02/28/13

* Iraqi PM warns Syrian rebel victory will bring chaos Iraq's prime minister warned Wednesday that a victory for Syria's rebels will spark sectarian wars in his own country and in Lebanon.

* EU diplomats urge financial sanctions on Israeli settlers Senior EU diplomats have called for financial sanctions and travel bans on Israeli settlers in a last-ditch effort to save the Middle East peace process.

* Palestinians in Israeli jail end hunger strike Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have ended their hunger strike of nearly three months and two other hunger strikers have been hospitalized.

* US: $60 million in new aid to Syria opposition The Obama administration said Thursday that it will provide the Syrian opposition with an additional $60 million in assistance.

* Erdogan calls Zionism a 'crime against humanity' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday described Zionism as a "crime against humanity" on par with anti-Semitism and fascism.

* Liberman: West 'stands down' as Iran 'races' toward bomb The world has been retreating in the face of Iran's rush toward nuclear weapons capability.

* Gaza's massive haul of devil rays sparks big fish story Palestinian fishermen on Wednesday dragged hundreds of endangered rays out of the waters off the Gaza Strip.

* New sophisticated malware targets 23 countries, including Israel Israel is one of 23 countries targeted by a just-born virus that cleverly exploits Adobe Reader PDF files to install a new, highly customized malicious program on computers.

* Expert: Stuxnet part of long-term effort to stop Iran nukes Stuxnet, the virus that attacked Iran's nuclear program and that may or may not have been developed by Israel and the US, was already doing its destructive work in 2007.

* Pope Benedict quits Vatican with promise to obey successor Pope Benedict left the Vatican on Thursday after pledging unconditional obedience to whoever succeeds him to guide the Roman Catholic Church.

02/27/13

* Syrian tank shell lands in Israeli Golan Heights town A tank shell fired from Syria landed in the Golan community of Alonei Habashan late Wednesday morning.

* EU Reports Jerusalem Construction "Deliberate and Provocative" The European Union is targeting Jewish construction in Jerusalem, calling it "systematic, deliberate and provocative."

* 'Iran is developing 2nd path to nuclear weapons' Iran is developing a second path to achieving a nuclear weapon by operating a heavy water plant in Arak that could produce plutonium.

* New report details al-Qaida membership in the US More than half of all al-Qaida operatives and their affiliates in the United States who have committed terrorist offenses are US citizens.

* Egyptian Court Throws Out Case Calling to End Peace with Israel The Cairo Administrative Court ruled on Tuesday that it has no jurisdiction over a lawsuit demanding the cancellation of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

* Pope Benedict XVI recalls joy and 'choppy waters' The Pope, 85, will retire on Thursday - the first pope to abdicate since Gregory XII in 1415.

* MKs Debate Dead Sea Chemical Company Sale to Potash Corp. Lawmakers are debating whether to allow the possible sale of a company that produces chemicals from the Dead Sea to a foreign corporation.

* 'Spontaneous' Arab Riots a Message from PA to Obama The "spontaneous" riots in Judea and Samaria in recent days are actually a message from the Palestinian Authority to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and United States President Barack Obama.

* 10.5 Million Kotel Visits in 2012 Police data published Wednesday shows an estimated 10.5 million visits to the Kotel (Western Wall) in 2012.

* US wants to help rebels oust Assad, Kerry says New US Secretary of State John Kerry says the time has passed for Syrian President Basher Assad to leave power.

02/26/13

* US urges restraint in wake of Palestinian prisoner's death The US on Monday urged Israel and the Palestinians to exercise restraint and avoid making combative statements following the death of Palestinian inmate Arafat Jaradat in an Israeli prison.

* Iran Slams Hollywood Over 'Argo' Oscar Win Iran, upset over the film "Argo" winning the Academy Award for best movie, criticized Hollywood on Monday, with a senior official saying the film "lacks artistic value".

* After months of calm, rocket slams into Ashkelon A rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at Ashkelon early Tuesday morning.

* Hamas Calls to Kidnap IDF Soldiers The Hamas terror group, taking advantage of the rioting in Judea and Samaria, is calling on terrorists to kidnap IDF soldiers.

* Are Iran rocket experts helping militants in Gaza? Expert rocket makers dispatched from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have in recent days arrived in the Gaza Strip.

* Anti-Morsi fervor grows despite election date change Egyptian president seems to be failing to stem tide against him.

* In Pictures / IDF and Palestinians clash in Hebron An up-close look at clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron between Palestinian protesters and the IDF.

* Benedict XVI to be known as 'pope emeritus' Benedict XVI will be known as "pope emeritus" and will retain the honorific "His Holiness" after he abdicates on Thursday.

* Italy election: Europe jitters over result deadlock France and Germany urged continued reform, while Spain described the result as a "jump to nowhere".

* Russia meteor's origin tracked down Astronomers have traced the origin of a meteor that injured about 1,000 people after breaking up over central Russia earlier this month.

02/25/13

* Palestinians warn Obama over Temple Mount visit Palestinian political and religious figures over the weekend warned US President Barack Obama that he should probably avoid ascending Jerusalem's Temple Mount during his upcoming visit to Israel, but provided a list of instructions should he go ahead with a stop at the contentious holy site.

* Syrian Regime Ready For Talks With Rebels, Says Minister Syrian regime is ready to talk with all parties, including armed rebels, said Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem.

* Kerry and Cameron say they'll prevent 'nuclear-armed Iran' New US secretary of state, kicking off first overseas trip in London, says window for diplomacy 'still open.'

* Abbas Claims Israel Deliberately Seeks 'Chaos' Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas alleged Monday that Israel was deliberately seeking to provoke unrest in Judea and Samaria.

* EU Experts call for action against Hezbollah In light of Lebanese-Swedish man's confession to membership in Hezbollah, Swedish and Dutch experts warn of new dangers.

* Arrow 3 Tested Successfully The anti-missile system is intended to intercept high altitude ballistic missiles.

* Germany ready to re-start EU-Turkey talks German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed France on re-starting EU accession talks with Turkey.

* Israeli army expects new terrorist uprising Israel has a new government (or will soon) and a new minister in charge of peace negotiations with the Palestinians, but Israel's military chiefs expect anything but peace in the near term. 

* Egyptian civil society see echoes of past in new law A law drafted by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice (FJP) party threatens to stifle Egyptian civil society and takes a cue from the authoritarian ways of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, rights groups said.

* Pope Benedict XVI amends Roman Catholic conclave law Pope Benedict XVI has amended Roman Catholic church law so that the conclave selecting his successor can be brought forward, the Vatican says.

02/23/13

* New port marks China's growing presence in the Persian Gulf region China and Pakistan recently signed an agreement granting Beijing the operating rights to the Gwadar port facilities in western Pakistan.

* 'Israel monitors weapons transfers to Syrian rebels' Israel is closely monitoring the transfer of certain kinds of weapons to Syrian rebel groups.

* Iran's Revolutionary Guard begins military exercise Iran's Revolutionary Guard has begun a three-day ground and air military exercise aimed at "upgrading its combat readiness."

* Iran selects 16 new sites for nuclear plants Iran has selected 16 locations for the construction of nuclear power plants as part of a plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity at multiple sites over the next 15 years.

* Russia accuses US of double standards over Syria Moscow criticizes US over response to Syria car bomb, backs Assad while Washington blames him over conflict.

* Religious Affairs: Papal attraction Back in 1415, with the decadent Borgio papacy nearly 80 years away and the Reformation's challenge more than a century away, there was no hint that catastrophe was approaching Catholicism itself.

* Mali conflict: 'Many die' in Ifoghas mountain battle Thirteen Chadian soldiers and 65 Islamist insurgents have been killed in heavy fighting in a remote part of northern Mali.

* North Korea warns U.S. forces of "destruction" ahead of war drills North Korea on Sunday warned the top U.S. military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would "meet a miserable destruction" if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops.

* Pro-Obama think tank downplays regional threat of a nuclear Iran A U.S. think tank regarded as close to the administration of President Barack Obama has played down the repercussions of an Iranian nuclear weapons arsenal.

* Egyptian Brotherhood hits back at opposition leader The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood responded Saturday to leading opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei's threat that he would boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections.

02/22/13

* Netanyahu: Iran closer than ever to nuclear bomb Iran is closer today than ever before to obtaining the necessary enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb.

* Palestinians, IDF forces clash in Jerusalem, West Bank Following Friday prayers at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Palestinians began hurling stones at security forces at the Old City's Mughrabi Gate.

* IDF Ready in 'Volatile' Golan The IDF is prepared for a new reality in the Golan as Syria continues to descend into chaos.

* Syria rebels plan transitional gov't, seize nuclear center Syria's main opposition group agreed to set up a transitional government seeking recognition as the legitimate alternative to President Bashar Assad's rule.

* Massive Sunspot Rapidly Forming A giant sunspot that's at least six times the diameter of Earth has formed on the sun in less than 48 hours.

* Berlin Film Festival Prize Winner Denies Israel's Right to Exist Danish-Palestinian film director Mahdi Fleifel, who was awarded the Berlin International Film Festival’s annual Peace Prize, provoked controversy after publicly questioning Israel's legitimacy and right to exist.

* 'Burning Barack Obama' in North Korea Nuclear Threat Video A new propaganda video produced by North Korea shows flames superimposed over US President Barack Obama and American soldiers, followed by a nuclear bomb exploding.

* Morsi Announces Dates for Parliamentary Elections Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Thursday called parliamentary elections starting April 27.

* Purim 'Thank You' for Hareidi, Bedouin Soldiers The Gesher group for religious-secular unity passed out Purim gifts of food (mishloach manot) to soldiers this week in a unique approach to the "sharing the burden" debate.

* Peres urges EU to brand Hezbollah as terrorists President Shimon Peres on Thursday exhorted the European Union and its member states to place Hezbollah on their terror lists.

02/21/13

* Arab Group: Kotel is a Muslim Site, And Jews Don't Belong There An Israeli Arab group, "The Al-Aqsa Heritage Institute," on Thursday issued a statement demanding that Israel halt its plans to bring more Jews to the Kotel (Western Wall).

* Syria conflict: Many dead in huge Damascus bombing A massive car bomb explosion in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has killed at least 53 people and injured another 200.

* Egypt's Brotherhood still operates secretively Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi speaks publicly of firsthand knowledge of a meeting where opponents allegedly plotted against him.

* GOP senator: Jerusalem is 'of course' Israel's capital Sen. Marco Rubio in meetings with Israeli leaders said Jerusalem was Israel's capital.

* Syrian rebels take fight to Hezbollah in Lebanon For the first time since the outbreak of unrest in Syria, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Thursday announced that it had retaliated against what it claimed were Hezbollah hostilities.

* Hizbullah Terror Group Scanning EU for Israeli, Jewish Targets Hizbullah terror operatives are in Europe scanning for area for Jewish targets.

* Israel Okays Drilling for Oil on Golan Heights Israel has given the green light to drill for oil on the Golan Heights.

* Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops Hundreds of Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security forces Thursday.

* Mali: Islamist clashes outside Gao town hall The fighting has left the town's main courthouse in flames.

* EU should arm Mali soldiers, French general says The head of the EU training mission to Mali (EUTM) says the EU should run a parallel programme to better equip and arm Malian troops.

02/20/13

* Hagel Said Israel Headed Toward Apartheid, Netanyahu a 'Radical' Secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel said Israel is on its way to becoming an apartheid state.

* Israel's infrastructure exposed to cyber-risk Israelis are - with good reason - concerned about the possibility that Iran will attain nuclear weapons.

* Sunni protesters dig in as tensions flare in Iraq Sunni protesters are camped out in dozens of tents festooned with tribal banners on the edge of this one-time Iraqi insurgent stronghold.

* Germany and Poland join up on EU foreign policy Germany and Poland, as well as the Czech republic and Sweden, have put forward joint ideas on how to handle post-Soviet countries.

* 99% of Americans consider Iranian nukes a threat A huge majority of Americans view Iran's nuclear program as a "critical threat."

* Russia, Arab League see chance for Syria dialogue Russia and the Arab League see signs of hope that the rival sides in the Syrian civil war are willing to start talks to end nearly two years of conflict.

* Apple Is Building Something Bigger Than a TV Given the beating Apple has taken lately-with many questioning its future-it's important to understand how much television means to Apple.

* Video Sneak Peak: The Israel Museum "Herod the Great" Exhibition The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, premieres the world's first exhibition on the life and legacy of King Herod.

* Anti-Semitism Skyrocketing in France Anti-Semitism is skyrocketing in France. Last year saw a 58 percent increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents there.

* Baghdad okays Syria-Iran natural gas pipeline Iraq has approved the construction of a natural gas pipeline across its territory that will connect Iran to key ally Syria.

02/19/13

* Chavez back in Venezuela, on Twitter with four million followers The 58-year-old flew back from Havana before dawn and was taken to a military hospital.

* Syria 'mulled killing Vatican ambassador' A top Syrian intelligence official planned to assassinate the Vatican's ambassador to Syria following his outspoken criticism of the Bashar Assad regime late last week.

* Moses replaces Hitler in Japanese comics Israeli Ambassador to Japan Nissim Ben-Shitrit visited a book store at a Tokyo Metro station recently, and he was shocked to discover a manga comic book with a drawing of Adolf Hitler on its cover.

* North Korea threatens South with "final destruction" North Korea threatened South Korea with "final destruction" during a debate at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday.

* PM: Unarmed Palestinian state critical to peace Palestinian acceptance of a demilitarized state and recognition that Israel is the Jewish homeland are both critical for long-term peace.

* China military unit 'behind prolific hacking' A secretive branch of China's military is probably one of the world's "most prolific cyber espionage groups", a US cyber security firm has said.

* Cosmos may be 'inherently unstable' Scientists say they may be able to determine the eventual fate of the cosmos as they probe the properties of the Higgs boson.

* The Search Is on for Meteorite The meteor that crashed to earth in Russia was about 55 feet in diameter, weighed around 10,000 tons and was made from a stony material.

* EU Agrees to Send 'Non-Lethal' Aid to Syrian Opposition European Union foreign ministers on Monday stopped short of meeting Britain's demand to lift an arms embargo on Syria.

* UN: Syrian Refugee Numbers Top 850,000 The number of Syrian refuges forced to flee the conflict-ravaged country has topped 850,000.

02/18/13

* Netanyahu: Israel Keeping Close Tabs on Syrian Border Israel will maintain close tabs on its border with Syria and only let people to cross in "exceptional circumstances," says PM Netanyahu.

* Israel sells electronic warfare systems to Turkey J'lem complete $200 million deal with Turkish air force, after it was frozen following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident.

* Obama trip to get logo (but no corporate sponsor) Prime Minister's Office is asking the public to choose the design of Obama's visit to Israel.

* UK seeks EU support on arming Syrian rebels Britain's William Hague was almost alone on Monday (18 February) in saying EU countries should give weapons to Syrian rebels.

* PM: N. Korea proof that sanctions won't stop Iran Netanyahu tells Jewish Agency Board that without "robust, credible military threat," Iran won't stop its drive for nuclear weapons.

* Dershowitz: Contender for papacy is anti-Semite Harvard professor says Honduran Cardinal Maradiaga has blamed Jews for scandal surrounding sexual misconduct of priests.

* Hezbollah condemned for 'attack on Syrian villages' Syrian rebels and the opposition have accused the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah of attacking Syrian villages.

* United Nations reviewing asteroid impact threat Focus is on pushing forward on an international response to the impact threat of asteroids and other near-Earth objects (NEOs).

* Jordan, Israel, Negotiate Over Natural Gas Deal Jordan and Israel are negotiating a gas deal, according to officials from the Jordanian government sources.

* Likud Warns: New Elections are Possible Likud is feeling the pressure of Bayit Yehudi and Yesh Atid's united negotiating posture. Analysis.

02/16/13

* Report: Israel, Hamas Holding Secret Talks Through Egypt Israel may agree that Egypt's border with Gaza be opened, as part of secret negotiations being held with Hamas.

* Syrian official: 'We have already won' As both sides in Syria's bloody civil war claimed advances, one high-ranking member of President Bashar al-Assad's regime expressed confidence in ultimate victory.

* Nasrallah warns Israel against attacking Lebanon On Martyrs' Day, Hezbollah leader says group has all the arms it needs to fight a war with Israel; threatens to attack Israel's power plants

* Behind the Lines: Conquest through proselytizing A new documentary says Muslim Brotherhood networks wish to turn the US into an Islamic state.

* Syrian refugees treated in Israeli hospital for first time As violence spills over to Golan Heights, five wounded Syrian nationals evacuated by IDF troops to Ziv Hospital in Safed

* Iranian Leader: Iran Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons Iran's Supreme Leader said Saturday that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons, but that if Tehran intended to build them, the U.S. couldn't stop it.

* Islamists rally for Egypt's Mursi in Cairo Thousands of Islamists rallied in Cairo on Friday in support of Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood president who has been the target of protester rage in weeks of violent demonstrations.

* Bloggers Say Iran Photoshopped Picture of 'Fighter Jet' Bloggers discovered that a fighter jet which Iran claimed can evade radar was superimposed upon snowy mountain peaks using Photoshop.

* China's power plays in the Middle East Is China's thirst for oil creating new opportunities for peace in the Middle East? "OPEC is about to collapse," says expert.

* Senate delay gives Hagel opponents prep time Emergency Committee for Israel among groups trying to convince lawmakers that there are better choices.

02/15/13

* China's power plays in the Middle East The Chinese New Year - the Year of the Snake - began auspiciously for the People's Republic this week with China eclipsing the US as the world's biggest trading nation.

* Behind the Lines: Conquest through proselytizing A new documentary exposing an extensive Muslim Brotherhood network in the United States and systematic attempts by members to disguise its existence has been released.

* Meteor strike injures hundreds in central Russia Most of those hurt, in the Chelyabinsk region where the meteor fell, suffered cuts and bruises but at least 46 remain in hospital.

* Released Lebanese Terrorist: Kill Collaborators with Israel A terrorist who was released by Israel in a swap with the Hizbullah terror group has called to kill anyone who is caught collaborating with Israel.

* Nuclear weapons expert: North Korea's progress poses serious threat Following North Korea's nuclear test on Tuesday, nuclear security expert Joe Cirincione tells On the Radar that North Korea's main motivation is to gain stature.

* US Senate Republicans block vote to confirm Hagel Republican lawmakers succeeded on Thursday in delaying a Senate vote on confirming President Barack Obama's choice of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary.

* Not even the Nazis did what Assad's doing, says ex-Syrian PM The former prime minister of Syria delivered a harsh critique of the country's president during an interview with al-Arabiya Friday.

* Widespread Palestinian rioting erupts in West Bank Widespread rioting erupted in the West Bank on Friday in support of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners.

* Egypt Islamists rally against violence, for sharia Thousands of Islamists protested in Cairo on Friday against violence that has marred anti-government demonstrations.

* Kerry: Syria Death Toll May Have Reached 90,000 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday the death toll in Syria may have reached 90,000.

02/14/13

* Jerusalem Belongs to The Jews- NO to a Two State Solution Forget the 2 states solution. How about a 23 States solution?

* 'Iran pushing major nuclear expansion' Iran is seeking a major expansion of its nuclear capacity, as is evidenced by an attempt to purchase 100,000 magnets used in centrifuge machines.

* Gulf states call on Iran not to meddle in affairs The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said the bloc "categorically rejected" Iran's proposal.

* New South Korean Missile Aimed at North Korean Leadership? South Korean officials have announced the deployment of a new missile they said could strike the office of North Korea's leadership.

* Pakistani Disapproval of U.S. Leadership Soars in 2012 With President Barack Obama's first term characterized by strained relations between Pakistan and the U.S., more than nine in 10 Pakistanis (92%) disapprove of U.S. leadership.

* Russian foreign minister won't return Kerry's call Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Kerry made his first remarks about the new nuclear test, which the North Koreans warned the State Department about in advance.

* France ready to unblock EU-Turkey talks France wants to "give a new impetus" to Turkey's EU membership talks, allowing negotiations to resume this week after a break of almost three years.

* Egyptian Christian: Why is the Church ignoring us? An Egyptian Christian leader living in the US is calling out the global Church, in particular the Catholic Church, for failing to champion the plight of Egypt's 8-10 million Coptic Christians.

* Eurozone recession deepened at end of 2012 The economy of the 17 nations in the euro shrank by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, which was worse than forecast.

* Israel blamed for death of Iranian general in Lebanon Israel is being blamed for the death of a senior commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon.

02/13/13

* Benedict's papacy: Close Jewish relations with occasional bumps Pope Benedict XVI's eight-year reign as head of the world's 1 billion Catholics sometimes was a bumpy one for the Vatican's relations with Israel.

* Do Palestinians deserve a state? With President Obama coming to Israel soon, let me ask what some consider a rhetorical question- do the Palestinians actually deserve a state of their own?.

* UN Meets After North Korea Nuclear Test The UN Security Council has opened emergency talks on North Korea's nuclear test, as world powers made calls for swift action against Pyongyang.

* Orthodox rabbi seeks Israeli religious revolution When Rabbi David Stav launched his official campaign last month to wrest control of Israel's top religious institution from its longtime hardline leadership, it was a long shot.

* Israeli Warplanes Soar Through Lebanese Skies Four Israeli war planes were seen flying in the skies of Lebanon on Tuesday, according to that country's official news agency.

* 'Egypt security forces nix Hamas office in Cairo' Egyptian security forces have rejected a Muslim Brotherhood request to establish a Hamas office in Cairo.

* 'Iran installing new-generation centrifuges' Iran started installing a new generation of uranium enrichment machines at its Natanz nuclear site last month.

* Agency: Russia to continue supplying arms to Syria Russia is still delivering weapons to Syria and will continue to do so despite the Middle East country's civil war.

* Hackers Broadcast Zombie Apocalypse Alert on US Television Hackers caused a bizarre alert in the state of Montana by broadcasting a warning about zombies attacking the living.

* Al Jazeera Hires Lobbying Firm to Bolster Image on Capitol Hill Al Jazeera America has hired a lobbying firm to advocate for the broadcasting company on Capitol Hill.

02/12/13

* North Korea nuclear test branded 'serious threat' to US North Korean military ambitions are a "serious threat" to the US, outgoing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta has said.

* North Korean nuclear test draws anger, including from China North Korea conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday in defiance of U.N. resolutions.

* Israel urges response to N. Korea nuclear test Israel said on Tuesday that the international community must make clear to North Korea after its latest nuclear test that such activities cannot be tolerated.

* Team wants Israel to be third country to reach moon Team SpaceIL is entering Google space race with a nanorocket bearing Israeli flag.

* 'Israel mustn't fear Jewish civil war' Yair Lapid, whose Yesh Atid party stunned everyone by becoming Israel's second largest political faction in the recent election, got his first opportunity to address the Knesset on Monday.

* Jewish Growth Speeds Up in Judea, Samaria The already-high Jewish growth rate in Judea and Samaria (Shomron) has picked up speed.

* Terror Cell from 'Peace Partner' Fatah Nabbed The Shin Bet, Israel Police and IDF have exposed and arrested a terror cell whose members infiltrated an IDF base on December 21, 2012.

* Clashes Break Out Outside Presidential Palace in Cairo Egyptian police fired tear gas and water cannons at stone-throwing protesters outside the presidential palace on Monday as the opposition rallied to mark the second anniversary of Hosni Mubarak's overthrow.

* Deal near on eurozone economic governance laws, says Rehn MEPs and ministers are on the verge of agreement on far-reaching economic governance proposals for eurozone states.

2/11/13

* Pope Benedict XVI to resign citing poor health Pope Benedict XVI is to resign at the end of this month after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church, saying he is too old to continue at the age of 85.

* Rasmussen: 'Nato cannot act as the world's policeman' Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that the alliance would only take action against Syria if Turkey is attacked.

* Lapid: Don't threaten us with civil war Addressing Knesset for first time Yesh Atid chairman says issue of equal share of burden cannot be ignored; says '10% of public cannot threaten the other 90% with a civil war'

* 'Iran building militias in Syria in case Assad falls' 'Washington Post' quotes US, Arab officials as saying 50,000 militiamen backed by Iran and Hezbollah fighting for Assad.

* Iranians on revolution day chant 'death to America' Hundreds of thousands of people marched on Sunday in Tehran and other cities chanting 'Death to America' as Iran marked the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed shah.

* As pope steps down, chief rabbi lauds Vatican ties Pope Benedict resigns, becomes 1st pope since Middle Ages to quit; Metzger praises pope's inter-religious outreach.

* Muslim Brotherhood want aide as top Egypt cleric Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood has nominated one of its senior leaders for the influential position of grand mufti, the nation's top cleric, defying critics who accuse the Islamist group of seeking to dominate all institutions.

* Fear of assassinations haunt Egypt opposition Watching the events in Tunisia, where a leading anti-Islamist politician was shot to death this past week, members of Egypt's liberal opposition are fearfully asking: Could it happen here too?

* Report: Massive Cyber-Espionage Campaign Targeting US A new intelligence assessment has concluded that the US is the target of a massive, sustained cyber-espionage campaign.

* Will the al-Qaeda affiliates ousting Assad turn to Israel next? Jihadi warriors are fueling the violent rebellion in Syria. Some fear their successes are reviving wider regional ambitions

02/09/13

* Iran's Iraq strategy revealed in battle for Shi'ites' spiritual center in Najaf It was hoped the overthrow of Saddam would herald a new age of democracy and growth in Iraq.

* Video: Egyptian Salafi Cleric Calls to Kill Opposition Leaders The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has posted a video to YouTube which shows a radical Egyptian cleric calling to kill the leaders of the country's opposition.

* Tunisia's Islamists hold rally in capital The demonstrators have gathered outside the National Theatre and are chanting: "We are Muslims, we will not be moved."

* Chinese Year of Snake celebrations in Asia Millions of people are celebrating Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, the most important annual holiday in much of Asia.

* Analysis: A Persian in Cairo It has been 14 centuries since Persia last conquered Egypt and, judging by this week's news, one might have thought that history was about to repeat itself.

* Asteroid may have killed dinosaurs quicker than scientists thought Dinosaurs died off about 33,000 years after an asteroid hit the Earth, much sooner than scientists had believed.

* Lebanese army accuses Israel of 17-hour overflights Israeli "spy" drones conducted overflights in southern Lebanon twice and returned to Israel.

* Iraqi PM: Assad could hold on for years in Syria Syrian President Bashar Assad could survive two more years of revolt despite US expectations of a more imminent fall.

* Egyptians clash with police after days of calm Thousands of Egyptians marched and chanted against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in cities across the country.

* Senate may vote next week on Hagel for defense secretary The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Friday he will press ahead with a vote on Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary.

02/08/13

* US aims to deploy quick response forces globally The US military is determined to position small, quick reaction forces closer to global crises.

* Lebanon claims Israel conducting more mock sorties Israeli jets carried out a series of mock raids over Lebanon Thursday night.

* Egypt Slams US Senator's 'Morsi Is Our Enemy' Comments Egypt's Foreign Minister harshly criticized Sen. James Inhofe on Thursday for calling President Mohammed Morsi an "enemy" of the United States.

* Slain Tunisian leader's funeral marred by clash The funeral of a slain Tunisian opposition leader was marred Friday by clashes between police and gangs of young men destroying nearby cars.

* Terrorist tweets: how Al Qaeda's social media move could cause problems Somalia's Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Shabab, might not have as many followers as Mr. Bieber (1,800 versus 34 million), but it is still microblogging to get its message out.

* As U.S. 'pivots' to East Asia, Taiwan is drifting into Beijing's orbit The U.S.' 50-year-old alliance with [Formosa] Taiwan is eroding slowly.

* Iran's Khamenei rebuffs U.S. offer of direct talks Iran's highest authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday slapped down an offer of direct talks made by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden last week, saying they would not solve the problem between them.

* Islamic summit backs Syria dialogue Leaders at an Islamic summit on Thursday urged a dialogue between the Syrian opposition and regime.

* EU leaders agree budget cut deal in Brussels EU leaders have reached an agreement on the budget for 2014-20 after lengthy talks in Brussels.

* Protests escalate to street clashes across Egypt Egyptian security forces fired salvos of tear gas at rock-throwing protesters in several northern cities on Friday.

02/07/13

* Netanyahu: Iran, Hizbullah Waging Global Terror Campaign Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday evening with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

* Iran airs footage it claims came from seized CIA drone Iran’s state TV has broadcast footage allegedly extracted from the advanced CIA spy drone captured in 2011.

* Why won't Europe state the obvious about Hezbollah? Everyone knows the Lebanese Shiite group is a terrorist organization, especially the French.

* Ahmadinejad: Iran Ready to 'March on Israel, Wipe It Out' The Iranian people are ready to march on Israel to "wipe it out" if the Jewish state attacks the Islamic republic.

* Iran's Khamenei rejects US nuclear talks offer Iran's supreme leader has dismissed a US offer of one-to-one talks on Tehran's nuclear program.

* Netanyahu's office: No change in settlement policy Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has not changed his position on settlements.

* Hamas and Fatah in unity talks, says Khaled Meshaal Mr Meshaal also said preparations were being made for presidential and parliamentary elections.

* Most Israeli Teens Don't Know What Oslo Accords Are Most Israeli teenagers do not know what the Oslo Accords are, a MarketWatch poll conducted for the Zionist Council of Israel has found.

* Senate Committee Postpones Hagel Confirmation Vote The Senate Armed Services Committee has postponed a panel vote that was expected to take place Thursday on the nomination of Chuck Hagel.

* Former PM: Egypt's government nearing end of the road Former Egyptian prime minister and air force pilot Ahmed Shafik is confident that with Egypt in turmoil seven months into its experiment with Islamist rule, its often-reviled political old guard will eventually be seen by Egyptians, and by Washington, in a more kindly light.

02/06/13

* Bombed Syrian site seen in satellite images Satellite images of a Syrian research facility north of Damascus published on Wednesday appear to contain proof of an airstrike allegedly carried out by Israel against an arms convoy.

* Iran's Ahmadinejad seeks strategic axis with Egypt Ahmadinejad said outside forces were trying to prevent a rapprochement between the Middle East's two most populous nations.

* Islamic summit opens with calls for Syrian dialogue The summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation opened on a day when the assassination of a leading Tunisian opposition politician highlighted the fragility of "Arab Spring" democratic revolutions.

* Abbas thanks Ahmadinejad for Iran's support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met Wednesday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit.

* Ahmadinejad: Iran is already a nuclear power Iran already has nuclear capabilities but is not planning on attacking Israel because its capabilities are "defensive" oriented.

* PA hopes Obama visit will bring new US policy The Palestinian Authority Wednesday welcomed US President Barak Obama's plan to visit the region next month.

* 'EU reluctant to blacklist Hezbollah after probe' In his many years of service for France's spy agency, Claude Moniquet has seen much evidence linking Hezbollah to terrorist-related activities in Europe and beyond.

* Boy Scouts of America delay vote on ending gay ban The national board of the Boy Scouts of America has postponed a vote to end a ban on gay scouts and leaders, the youth group has said.

* Jewish Families Largest in Judea, Samaria The Central Bureau of Statistics published data about family life in Israel on Wednesday in honor of Family Day.

* EU mission, African troops to take over from France in Mali The French assault force is to start pulling out of Mali next month, as EU military advisors and African soldiers move in.

02/05/13

* Ahmadinejad makes historic visit to Cairo President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Cairo on Tuesday, the first visit by an Iranian leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

* Egypt's top cleric voices Sunnis' Iran worries Egypts most prominent Muslim cleric, the sheik of al-Azhar, has warned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against interfering in Arab Gulf countries.

* Syrian lawmaker rejects rebels' conditions for talks A prominent lawmaker from Syria's ruling party on Tuesday rejected conditions proposed by the rebel opposition for peace talks.

* Israel: Can't Find PA Incitement? Here It Is In wake of the release of a report comparing Palestinian Authority textbooks to Israeli textbooks in terms of incitement.

* North Korea video shows US city in flames after missile attack It begins benignly enough, with an image of a sleeping young North Korean man.

* Obama 'covertly recruiting' Muslims as diplomats President Barack Obama is said to have been quietly recruiting Muslims to serve as U.S. diplomats.

* Israel Rejects 'Profoundly Unobjective' Education Report Israel's Education Ministry has rejected the findings of a study funded by the U.S. State Department.

* Debate on European Jews' origin settled? Jews of European origin are a mix of ancestries, with many hailing from tribes in the Caucasus who converted to Judaism and created an empire that lasted half a millennium.

* Obama to visit Israel in spring for first time as president Both the White House and the Prime Minister's Office said Tuesday that President Obama had spoken with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in January about a presidential visit to Israel this spring.

* As MKs sworn in, Peres puts faith in 19th Knesset President Shimon Peres welcomed 120 new and returning members of the 19th Knesset.

02/04/13

* Gitmo Detainees Return to Field of Battle Former Guantanamo prisoners fighting in Syria with Islamist opposition group

* Ground control to Major Ahmadinejad Iranian leader wants to be the 'first human' sent to space by Iran, thwarting 'devil's hatred' of 'Iranian greatness'

* Iran could build nuclear bomb in 4-6 months, expert says Still, there's time for military or diplomatic action, says former head of military intelligence, and an Israeli attack wouldn’t mean regional war

* Netanyahu: 'No to Civil War' Prime Minister's unusual allusion to civil war regarding hareidi enlistment issue may be a positive signal to hareidim.

* Report: Region's Armies All on High Alert The armies of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan are all on high alert, a report in a Lebanese newspaper said Sunday.

* Report: Israel to Declare 'Buffer Zone' on Syrian Border Israel intends to declare a buffer zone inside the Syrian border to prevent terrorists from getting into Israel, sources said.

* Mali campaign: French jets hit rebel bases near Kidal French warplanes have bombed rebel bases and depots in remote parts of northern Mali to try to cut off supply routes, France's foreign minister says.

* Nato chief: Mali shows holes in EU defence Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said French action in Mali points to holes in European defence capabilities.

* Israel declares water crisis is over Israel's Water Authority on Monday officially declared the national water crisis to be over, and lifted its "severe drought advisory."

02/02/13

* Iran threatens 'grave consequences' for Israel after Syria strike Iran threatened that a reported Israeli strike in Syria would have "grave consequences for Tel Aviv".

* 'Turkish FM slams Israel for strikes, Syria for inaction' Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday slammed both Israel for reported strikes in Syria earlier in the week.

* Ahmadinejad unveils Iran's newest fighter jet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has unveiled the country's newest fighter jet, which officials claim can evade radar.

* Panetta: Iran escalating efforts to destabilize region Outgoing US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta accused Iran of an intensified campaign to destabilize the Middle East by smuggling anti-aircraft weapons to militant allies.

* Turkish radicals claim responsibility for bombing Turkish leftist group The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) said on Saturday it was responsible for a suicide bomb attack on the US embassy in Ankara.

* Russia marks 70 years since Battle of Stalingrad Russians have been celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, with a parade by survivors of the battle.

* Mali conflict: Timbuktu hails French President Hollande Francois Hollande was speaking during a visit to the recently recaptured city of Timbuktu, where thousands welcomed him with chants of "Vive la France".

* France's parliament approve gay marriage article The French National Assembly has approved the most important article of a bill to legalise same-sex marriage.

* Iraq Sunnis protest; al-Qaida front calls to arms Tens of thousands of Sunni protesters blocked a major highway in western Iraq on Friday.

* Biden raises possibility of direct US-Iran talks The United States is ready to hold direct talks with Iran if it is serious about negotiations.

02/01/13

* Bomber attacks US embassy in Ankara, Turkey The blast, at a side entrance of the heavily guarded compound, sent debris flying into the street.

* GOP Senators Introduce Legislation Banning Arms Sales to Egypt Two United States Republican senators introduced legislation on Thursday to halt arms sales to Egypt.

* Iranian lawmaker: Syria has a right to retaliate An Iranian lawmaker condemned the alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria saying Damascus retains a legal right to retaliate.

* Space, the final frontier for peace? If space can bring together once-implacable enemies such as the United States and Russia, does that mean there’s hope for Israel and Iran?

* Egypt opposition protests after deadly week Thousands of opponents of President Mohamed Morsi returned to the streets of Egypt on Friday.

* As she leaves, Clinton sounds warning over Syria Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a parting warning Thursday about Syria's civil war, accusing Iran of playing an increasingly prominent role in directing the violence.

* EU ministers raise alarm on Mali executions EU foreign ministers have given weight to reports that Malian soldiers are murdering civilians in the French-liberated north.

* Illict drugs getting into EU via Internet Europe's illicit drug problem is getting worse as online sale and distribution frustrate law enforcement.

* Peres set to ask Netanyahu to build next coalition President Shimon Peres is expected to invite Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to form the next government on Saturday night.

* US senators assail Hagel in heated hearing Hagel downplays controversial statements, including comment published in 2008 that "Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people."