Tuesday, January 08, 2013

01/08/13

* PM: 'Settlements' Do Not Threaten World Stability, Iran Does Iran's nuclear ambitions and Syria's chemical weapons are the real threats facing the Middle East and the stability of the entire international community.

* US, Russia plunging into new Cold War Tit-for-tat moves between Russia and the US are plunging the two nations into a new Cold War.

* Fighting flares in Palestinian camp in Damascus Palestinian factions in Syria called for a cease-fire Tuesday after fighting flared at a refugee camp.

* Egyptian Magazine: Muslim Brotherhood Infiltrates Obama Administration An Egyptian magazine claims that six American Islamist activists who work with the Obama administration are Muslim Brotherhood operatives who enjoy strong influence over U.S. policy.

* Iran hopeful in Hagel nomination; Israel 'concerned' Iran's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it hoped the appointment of Chuck Hagel as the next US defense secretary would lead to "practical changes" in Washington's foreign policy.

* Kepler telescope: Earth-sized planets 'number 17bn' Astronomers say that one in six stars hosts an Earth-sized planet in a close orbit - suggesting a total of 17 billion such planets in our galaxy.

* Obama Listened to Israel, Avoided Chemical War in Syria: Report Israeli surveillance that spotted Syria preparing chemical bombs to load them on airplanes spurred President Barack Obama into action to win rare support from Russia to stop the plan.

* Hezbollah sent 5,000 fighters to help Assad, daily reports Some 5,000 Hezbollah combatants entered Syria in December to aid the faltering regime of Bashar Assad.

* Encouraging our children to kill themselves for Palestine is a motherĂ¢€™s most glorious duty, says wife of Hamas MP The wife of a Hamas member of parliament hailed the role of Palestinian mothers in preparing their children to kill themselves in acts of terrorism against Israel.

* Towards a plausible EU response to breakaway regions Despite claims to the contrary, the EU is essentially a union of nation states.