US government to seize $1m Mongolian Tyrannosaurus bataar A New York court has issued a warrant forcing an auction house to return the fossil to modern-day Mongolia, where it was discovered about seven years ago.

* Mofaz: Peace talks with PA soon to be renewed Premier Shaul Mofaz said Thursday morning that he believed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would be renewed soon without preconditions.

* Netanyahu: Defeating Islamism will Take Decades Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spelled out his long term vision for the coming century in his speech to the President's Conference.

* Gaza Rocket Attacks on Southern Israel 'Resume' Palestinian Authority terrorists launched another rocket attack on southern Israel Thursday afternoon.

* Tensions grow in Egypt as presidential vote results delayed Political tensions in Egypt soared on Thursday, as Egyptians reacted with disbelief and anger to news that election officials had delayed declaring the winner of the presidential runoff elections.

06/20/12

* Mubarak health drama adds to Egypt uncertainty Exactly what ails the 84-year-old, who ruled for 30 years till last year, is unclear but two security sources and one of his defense lawyers described his condition as "almost stable".

* Greece Swears In New Government Greece's conservative New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras was sworn in as prime minister Wednesday.

* Iran hijacked US drone, says Iranian engineer In an exclusive interview, an engineer working to unlock the secrets of the captured RQ-170 Sentinel.

* U.S., Israel Developed Flame Together The United States and Israel jointly developed the sophisticated Flame computer virus that collected critical intelligence in preparation for cyber-sabotage attacks aimed at slowing Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

* Obama: China, Russia not on board for Assad ouster Russia and China have not agreed to any plan for the removal of President Bashar Assad from power but do recognize the danger of an all-out civil war in Syria.

* Ulpana residents agree to voluntary evacuation Outpost residents say agreement preventing forced evacuation comes after PMO pledges to build 300 homes in Beit El settlement.

* Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak 'health worsens' Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been moved from prison to an army hospital in the capital, Cairo, where he remains in a critical condition.

* Is that really just a fly? Swarms of cyborg insect drones are the future of military surveillance The kinds of drones making the headlines daily are the heavily armed CIA and U.S. Army vehicles which routinely strike targets in Pakistan - killing terrorists and innocents alike.

* Merkel under pressure to move on Spain and Italy With borrowing costs in Spain and Italy at unprecedented highs, German Chancellor Angela Merkel came under increased pressure.

* 'Gun control caused the Holocaust' Joe the Plumber, the Republican congressional candidate formally known as Samuel Wurzelbacher, has put out a video in which he suggests that gun control laws were responsible for the Holocaust and genocide of six million Jews.

06/19/12

* 'Iran, Russia, China, Syria plan 'largest' war game' Iranian media outlets reported on Tuesday that Iran, Russia, China and Syria are to conduct joint military exercises in Syria next month.

* Big powers seek progress on day two of Iran talks Russia said it expected a "reasonable outcome" on Tuesday from talks between world powers and Iran on Tehran's nuclear program.

* G20 summit: Leaders alarmed over eurozone crisis World leaders meeting at a G20 summit in Mexico have urged Europe to take all necessary measures to overcome the eurozone debt crisis.

* US plans significant military presence in Kuwait The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region.

* General Warns: Terror to Move East As Israel completes work on the Sinai border fence, the defense establishment must look to the eastern border as the next threat.

* Ship 'carrying attack helicopters to Syria' halted off Scotland heads for Russia The UK has made moves to stop a cargo vessel allegedly carrying refurbished Russian-made attack helicopters from completing its journey to Syria.

* Pakistan Supreme Court bars PM Gilani from office Pakistan's top court has disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from holding office, two months after convicting him of contempt of court.

* Muslim Brotherhood urges marches against Egypt military Over the weekend, the generals issued two decrees dissolving the Islamist-dominated parliament and claiming all legislative power for themselves.

* NASA Voyager 1 spacecraft nears interstellar space NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered a new environment more than 11 billion miles from Earth.

* EU to G20: We will not take 'economic lessons' The EU is not prepared to take economic lessons from its G20 partners, the president of the European Commission said.

6/18/12

* IDF tanks move closer to Egypt border Military issues unusual order, deploys Armored force closer to border following terror attack on civilian crews building fence.

* Russia to send ships and marines to Syria Two Russian navy ships are completing preparations to sail to Syria with a unit of marines on a mission to protect Russian citizens and the nation’s base there, a news report said Monday.

* Hamas supporters in Gaza cheer Egypt's Brotherhood victory Distributing sweets and praising God, Gazans rejoice over Islamist win in Egyptian presidential election.

* Antonis Samaras begins urgent Greece coalition talks The leader of the party that narrowly won Greece's election has begun urgent talks to form a coalition, saying he wants to forge a "national consensus".

* Egypt's army vows to hand power to elected president Egypt's ruling military council has vowed to hand over power to an elected president by the end of June.

* Egypt is like Gaza except Israel can't respond Ultimately, senior defense officials admit that Israel can't deal with the terror threat on its own and needs the Egyptian government to work to regain control and weed out the terrorists.

* Kurds could hold key in Syria Largest Syrian opposition group names Kurd as new leader, but Syrian Kurds remain hesitant to rebel.

* Extremists' guide to 'struggle against Ulpana evacuation' Booklet distributed in Beit El settlement instructs right-wingers to block roads, infiltrate IDF bases and commit 'price tag' acts to prevent imminent evacuation of five homes, turn area into 'one of most turbulent in West Bank.

* 'Peace process clinically dead, Israel responsible' Abbas says PA fulfilled all obligations, accuses Israel of working to destroy 2-state solution through settlement policy.

* Greek election aftermath to dominate this WEEK With Greek voters having given a majority to pro-bailout parties on Sunday (17 June), the EU's immediate agenda is likely to centre on offering some sort of sweetner to any future coalition government. 

6/16/12

* Egyptians choose new president amid political chaos Egyptians voted Saturday in the nation's first free presidential election, a runoff that pits a conservative Islamist against a former prime minister who served in the regime toppled last year.

* Saudi heir apparent Prince Nayef dead Crown Prince Nayef, the long-serving interior minister who led Saudi Arabia's crackdown against al-Qaeda's branch in the country and then rose to become next in line to the throne, has died. He was in his late 70s.

* Baghdad car bombings target Shia pilgrims Two separate car bomb attacks targeting Shia Muslim pilgrims in Baghdad have killed at least 32 people, Iraqi officials say.

* U.N. suspends peace mission in Syria due to uptick in violence The United Nations said Saturday it has suspended its monitoring mission in Syria due to intensifying violence, sending a strong indication that prospects for peace are failing.

* Campaigning ends ahead of crucial Greek elections Campaigning in Greece has ended ahead of a crucial election on Sunday which could determine its future in the eurozone.

* Panetta urges quick and peaceful transition to democracy in Egypt US Defense Secretary asks head of ruling military council to promptly hold legislative elections.

* China launches space mission with first woman astronaut China has launched its latest manned space mission - whose crew includes its first female astronaut, Liu Yang

* Eurozone approaching its moment of truth After more than two years of uncertainty, instability and slow growth, decisions taken over the next few months could determine the economic future of the whole European continent for the next decade and beyond.

* Ahmadinejad: I will retire from politics in 2013 Iranian president tells German newspaper that "eight years is enough," he will quit when second term ends and return to academia.

* Remnants of Grad rocket found in southern Israel Rocket shell found in Arava region; IDF probe finds that rocket appears to be Grad; no injuries or damages. 

6/15/12

* Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood warn of 'dangerous' days The Muslim Brotherhood has warned that Egypt's fragile democratic gains are under threat, after a surprise court ruling overturned last year's parliamentary elections.

* Security and Defense: Chemically unstable Syria's chemical weapons program has been focus of Israeli intelligence operations since the mid-1970s.

* Syrian peace plan falters; Russia warns against "plots" Both rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are intensifying violence in Syria and striving for military gains rather than peaceful transition, the chief U.N. monitor in Syria said on Friday.

* No Reopening Of Supply Routes To Afghanistan Via Pakistan US relations with Pakistan continue to deteriorate as US negotiation team calls it quits.

* Poll: Israelis Trust the U.S., But Not Obama Two thirds of Israelis would support military strike on Iran if diplomacy fails. Three of 10 think Romney will improve relations.

* Greece in international spotlight as it heads to polls Europe is in wait-and-see mode as Greeks head to the ballot boxes for a vote that is set to determine the future of their country in the eurozone.

* Analysts: 'Soft coup' court ruling could reignite Egyptian revolution Confusion reigns in Egypt after stunning court rulings threw the country's awkward transition toward democratic rule into turmoil.

* Pessimism on eve of Moscow nuclear talks with Iran Just days before the third round of talks between Western powers and the Islamic Republic, it would hardly be an exaggeration to say that hopes for a breakthrough are at their lowest

* Eurozone approaching its moment of truth We are approaching a moment of truth for the eurozone.

* Jordan protesters brave heat wave to demand reform More than 2,000 Jordanians braved blistering temperatures on Friday to demonstrate across the country against recent hikes in commodity prices, demanding sweeping political change and constitutional reform. 

06/14/12

* Some cry 'coup' as Egypt's highest court annuls parliament, military extends power Egypt's highest court declared the parliament invalid Thursday, and the country's interim military rulers promptly declared full legislative authority, triggering a new level of chaos and confusion in the country's leadership.

* UNESCO report exposes Dome of Rock renovation UN body condemns Israel for skipping meeting on Mugrahbi Bridge plans; Israel denies knowledge of meeting, blames Jordan.

* Iran detains suspects behind assassinations of nuclear scientists, report says Semi-official Fars news agency cites Iranian Intelligence Ministry as reporting the arrest, withholding other details; Iran has accused Israel, U.S. of the killings.

* Under US pressure, Abbas and Mofaz reportedly to meet in Jordan next week As the rift between Hamas and Fatah deepens, senior PA officials turn their gaze to Israel’s new coalition to restart peace talks

* PMW's 'Puppet Show' Report Shuts Down PA Website A PMW report on a PA puppet show encouraging children to replace cigarettes with guns led to one PA website shutdown and a probe of an NGO.

* Military drone mistaken for ‘UFO’ along DC highways People in the D.C. area are buzzing after pictures began popping up online showing what many believed to be a 'UFO' in transport along the Capitol Beltway.

* A moon of Saturn may have 'tropical' lakes They might not be fit for humans to swim in, but "tropical" lakes may exist on one of Saturn's moons that could harbor tiny organisms.

* 3,000 March to Celebrate Jewish Life in Samaria 3,000 Israelis of all ages and backgrounds joined together to celebrate Jewish life in Samaria, by participating in the Shomron March.

* Begin: We made mistakes with flotilla Likud minister says that in retrospect, it's obvious that government made mistakes in planning for Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010

* Muslim Brotherhood seeks unity ahead of Egypt runoff against Mubarak's last PM Unofficial results show very tight race, with fewer than 8 percentage points separating the top four candidates.

06/13/12

* Russia, US Nearing Proxy War in Syria France has called on the United Nations to authorize using "all means" necessary to end the carnage in Syria.

* Turkey Fears Syrian Conflict Spilling Over Border Turkey has expressed fears that the bloodshed from the growing civil war in Syria could spill over its border.

* 'Pure Gold' makes first public appearance Jerusalem's Bible Lands Museum marks its 20th anniversary with exhibit of ancient gold never seen before in public.

* U.S. hits Russia for delivery of Mi-24 attack helicopters to Syria he administration of President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Russia was preparing to deliver attack helicopters to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

* Iraq: wave of bomb attacks 'kill 84' A wave of bombings across Iraq has killed 84 people and injured nearly 300 in the deadliest day in the country since US troops withdrew last year.

* 'Hezbollah may move Syrian arms to Lebanon' Concern is mounting in Israel over the possibility that Hezbollah will try to move sophisticated weaponry, including Scud missiles, from Syria to Lebanon.

* Closer union 'urgent' - EU Commission chief Barroso Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called for a "vision of where we need to go".

* PA to UNESCO: Bethlehem's Church of Nativity in 'Palestine' The Palestinian Authority is making a bid to list the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem as located in the "country of Palestine."

* Jews for Jesus groups claim rapid growth in U.S. About 200 congregants filled the stain glassed-windowed sanctuary on a Shabbat morning this spring, praying, singing and welcoming new members.

* Jordan promises to stop revoking citizenship from Palestinians For years, Jordan has systematically revoked its nationality from citizens of Palestinian origin. But that practice may soon end.

06/12/12

* Khamenei adviser: Islamic countries need nukes Forghani, who formerly called on Iran to annihilate Israel, argues that Islamic Republic needs nukes to repel US threat.

* Iran steps up crackdown on Christians Iran's stepped up its crackdown on the country struggling Christian community by closing a church in Tehran.

* Missile Attack on Tel Aviv Might Force Evacuation The entire population of Tel Aviv would be evacuated if unconventional missiles were to strike the city.

* Syrian army uses children as 'human shields': UN The United Nations branded the Syrian government as one of the worst offenders on its annual "list of shame" of conflict countries.

* UN-Backed PA NGO to Children: Replace Cigarettes with Guns A Palestinian Authority-based NGO, the Burj Luq-Luq Social Center Society organization, recently performed a puppet show for children in east Jerusalem to promote non-smoking.

* Settler organization granted control over spring in East Jerusalem A right-wing organization that was granted use yesterday of an ancient East Jerusalem spring said the move would keep Haredi men from bothering the tourists.

* Church of England warning on gay marriage The Church of England has warned that proposals to legalise gay marriage could undermine its status.

* Russia protests: Putin opponents march in Moscow Thousands of Russian anti-government protesters are taking part in a major rally in Moscow to demand fresh elections and a new president.

* 'Oldest galaxy' discovered using Hawaii telescope A team of Japanese astronomers using telescopes on Hawaii say they have seen the oldest galaxy yet discovered.

* MK: Kadima Inciting a Civil War The Kadima party has been inciting hate for selfish political reasons, MK Yisrael Eichler (United Torah Judaism) accused Tuesday.

06/11/12

* "Hezbollah could get Syria's non-conventional arms" Barak says Assad family is "slaughtering its people with the support of Iran, Hezbollah," Israel closely monitoring situation.

* Graffiti thanking Hitler found at Israel Holocaust museum Hebrew graffiti thanking Hitler for the Holocaust and denouncing Zionism was sprayed at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.

* Somali Islamists offer 10 camels as bounty for Obama The United States offers millions for information leading to the capture of the world's most wanted terrorists.

* Iraq president: PM's critics didn't get majority Opponents of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have failed to muster enough support to bring him down in a vote of no confidence, Iraq's president said in a statement posted on his website Sunday.

* Syrian opposition cites indiscriminate firing from helicopters Government military forces fired indiscriminately Monday from helicopters on a town on the outskirts of Jabal Al-Zawiya, inflicting scores of casualties on civilians and rebel forces.

* "Israel in Shadow of Syria’s Chemical Weapons" Assad, termed by journalist Joel Brinkley as the "world’s most dangerous man," could use chemical weapons on Israel, warns IDF general.

* Saddam's brutality still haunts Iraqi Kurds Relatives and friends share their grief as bodies of 730 victims of infamous Anfal campaign are reburied.

* With New Cameras, IAF Could Peek into the Ground Hyperspectral camera could allow UAVs to detect hidden weapons and chemical agents.

* Libya's Landmark Elections Postponed to July 7 Libya announces that elections for a constituent assembly have been postponed to July 7, citing logistical and technical reasons.

* Spanish rescue pleases markets, but doubts remain Shares jumped and the euro made gains on Monday after the eurozone announcement of a €100 billion rescue for Spain's banks.

06/09/12

* The capture of Jerusalem, as never seen before In May 1967, Yossi Shemy, a trombone-playing paratrooper from Kibbutz Bet Zera, was called up to reserves.

* Muslim Cleric: Jerusalem to be Capital of Egypt Under Mursi Rule If Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi were to become president, Egypt’s capital would no longer be Cairo, but would be Jerusalem.

* Russia: We won't oppose Assad's departure in Syria Russia will not oppose the departure of Syria's President Bashar Assad if such a move is a result of a dialogue between Syrians themselves.

* 'Fatah has secret bank account in Jordan' Yasser Arafat's former financial advisor, Mohammed Rashid, revealed over the weekend that Fatah has a secret bank account in Jordan with $39 million.

* Dazzling nights in the Old City The Jerusalem Festival of Light is in its fourth year, and what makes it continue to work is its location in the Old City.

* Syria conflict: 'Deadly shelling' hits Deraa The Syrian army has killed at least 17 people, including women, during fighting in the southern restive town of Deraa, activists say.

* Iranian general: Our finger on war trigger With Western pressure growing on Bashar Assad over the latest massacres of defenseless women and children in Syria, Iranian officials again are warning the world against any action against the Middle East dictator.

* Israel Allies to US: Recognize Jerusalem as Undivided Capital Members of the International Israel Allies Caucus Foundation met in Washington, D.C., this week.

* US Puts $33m Bounty on al-Shabaab Leaders The United States is offering millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to the capture of leaders of the Somali militant group al-Shabab.

* China to carry out manned space flight China has announced it will carry out a manned space flight at some point in the middle of June.

06/08/12

* US increases pressure on Russia to oust Assad The United States stepped up pressure on Russia to support a Syrian power transfer that would include President Bashar Assad's exit.

* Tel Aviv celebrates gay pride with annual parade Tens of thousands of people participated in the annual Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade.

* UFO seen over Israel apparently Russian ICBM test Russia announced on Thursday night that it had carried out a successful test of an inter-continental ballistic missile.

* A-Jad: Iran Has No Fear Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Tehran has no intention of building nuclear weapons - but fear is not the reason.

* Syria Qubair: Bloody traces of massacre seen in village Paul Danahar, who was travelling with UN monitors, found buildings gutted and burnt in the deserted tiny village near the western city of Hama.

* Arrest Warrant Issued for Neo-Nazi Following Televised Scuffle The spokesman for the Greek neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, Ilias Ksidiaris, is wanted for arrest following a brawl on live television.

* Honeybee virus: Varroa mite spreads lethal disease A parasitic mite has helped a virus wipe out billions of honeybees throughout the globe, say scientists.

* Legal web threatens Egypt's political future Egypt's newly elected parliament could be dissolved, the presidential election may have to be abandoned and the country's new constitution has yet to be drafted.

* Hundreds of Former Soviet Jews Gather to Celebrate Heritage Some 400 Jews have gathered in the former Soviet republic of Moldova for a festival to celebrate the Jewish heritage of the former Soviet countries.

* Iran, IAEA meet as Ahmadinejad visits China The UN nuclear watchdog and Iran began a new round of talks on Friday in an attempt to seal a framework deal.

06/07/12

* Flame: UN urges co-operation to prevent global cyberwar The UN has urged countries to seek a "peaceful resolution" in cyberspace to avoid the threat of global cyberwar.

* Putin: We support 'peaceful' Iranian nuke program Russia supports a peaceful Iranian nuclear program, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart.

* 30 Year Anniversary of Operation Peace for Galilee This week the IDF marked the 30-year anniversary of Operation Peace for Galilee with a ceremony featuring a speech to the troops by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.

* Autocrats together No foreign leader can talk to Vladimir Putin these days without discussing Syria.

* Syria UN team 'shot at' near Qubair 'massacre site' The head of the UN has said monitors trying to reach the Syrian village of Qubair, where 78 people are said to have been killed, were fired upon.

* Al-Shabab: US puts bounty on Somali militants The United States is to offer millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to the capture of leaders of the Somali militant group al-Shabab.

* Merkel speaks out for two-speed Europe German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will use the gathering of EU leaders at the end of the month to push ahead with plans for a political union.

* Elbit to Unveil Terrain Dominance Systems Elbit Systems will unveil its End-to-End Solutions for Terrain Dominance and Enhanced Situational Awareness at Eurosatory 2012 security industries exhibit.

* U.S., Allies Call for Syria Transition Government Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad "must transfer power and depart Syria," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a news conference in Istanbul Thursday.

* 68% of Arab-Israelis prefer to live in Israel Some 80% of Arabs living in Israel blame Jews for the Nakba, but 60% of them are resigned to Israel as a state with a Jewish majority.

06/06/12

* 'Iran clearly developing nuclear weapons program' Iran is undoubtedly working on a nuclear program for military purposes, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

* End of the road for Iraq's leader? When news surfaced at the end of last week that a majority of Iraq’s lawmakers had signed a letter demanding a no-confidence vote against Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, it looked like the days of the embattled leader were numbered.

* Kaspersky: 'Flame' just the tip of the iceberg Eugene Kaspersky, whose lab discovered the Flame virus that has attacked computers in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East, said on Wednesday only a global effort could stop a new era of "cyber terrorism".

* Pentagon chief Panetta defends Pakistan drone strikes Mr Panetta said the US had made it "very clear that we are going to continue to defend ourselves".

* Barak acknowledges Israel's cyber offensive for first time Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday acknowledged Israel's offensive cyberspace operations for the first time.

* Venus makes rare trek across Sun The transit was a very rare astronomical event that would not be seen again for another 105 years.

* Netanyahu: 300 New Families to Join Beit El Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a special statement Wednesday regarding the impending demolition of the Givat HaUlpana neighborhood.

* High hopes pinned on new Jerusalem tourism website Tourism in Jerusalem is set to move into the 21st century with the introduction of the Jerusalem Municipality’s official travel website, iTravelJerusalem.com.

* Rampant corruption is aggravating EU crisis Corruption and lack of transparency are endemic throughout the EU, with direct links to the economic crisis.

* Iraq to the United States: Give us back our Torahs and Talmuds The United States has taken hold of 90 percent of Iraq’s national archives, and is refusing to return thousands of precious Jewish documents and manuscripts, Iraqi government officials are claiming.

06/05/12

* PM: Iran giving Assad 'personnel' to kill his own people Iran is providing Syrian President Bashar Assad with both arms and personnel to butcher his people.

* PA Glorifies Terrorist 'Martyrs' Whose Bodies Were Returned As was expected, the Palestinian Authority glorified the 91 terrorists whose bodies were returned by Israel.

* Russia-China unity on Syria as Putin arrives in Beijing A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said both countries remain opposed to forced regime change and urged support for UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.

* Venus to put on Sun spectacular Planet Venus is set to move across the face of the Sun as viewed from Earth.

* Secret mission accomplished: America's mysterious space plane to land after a YEAR in orbit - and no one knows what it did up there The U.S Air Force's highly secret unmanned space plane will land in June - ending a year-long mission in orbit.

* Israel sees rising instability on Syria armistice line There is growing instability on the Syrian side of the armistice line on the Golan Heights.

* Russia Has World's Largest Nuke Arsenal – 10,000 Warheads Russia, which is helping Iran develop nuclear power, has more nuclear warheads than any country in the world.

* German submarines 'very important' for Israel's security, PM says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel's German-supplied submarines are "very important" for national security.

* Europe still best place to live for gay people Despite a recent surge in homophobia and differences between countries, Europe on the whole remains the most gay-friendly continent on the globe.

* Merkel: eurozone needs more EU supervision German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday (4 June) said she supports more integration in the eurozone.

06/04/12

* Sadr and secular bloc push for Iraq PM to quit A powerful Shiite cleric and Iraq's main secular bloc have made new calls to unseat Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, as a long-running political crisis appeared set to drag on.

* Settlers begin protest march to Jerusalem Hundreds of young settlers began marching from a West Bank outpost to Jerusalem on Monday to protest over plans to raze five homes built on private Palestinian land.

* Israeli firm sees further major offshore gas deposits An Israeli company has said there is a high probability of further major natural gas deposits off the northern Israeli coast.

* Israel Intensifies Security Along Border with Egypt Israel has intensified security on its border with Egypt in the wake of Mubarak's verdict, security sources in the Sinai say.

* EU to press Putin on Syria at summit EU officials are expected to press Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a stronger line on the crisis in Syria during a summit in St Petersburg.

* Putin to meet Iran's Ahmadinejad in China: Kremlin Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of a summit in Beijing next week as tensions rise over Tehran's nuclear drive, a Kremlin official said.

* Deadly car bomb attack rocks Baghdad About two dozen people have been killed and scores injured in a suspected al-Qaeda bomb attack in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, officials say.

* Israel to Unveil World's Smallest Missile Israel's Rafael Defense Systems will unveil the world's smallest missile at the annual Eurosatory exhibition in Paris next week.

* IDF Joins the Fight Against Cyber Attacks The IDF's Operations Department defines the essence of IDF cyber warfare, puts together instructions for facing potential enemies.

* McCain: Obama Leaked Info on Stuxnet Attack to Win Votes Senator McCain says Obama's administration leaked a report on Obama's approval of cyber-attacks against Iran in order to win votes.

06/02/12

* Iran threatens to target US bases if attacked Senior Iranian military commander warns that missiles could reach all parts of Israel, Press TV reports.

* Hizbullah Wants to Move Far-Reaching Scuds from Syria Hizbullah looking to move Scud D missiles, which can reach Eilat, and modern anti-aircraft equipment from Syria to Lebanon.

* Annan warns of 'all-out' sectarian war in Syria Qatar PM says int'l peace envoy should set time limit for his mission; Syrian rebels kill 14 soldiers in Deraa, Damascus.

* Mubarak jailed for protest deaths An Egyptian court has sentenced ex-President Hosni Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during last year's uprising.

* Diamond Jubilee: Queen starts celebrations at the Derby The Queen has watched the Derby at Epsom, having earlier driven on the race course to begin the first major event of the Diamond Jubilee weekend marking 60 years of her reign.

* "Human barcode" could make society more organized, but invades privacy, civil liberties Microchip implants have become standard practice for our pets, but have been a tougher sell when it comes to the idea of putting them in people.

* Ireland votes in favour of EU fiscal pact Voters in the Republic of Ireland have approved the EU fiscal pact, according to official results.

* Bilderberg 2012: bigger and badder and better than ever As the conference gets into full swing, Charlie Skelton meets the alternative media and their $700 cameras, as they remain convinced their mainstream brethren are missing the story.

* Iran building new space center to launch satellites Space program raises Western concerns because of possible military applications.

* Putin warns of worsening Syria conflict Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday of an "extremely dangerous" situation in Syria and emerging signs of a civil war but rejected a military intervention as he met with European leaders. 

06/01/12

* Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran From his first months in office, President Obama secretly ordered increasingly sophisticated attacks on the computer systems that run Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities.

* In Obama we trust? In the end, the whole question of what Israel should do about Iran boils down to a simple question: Does Jerusalem trust Washington?

* Israeli officials link Tehran to Assad's massacres A day after Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran's parliament, said a Western military intervention in Syria would "engulf" Israel.

* 'Israel's creation worst catastrophe to hit world' The head of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has called on Arab forces to confront Israel.

* New Lebanese action film glorifies Hezbollah in 2006 war with Israel The villain in Lebanon's new hit war movie: a cigar-smoking Israeli army colonel who sports a cowboy hat and a handlebar mustache and repeatedly orders troops to shell Lebanese villages.

* A New Front: Samaria Jews to Become 'Facebook Warriors' Facebook and other social networks have long been not only places for friends to connect, but also political fronts in which ideas are debated as often.

* Sinai peacekeeping force commander warns of weapons smuggling to Gaza The commander of the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai said this week that advanced Russian-made missiles were being smuggled from Libya, through Egypt, into the Gaza Strip.

* 'No signal' from targeted ET hunt The hunt for other intelligent civilizations has a new technique in its arsenal, but its first use has turned up no signs of alien broadcasts.

* EU diplomacy on Israel/Palestine shifts up a gear Few issues of diplomatic conversation today have quite the same ability to generate a rolling of the eyes and turning of the page as the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

* This WEEK in the European Union The European Commission will on Wednesday (6 June) unveil its proposal for a "banking union" designed to restore confidence in the euro.