Friday, January 20, 2012

01/20/12

* US military chief holds talks in Israel on Iran The U.S. military's top general conducted an intense string of closed-door talks with Israeli leaders Friday.

* Hamas urges end to Israel-Palestinian talks after West Bank arrests The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas urged President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday to suspend exploratory peace talks with Israel.

* France's Sarkozy: Military strike on Iran would trigger Middle East war French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned against any military intervention against Iran over its nuclear program.

* Arab World: Qatar, Midwife of the new Arab world Qatar's Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani this week called for the deployment of Arab troops in Syria.

* Obama plan seen ending U.S. military edge in space The Obama administration is launching a new space arms-control initiative that critics say will lead to restrictions on U.S. military activities in space.

* Syria on the brink? Russia upgrades major port at Tartous to accommodate aircraft carriers Russia, defying a revolt against the regime of President Bashar Assad, plans to modernize a major naval facility in Syria.

* Minister: Israel is an Internet Superpower Israel's top public relations official, on Thursday, told Israelis not to worry about the Arab-Israeli Hacker War that has erupted in recent weeks.

* Israeli Ambassador Flies Back to Tel Aviv Israeli Ambassador to Egypt Yaakov Amitai has quietly left Cairo.

* Future EU bail-outs only for treaty signatories, new draft says The latest version of the treaty on EU fiscal discipline says countries cannot get bail-outs unless they sign and apply the pact.

* Iran calls for Israel to be 'punished' for scientist An ally of Iran's supreme leader called on Friday for Israel to be "punished" for its alleged role in killing an Iranian nuclear scientist last week.