10/13/12

* Turkey condemns UN inaction Syrian crisis deepens Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rebuked the UN Security Council for inaction over Syria.

* Syria activists say jihadis seize missile base A shadowy jihadi group believed to be linked to al-Qaida fought alongside rebels who seized a government missile defense base in Syria on Friday.

* Al-Qaida leader urges Muslims to wage holy war against U.S., Israel Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said a film made in the United States mocking the Prophet Mohammed showed Washington was waging a "crusader Zionist war" against Muslims.

* Muslim Brotherhood's Top Sheikh Urges Jihad for Jerusalem The supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, the movement which Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi belongs to, called on Thursday for a jihad (holy war) to liberate Jerusalem from Israeli rule.

* Church leaders urge members of Congress to reconsider US aid to Israel Leaders of several major US Christian denominations - including Protestants, Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans and Methodists - have asked members of Congress to reconsider US aid to Israel.

* Nobel Peace Prize awarded to European Union The European Union has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for six decades of work in advancing peace in Europe.

* This WEEK: bank union to dominate EU summit EU leaders will descend on Brussels on Thursday (19 October) for a summit expected to be dominated by talks on the proposed EU banking union.

* Pride, confusion and sour grapes after EU wins Nobel EU officials weary of being sniped at for their handling of the crisis or their big salaries got a morale boost on Friday.

* China's yuan hits record high amid US pressure China's currency hit a record high against the US dollar on Friday, in what analysts said could be a response to US political pressure over claims the yuan is vastly undervalued.

* Al Qaida membership in Iraq has more than tripled since U.S. pullout Al Qaida's network in Iraq has grown dramatically in membership since the U.S. withdrawal in 2011.