* Iraq conflict: Clashes on approaches to Baghdad Iraqi government forces are engaged in heavy clashes with Sunni insurgents who have made major advances in the past week.
* As the US dawdles in Iraq, opportunity for the Kurds - and Iran The swift advance of Sunni Islamists has cleared the way for Peshmerga forces to take control of Kirkuk, the Kurdish 'Jerusalem'.
* Tony Blair Attempts to Reason with Hamas Over Abduction Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Quartet representative and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Tuesday.
* Israel Determined to Crush Hamas Israel is working hard to find and rescue three abducted Jewish youth.
* Israel detains dozens more in search for missing teens Israel's military has arrested 41 more Palestinians as it expands the search for three Israeli teenagers believed kidnapped in the West Bank.
* No responsibility claimed at Hamas, Fatah press conference in Gaza Masked gunmen belonging to 10 Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip welcomed any effort to release Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
* Over 5,000 Iranians 'sign up to defend Iraq holy sites' Some 5,000 Iranians have pledged online to defend Iraq's Shiite Muslim holy sites against Sunni extremists who are waging war against the Baghdad government.
* US Arrests First Benghazi Suspect Two Years Later Reports on Tuesday reveal that US Special Operations forces captured a terrorist leader in Libya on Sunday.
* Egypt's Sisi swears in new government Egypt's newly elected President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi chaired the first meeting of his new Cabinet on Tuesday.
* Five Days Later, EU Finally Condemns Kidnapping The European Union (EU) finally issued a condemnation of the abduction of three yeshiva students by Hamas terrorists on their way home from school Tuesday.