Prophecy Today - Top 10 Daily News Stories

11/20/09

2009-11-20T11:55:00.001-05:00

* Syria suspected of concealing nuclear activity The International Atomic Energy Agency and Syria are walking a tightrope and appear to be headed toward a collision over two nuclear sites.

* EU foreign head dismisses critics Far from the EU choosing world-bestriding figures to carry its ambitions into the halls of power from Washington to Moscow to Beijing, it selected two almost unknowns to fill the new posts created by the Lisbon Treaty.

* 'PM wants Syria talks without delay' Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris last week that he wanted to launch talks with Damascus without preconditions.

* Profile: First EU President Herman van Rompuy The EU's first permanent president, Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy, is a camera-shy man who has been catapulted from relative obscurity.

* Israel urging world on Iran sanctions Following Iran's rejection of the latest international effort to prevent it from building nuclear weapons, Israel is urging the international community to impose sanctions aimed at denying Teheran any nuclear fuel cycle capabilities.

* Société Générale tells clients how to prepare for potential 'global collapse' Société Générale has advised clients to be ready for a possible "global economic collapse" over the next two years.

* 6 powers press Iran on nuclear issue Representatives of six world powers urged Iran on Friday to accept a UN plan aimed at delaying its ability to build a nuclear weapon.

* Palin: 'Jews need a place to live' Former US vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin disagrees with the Obama administration's demand that Israel halt settlement construction.

* Israel to send first warship to NATO naval force Israeli and NATO officials say Israel will dispatch a warship to join a NATO naval force, marking an upgrade in ties.

* EU has one number for foreign policy The European Union on Thursday evening (19 November) said it had solved the long-standing question of whom the US secretary of state should call with foreign policy problems.

11/19/09

2009-11-19T10:10:00.004-05:00

* Belgian PM named as EU president EU leaders have chosen the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, to be the first permanent European Council President.

* Official: Major powers to discuss Iran sanctions on Friday Six major world powers will meet in Brussels to discuss what measures could be applied against Teheran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program.

* Karzai sets target for Afghanistan forces to take over Hamid Karzai has been sworn in as Afghan president for a second elected term, saying he wants Afghan forces in charge of the nation within five years.

* Virtual reality, psych prep help IAF In the face of a growing anti-aircraft and ballistic missile threat against Israel, the IAF plans to conduct special seminars to prepare pilots and ground crews for future conflicts.

* Internet Group: Biometric Database is Dangerous The Israeli Internet Union issued an open letter to Knesset members Sunday, asking them to "act to stop the passage of the law that would require biometric identification measures and a biometric database, at least in its current form."

* EU rebukes Israel for Jerusalem settlement expansion Israel's decision to push ahead with settlement expansion in East Jerusalem in defiance of international community opinion generated a rebuke from the EU.

* Obama's press on Gilo shows a continued misread of Israel US President Barack Obama is an extremely intelligent man surrounded by equally intelligent advisers.

* Poll: Record high support of peace talks According to the monthly War and Peace Index, some 75% of the Jewish public in Israel support holding peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

* Hamas: Terrorism to Eliminate Israel is a 'Principle' In an interview published Thursday in the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat, a Hamas spokesman said that the jihadist movement is loyal to "Palestinian principles".

* Golden cross in Vatican's collection gets new look One of the gems of the Vatican's priceless religious art collection — a 6th century reliquary containing the purported fragments of the cross on which Jesus was crucified — has been restored to its Byzantine-era glory.

11/18/09

2009-11-18T10:11:00.001-05:00

* Jews raise millions to be ready for coming of the Messiah Yehuda Glick is a 44-year-old American-born Jew who spends most of every day preparing for the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem..

* Obama warns Israel on settlements US President Barack Obama has said Israel's approval of 900 extra housing units at a settlement in East Jerusalem could lead to a "dangerous" situation.

* EU no closer to consensus on names for top jobs One day ahead of an EU summit to agree the names for two new posts designed to make the European Union more coherent on the international stage, the nomination process remains in disarray.

* Obama Winds Up Asia Tour With South Korea Summit U.S. President Barack Obama has arrived in South Korea, where he is expected to show solidarity with the country's president in demanding North Korea move toward ending its nuclear weapons programs.

* Israeli settlement plan denounced The US and UN have criticized Israel's approval of 900 extra housing units at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

* EU rejects request to recognise independent Palestine The European Union has rejected a request from the Palestinian Authority that it back plans to unilaterally declare the occupied territories an independent state.

* Proof that Fort Hood Shooting was Muslim Terrorism While the U.S. debate continues as to whether Maj. Nidal Hassan's murder of 13 soldiers in Texas this month was a terrorist attack, researcher Barry Rubin says the murderer himself provided the affirmative answer.

* Gaza charity offers $1.4 million for capture of IDF soldiers A Gaza charity linked to the ruling Hamas militant group is offering $1.4 million to anybody who captures an Israeli soldier.

* Russia, EU Meet for Mending Relations Russian and European Union leaders are meeting in Stockholm Wednesday in an effort to mend relations damaged last year by Russia's war with Georgia and a gas cut off.

* Clinton Visits Karzai on Inauguration Eve In what amounted to a stern pep talk by a nervous partner, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived here on Wednesday to exhort President Hamid Karzai and his government.

11/17/09

2009-11-17T09:33:00.001-05:00

* PM: Iranian threat is 'very grave' for Israel, ME, entire world Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned about the dangers of a nuclear Iran after touring an submarine believed capable of firing nuclear-tipped missiles.

* EU against Palestinian state move The European Union has said proposals by the Palestinians to try to have the UN recognise an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza are "premature".

* Age of cyber warfare is 'dawning' Cyber war has moved from fiction to fact, says a report.

* Will settlers become illegal residents of Palestine? Legal experts told Ynet Monday that if the Palestinians go through with their plan of unilaterally declaring a state in the West Bank, the settlers there could find their status changed to that of illegal residents.

* China joins supercomputer elite China has become one of a handful of nations to own one of the top five supercomputers in the world.

* EU foreign minister has 'impossible' task ahead The tasks of the proposed new EU foreign minister look relatively clear-cut and powerful on paper but analysts and politicians in Brussels suggest the person will need to be superhuman to manage all that is foreseen under the Lisbon Treaty.

* China and US 'to work together' The presidents of China and the US have agreed to work together to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems.

* Obama 'Reaches Out' by Naming 'Devout' Muslims to Security Posts U.S. President Barack Obama continues to "reach out to Muslims" by appointing them to key security posts amid charges he wrongly ignored internal Muslim terror.

* Temple Gate Prayers Welcome Month of Chanukah More than 1,000 Jews, under heavy security against Arab violence, sang and prayed Monday night in the monthly march around ancient gates to the Temple Mount.

* EU top jobs summit could drag on for days A deal on the EU top jobs remains far from reach ahead of a special summit on Thursday (19 November) that could require a follow-up meeting the next day.

11/16/09

2009-11-16T10:47:00.001-05:00

* Italy's Foreign Minister says post-Lisbon EU needs a European Army Italy is to push for the creation of a European Army after the "new Europe" takes shape at this week's crucial EU summit following the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

* PM warns PA against unilateral moves Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned that Israel might take unilateral steps if the Palestinians did not return to the negotiating table.

* Russia's Iran reactor delayed Russia has said a nuclear power station it has been building at Bushehr in southern Iran will not be completed by the end of this year as planned.

* UN chief urges unity over hunger UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for a "single global vision" from world leaders to address the problems of world hunger and pollution.

* Ahmadinejad: Western nuclear pressure empowers Iran Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran would not negotiate its right to a nuclear program, adding that Western pressure was only pushing his countryharder to advance its technology.

* Google Earth Tracks the Battlefield Miracle of Chanukah Google Earth is helping Jews in Israel and all over the world understand the miraculous victory of the Jews over Greek invaders 2,000 years ago thanks to the initiative of a rabbi who brings history back to life on the computer.

* Survey: Israel best country for Israelis The majority of Israeli citizens believe that the Jewish State is the best place to live in the world, according to the annual Social Strength Index.

* Obama presses China over rights US President Barack Obama has told China that individual rights and freedoms should be available to all.

* UN, Denmark suggest 2010 deadlines for climate deal The United Nations and Denmark, the host of the Copenhagen UN climate change summit, on Monday suggested new deadlines next year for the conclusion of a binding treaty on greenhouse gas emissions.

* EU reforms to feature at jumbo ministers meeting Almost one hundred EU ministers will gather in Brussels for a jumbo-council on foreign affairs, defense and development, where corridor discussions are likely to focus on the EU's top jobs and the institutional changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty.

11/14/09

2009-11-14T10:40:00.001-05:00

* Erekat: PA may ask UNSC to recognize state on '67 borders The Palestinian Authority is considering asking the UN Security Council to recognize the existence of a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines.

* US welcomes strong China - Obama President Barack Obama says the US "does not seek to contain" China's rise as a big player on the world stage.

* 'Medvedev, Obama may talk sanctions' Russia is prepared to support further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

* Turkey 'could store Iran uranium' Turkey and the UN's nuclear watchdog have confirmed they are discussing a proposal to allow Iran to store some of its enriched uranium in Turkey.

* Assad in France: Let's resume talks Following his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday, Syrian President Bashar Assad called for an immediate resumption of peace talks with Israel.

* Jewish Ties to Hevron Flourish The Jewish connection to Hevron is thriving, reports local resident and former politician Tzvi Katzover.

* French source to al-Hayat: Israeli military option against Iran alive In a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy got the impression that as far as Israel is concerned, the military option against Iran's nuclear plans is very much alive.

* U.S. rejects Ahmadinejad call to choose between Israel and Iran The United States on Friday rejected a call by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for it to choose between supporting Israel or Iran.

* Wanted: People Willing to Lead the European Union The position will undoubtedly bring prestige, limitless travel and the chance to head a network of European Union diplomats stretching around the globe.

* Source says US holding off on Mideast peace talks American officials told London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that Washington is not interested in pressuring the Israelis and Palestinians into commencing peace negotiations.

11/13/09

2009-11-13T11:11:00.001-05:00

* Assad to Sarkozy: If Netanyahu is sincere, let us resume talks Following his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday, Syrian President Bashar Assad called for an immediate resumption of peace talks with Israel.

* Syria urges firm US plan on Middle East peace Syrian President Bashar Assad said that US President Barack Obama should come up with a firm plan of action to renew peace talks between Syria and Israel.

* North Korea Issues New Threat After Naval Clash North Korea threatened on Friday to take "merciless military measures" along a disputed maritime border with South Korea, escalating tensions as President Barack Obama began a weeklong trip to Asia.

* Turkey warm to storing Iranian uranium Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Friday that if asked, his country would be willing to temporarily store Iran's enriched uranium.

* Golan Heights Mayor: We're on the Alert Wary caution is the order of the day in the Golan Heights, in light of Netanyahu's apparent readiness to enter into negotiations with Syria.

* IDF chief on Goldstone Report: Terror should not be rewarded IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi spoke to high school students in Beersheba on Friday and addressed such issues as the Goldstone Report, Hamas' rocket launching capabilities and the Iranian threat.

* Top official: U.S. won't accept partial settlement freeze The United States does not accept continued Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank, a senior U.S. state department official has said.

* Eastern states counter EU's secretive nomination process Eastern Europe is chipping away at the secretive nomination process for new EU posts created under the Lisbon Treaty.

* Hamas calls off Independence Day declared by Arafat Hamas authorities have called off annual Palestinian Independence Day celebrations in the Gaza Strip.

* Medvedev wants Russia to go hi-tech In his annual state of the nation speech Thursday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev painted his vision for the country's future, saying that "modernization" was the key to its "very survival."

11/12/09

2009-11-12T12:25:00.001-05:00

* Jordan: Jerusalem is a ticking time bomb Jerusalem is a ticking time bomb where an attack by Jewish extremists on Muslim holy sites could erase any chances for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

* Medvedev calls for economy reform Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for profound reform of the economy in his annual state of the nation address.

* PM tries to jump-start talks with Syria Opening up hope for some sudden progress on the Syrian front, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent a verbal message to Syria on Wednesday.

* CAIR speaker to Muslims: OK to attack Fort Bragg A Council on American-Islamic Relations adviser and regular speaker at its events has suggested Islamic law permits Muslims to attack C-130 military transport planes carrying the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg, N.C.

* Barrick shuts hedge book as world gold supply runs out Global gold production is in terminal decline despite record prices and Herculean efforts by mining companies to discover fresh sources of ore in remote spots.

* Palestinians 'should delay polls' The Palestinian Authority's electoral commission has said January's presidential and parliamentary election should be postponed.

* Israeli Tourism's Best October Ever: 330,000 Incoming Visitors 330,000 tourists visited Israel this past month, an all-time high for October, and a 9% increase over October 2008, Israel's record tourism year.

* Sarkozy urges Abbas to renew Mideast peace talks French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to renew stalled peace negotiations with Israel.

* Nasrallah slams Obama, warns Israel Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday accused President Barack Obama of absolute bias in favor of Israel.

* Obama sets off for Asia, China looms large President Barack Obama left for Asia on Thursday with the U.S. economy, jobs and a yawning trade deficit with China looming large on his agenda.

11/11/09

2009-11-11T09:38:00.002-05:00

* Ahmadinejad: Obama must choose between Israel and Iran Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the US to choose between Israel and Iran on Tuesday night.

* Palestinians mark Arafat's death Thousands of Palestinians have flocked to the grave of their former leader, Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah to mark five years since his death.

* Abbas: We won't lose hope, our revolution is history's longest Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Israel for the impasse in peace talks.

* EU to decide top jobs next week The EU will hold a special summit on 19 November to decide the new top jobs of EU president and foreign policy chief.

* Fatah: Fayad is plotting to replace Abbas Fatah officials in the West Bank have accused Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad of quietly staging a "bloodless coup" against PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

* Vatican looks to heavens for signs of alien life E.T. phone Rome. Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe, the Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of extraterrestrial alien life.

* China proves to be an aggressive foe in cyberspace One day in late summer 2008, FBI and Secret Service agents flew to Chicago to inform Barack Obama's campaign team that its computer system had been hacked.

* Influence of Egypt and Saudi Arabia Fades Even before Mahmoud Abbas announced that he would not seek re-election as the Palestinian president, throwing the Palestinian Authority into chaos, America’s closest Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, had begun to despair over Washington’s Middle East missteps.

* State Dept: US Goal to Expel Jews in 'Occupied' Post-67 Lands A top State Department official spelled out on Tuesday that the goal of the United States in its negotiations in the Middle East is to pressure Israel into expelling Jews from Judea and Samaria.

* Hezbollah: All of Israel within our range A day after the chief of staff warned against an increasing threat from the north, Hezbollah bragged, "All cities, military bases, factories, and settlements in Israel are within the organization's firing range."

11/10/09

2009-11-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

* Netanyahu Leaves White House with No Comment Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu left the White House after a one-hour and 40-minute meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama Monday night without speaking to reporters.

* Korean naval ships clash at sea A South Korean warship has exchanged fire with a North Korean naval vessel.

* Lebanese paper says Israel preparing attack on Hezbollah Official sources in Lebanon told the country's A-Nahar daily that they received warning from an international defense organization according to which Israel was planning to launch an extensive attack on Hezbollah.

* Fort Hood Suspect Warned of Muslim Threat Within Military According to The Washington Post, Major Nidal Malik Hasan was supposed to make a presentation on a medical topic during his senior year as a psychiatric resident at Walter Reed Medical Center.

* IDF's 7th Armored Brigade trains for war in Golan To replenish food and supplies, the soldiers need to drive in a convoy out of the battlefield.

* Palestinian Authority's Future Is in Question The collapse of the Palestinian Authority, Israel's negotiating partner, was raised as a possibility on Monday, as several aides to its president, Mahmoud Abbas, said that he intended to resign.

* Bittersweet feelings as Europeans celebrate end of Berlin Wall The fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago changed the course of EU history. But many people in Europe are still waiting for the political and economic freedoms promised by the event.

* Poland calls for job interviews for EU top appointments Poland has made a bid to give smaller EU countries more power in the EU president selection process.

* Blair: Abbas leaving office due to frustration over stalled peace The United Nations envoy to the Middle East, Tony Blair, said Tuesday that he believed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision not to seek re-election was a reflection of deep frustration regarding the slow pace of peace negotiations.

* Franco-German deal will not decide EU top jobs, Sweden says Consultations on filling the EU's new posts are only "half-way" through, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said on Monday (9 November) in Berlin.

11/9/09

2009-11-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

* Assad: If Golan talks fail, we'll turn to resistance Syrian president says if "occupied Syrian Golan" is not returned by Israel through peaceful means, "this automatically means resistance is the alternative solution"

* US top brass: Nuclear Iran is existential threat to Israel The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, said that a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to Israel.

* A peek into Temple Mount excavations Western Wall Heritage Foundation holds tour of tunnels in attempt to ward off Muslim claims that al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger of collapsing.

* Hizbullah getting ready for new war Fearing Israel will launch an assault on Hizbullah ahead of a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, the Lebanese guerrilla group is getting ready for war.

* Iran warns Russia over S-300 system delay A senior Iranian lawmaker warned Russia that its delay in delivering an anti-aircraft missile defense system to Teheran could harm relations between the two countries.

* Iraq MPs approve election reform The Iraqi parliament has approved a crucial election law ahead of national polls due in January 2010.

* World Media Ignores Weapons Shipment to Hizbullah Though the Foreign Ministry invited ambassadors from around the world to see the tremendous cache of arms intercepted on their way to Hizbullah last week, the world media did not take interest.

* Abbas claims Israel doesn't want peace Israel does not want peace, does not want to stop settlement construction and does not want the two-state solution, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said.

* Berlin remembers fall of the Wall Celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall are under way.

* Jordan's king: Region heading towards abyss In interview to al-Hayat newspaper, King Abdullah warns, "If we miss this opportunity and peace is not achieved in a year or two, I believe our generation will not see peace"

11/07/09

2009-11-07T13:38:00.001-05:00

* Israeli concern over Abbas move Israeli officials have expressed concern over the decision by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas not to seek re-election.

* Medvedev: Harsher sanctions an option if Iran refuses to deal Soon after senior Iranian lawmakers rejected on Saturday any possibility of Teheran shipping uranium abroad for further enrichment.

* UNSC to discuss Goldstone Report UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Friday that the Security Council would begin to discuss the Goldstone Commission's report at the earliest opportunity.

* Fatah considers reverting to popular warfare Senior operative says Abbas' retirement may force Fatah to resort to violent protests, stone-throwing.

* Lebanon government accord reached Lebanon's political opposition has agreed to join a unity government under Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri.

* IDF reveals footage of Francop raid The IDF on Friday published new video clips documenting the moments when Navy commandos from the elite Flottila 13 unit raided the Francop cargo vessel, opened containers on board the ship and discovered a huge stash of armaments sent by Iran and bound for Syria, possibly intended for use by Hizbullah.

* Texas killer reportedly of Palestinian descent Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a US military psychiatrist suspected of going on a shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 in a US army base in Texas, is believed to be of Palestinian origin.

* Study shows high cost of German reunification: report As Germany prepares to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a new study shows that some 1.3 trillion euros ($1.9 trillion) have been transferred from the west to rebuild the east, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

* World leaders hope for climate deal At least 40 world leaders have said they will attend climate change talks in Denmark next month, but there are still fears that there will be few tangible results after preparatory meetings ended with scant progress.

11/06/09

2009-11-06T07:34:00.000-05:00

* Ayalon: Threat of striking Iranian nuclear facilities not a bluff Israel is not bluffing when it warns that all options are still on the table and that it may strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

* Iran tested advanced nuclear warhead design – secret report The UN's nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design.

* Abbas withdraws from presidential race Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Thursday that he has "no desire" to run in the presidential election in the PA territories.

* EU military chiefs nervous about Lisbon Treaty implications EU military chiefs are nervous that their advice will not carry the same weight once the new Lisbon Treaty is in place and that the planned diplomatic service will not contain enough experienced military personnel.

* US major held after base shooting A US major is under guard at a Texas military base as officials investigate what prompted a shooting attack that left 13 people dead.

* UN assembly votes for probes of Gaza war charges In a move that angered Israel, the U.N. General Assembly voted on Thursday to urge the Jewish state and Palestinians to investigate war crimes charges leveled in a controversial U.N. report on the Gaza war.

* US informed Israel of arms ship The Iranian arms ship seized by the Israel Defense Forces was discovered thanks to American activity.

* Secularism 'means fall in births' Europe is facing a population crisis because of attacks on religion by secular writers, Britain's chief rabbi has said.

* EU pessimistic about Copenhagen climate change deal Europe has given up hope that a binding global treaty on climate change can be achieved at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December.

* Study Warns Arabs Could Outnumber Jews in Jerusalem The demographic balance in Israel's capital of Jerusalem is shifting and Arabs could outnumber Jews there in the not-distant future.

11/05/09

2009-11-05T10:35:00.001-05:00

* Netanyahu: Iran's shipment of arms to Hezbollah - a war crime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the ship carrying hundreds of tons of weapons believed to have originated in Iran and meant for Hezbollah, which Israel intercepted early Wednesday, constituted a war crime.

* Hezbollah denies arms ship claims Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has denied Israeli allegations it was the intended recipient of weapons on board a ship seized by Israel's military.

* 'Ship shows Iran-Lebanon arms route' Following the seizure of a massive shipment of Iranian arms bound for Hizbullah, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday that the successful Israel Navy operation proved the arms flow to Syria and south Lebanon from Iran.

* Abbas 'will not seek re-election' Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will not seek re-election in polls next year.

* Russia spy chief: Israel arming Georgia The head of Russia's powerful military intelligence agency said on Thursday that Georgia might again attack South Ossetia.

* PA TV: Jews have no history in this land A Palestinian historian and a senior PLO official have denied that the Jewish nation has any historical connection to the Land of Israel.

* Saudi jets 'attack Yemen rebels' The Saudi air force has attacked rebels in northern Yemen following Wednesday's killing of a Saudi security officer in a border area.

* New Exhibit: 2,000 Year-Old Temple Mount Coins A very special exhibition opens next week in Jerusalem, revealing to the public for the first time all of the ancient coins uncovered in excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount.

* Hopes fading for Copenhagen climate change treaty, says Ed Miliband Hopes that a full, legally binding treaty on tackling climate change would be signed at next month's Copenhagen summit are fading.

* Iranian TV channel closed down in Egypt Iran's Arabic-language television channel, Al-Alam - "The World"- has been taken off the air in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

11/04/09

2009-11-04T10:15:00.003-05:00

* Israelis 'seize Iran arms ship' Israel's navy has intercepted a ship carrying hundreds of tonnes of Iranian weapons intended for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

* Clinton: Settlements are illegitimate, should be halted forever Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton defended the U.S stance toward Israeli settlement building to worried Arab allies on Wednesday.

* Iran opposition protesters return to streets Opposition protesters returned to the streets of Tehran Wednesday for the first time in nearly two months.

* Merkel: Iranian threat to Israel threatens us all German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke before the US Congress on Tuesday and said that the Iranian threat to Israel was "a threat to the free world".

* EU president: Names in the frame The European Union is close to deciding who will be appointed to a new post of president to chair EU summits and represent the bloc on the world stage.

* Erekat: Palestinian state may have to be abandoned Palestinians may have to abandon the goal of an independent state if Israel continues to expand Jewish settlements.

* UN debates divisive Gaza report The United Nations general assembly is deciding whether to endorse a controversial report alleging war crimes by Israel and Hamas.

* Missionary Event for Teenagers in Ashdod A missionary seminar was held for teenagers in Ashdod ten days ago, teaching them how to “witness” to their friends – in violation of Israeli law.

* State Dept's Religious Report Under Attack Critical reactions to the U.S. State Department’s 2009 International Religious Freedoms Report’s section on Israel continue to be expressed.

* MEPs say incoming commissioners should be quizzed on economic crisis MEPs attending a first meeting of the European Parliament's special committee on the financial and economic crisis on Wednesday.

11/03/09

2009-11-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

* Czech leader signs Lisbon Treaty Czech President Vaclav Klaus has signed the Lisbon Treaty, the final step in the agreement's ratification.

* Egypt: Israel taking 'racist steps' to rid Jerusalem of Arabs The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday urged the international community to protect Jerusalem from the "racist steps" being taken by Israel to change the demographics of the city.

* Hamas 'tests long-range rocket' The Palestinian militant group Hamas has test-fired a rocket capable of reaching Tel Aviv from Gaza.

* Abbas tells Obama envoy he's adamant on settlement freeze The Palestinian Authority would not resume peace talks with Israel until all construction in the West Bank settlements stopped.

* 20 years after wall fell, study finds less support for democracy Twenty years after the collapse of Soviet-backed communist governments across the bloc, symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall, support for multiparty democracy has fallen in almost every country in the region.

* Sanhedrin to UN: Goldstone Will Bring Judgment Upon You The Sanhedrin has warned the UN General Assembly not to hold a plenum debate this Wednesday on the anti-Israel Goldstone Report.

* Iran: Anti-Semite appointed deputy minister A top advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is considered the "brains" behind the president's Holocaust denial, was appointed Monday as the Islamic republic's new deputy minister of culture.

* Saudi court upholds child rapist crucifixion ruling A Saudi court of cassation upheld a ruling to behead and crucify a 22-year-old man convicted of raping five children and leaving one of them to die in the desert.

* Iran's Khamenei says US 'arrogant power' Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday the United States was a "really arrogant power".

* EU presidency trio lays claim to political power Leaders of the countries next in line to take on the day-to-day running of the European Union have made it clear that they do not wish to be sidelined by any future EU president.

12/2/09

2009-11-02T12:09:00.001-05:00

* Teheran hints it will not export uranium Iran wants to buy ready-made fuel for its research reactor, a senior Iranian envoy said Monday - the latest indication that Teheran is rejecting a US-backed plan that would have the Islamic Republic ship most of its enriched uranium out of the country.

* Karzai declared elected president Hamid Karzai has been declared president of Afghanistan, after election officials scrapped a planned second round of voting.

* EU leaders aim to put treaty in place by December 1 The EU's new set of institutional rules may come into force in just over a month, ending a marathon stretch of treaty-making that took eight years, included a series of referendums and resulted in an ungainly text littered with footnotes, protocols and opt-outs.

* Clinton moderates her praise for Israel US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton moderated her praise for Israel's offer to restrain building settlements in the West Bank areas, saying Monday it still falls short of US expectations.

* Iraq signs new overseas oil deal Iraq's oil ministry has signed an initial agreement with a consortium led by the Italian firm, ENI, to develop the Zubair oilfield in southern Iraq.

* Palestinians accuse U.S. of killing peace prospects Pointing an accusing finger at the United States, the Palestinians on Sunday said Washington's backing for Israeli refusal to halt Jewish settlement expansion had killed any hope of reviving peace negotiations soon.

* Russia 'simulates' nuclear attack on Poland Russia has provoked outrage in Poland by simulating an air and sea attack on the country during military exercises.

* Obama Appoints Anti-Israel Chuck Hagel as Intelligence Aide Jewish Republican party officials and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) are among several groups that have called on U.S. President Barack Obama to rescind his appointment of former senator Chuck Hagel as co-chairman of his Intelligence Advisory Board.

* US Report Criticizes Israel's Jewish Character In its 2009 International Religious Freedoms Report, the U.S. State Department accuses Israel of "governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism."

* Kirkuk at the heart of Iraq election law deadlock Iraqi politicians have been turning up their rhetoric over Kirkuk, the oil-rich city that both Kurds in the north and Arabs in the south want to control.

10/31/09

2009-10-31T12:52:00.001-05:00

* At Abu Dhabi, PA resists US pressure to renew peace talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday announced that negotiations with Israel will not be renewed unless Jerusalem completely halts construction in the settlements, including in east Jerusalem.

* Halloween is the devils work, Catholic church warns parents When Victoria Romero, 6, dressed up as a witch for a Halloween party this week she could hardly have imagined that she was provoking the wrath of God.

* Gaza: Thousands rally for Islamic Jihad Tens of thousands of Islamic Jihad loyalists held a rally in Gaza on Friday to commemorate the group's slain founder.

* US in new push for Mid-East peace US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of a new drive to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* 'No signs Israel planning immediate war' Despite recent accusations to the contrary, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said in an article published on Saturday that Israel is not preparing to launch another war against Lebanon in the near future.

* Abdullah to make run-off decision President Hamid Karzai's rival in the second round of the Afghan presidential poll says he will announce on Sunday whether he intends to quit the race.

* Iranian Lawmakers Give Thumbs Down to Nuclear Deal Iran's top lawmakers and its president have expressed disapproval of the United Nations-backed draft nuclear deal with the West.

* Blow to Blair's hope of EU post Tony Blair's hopes of becoming president of the European Council are fading after his supporters failed to secure the backing of EU leaders.

* China, eager for oil, expands investment in Nigeria and Guinea The global economic crisis may have forced other nations to put their African investments on hold, but not China.

* Barak: Impasse in peace talks only helps Hamas Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned on Saturday that the impasse in peace negotiations only benefited the militant Palestinian organization Hamas.

10/30/09

2009-10-30T10:33:00.001-05:00

* EU treaty closer to ratification after Czech deal agreed The EU came a step closer to full ratification of the Lisbon Treaty after it managed to agree to a sensitive demand by the Czech Republic on the new institutional rules without upsetting other member states.

* Netanyahu to Mitchell: UN Iran initiative 'a positive first step' In yet another push for Middle East peace, US Mideast envoy George Mitchell met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem early Friday afternoon.

* EU summit sees fresh discussion on top appointments France, Germany, Spain and Austria stuck daggers into the Blair EU presidency bid in and around a summit in Brussels.

* EU: Iran must stick by uranium offer European leaders pressed Iran Friday to stick by a deal that would limit its uranium enrichment.

* Post-war events intrude upon EU summit Europe's bloody past hung over EU leaders as they gathered in Brussels to finally try and bring a conclusion to the Lisbon Treaty soap opera.

* Analysis: New fundamentalist movements on the rise in Gaza One of the most notable political processes currently taking place in Hamas-ruled Gaza is the growing prominence of "Salafi jihad" organizations.

* Internet addresses set for change The internet regulator has approved plans to allow non-Latin-script web addresses, in a move that is set to transform the online world.

* 14 years on: Israel remembers Rabin As the Knesset met in a special Thursday session to remember the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, the nation's political leadership searched for lessons learned in the ensuing 14 years regarding the nature of Israeli society.

* US admiral concerned about China military buildup A U.S. Navy admiral expressed new concern Friday over China's military buildup and urged Beijing to be clearer about its intentions.

* Arab World: Who will be the next leader of Egypt? A new name has been added to the list of contenders for the presidency in Egypt.

10/29/09

2009-10-29T08:49:00.004-05:00

* Kurds snub parliament vote on Iraqi election law Kurdish lawmakers pushing for control of a northern oil-rich city boycotted a parliament session on Thursday.

* 'J'lem to be majority Arab in 20 years' A new report presented to Israeli parliamentarians has found that despite decades of government attempts to ensure a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, Palestinians will make up the majority of the city's population within 20 years.

* UN 'hopeful' after Iran response The UN's nuclear watchdog says it is hopeful an agreement with Iran can be reached after Tehran's response to a new offer on uranium refinement.

* Saudis and Iran in pre-Hajj tensions Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a veiled threat to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

* Pakistan army targets Uzbek base Pakistani troops fighting the Taliban in South Waziristan have surrounded a key stronghold of Uzbek fighters.

* Jerusalem Official: PA has De Facto Control Parts of Capital Israeli control over eastern Jerusalem is a "fiction” while the Palestinian Authority has a presence in many areas.

* Israel marks 14 years since Rabin assassination Israel commemorated on Thursday 14 years since the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin with an official state memorial service at the national cemetery of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

* New Turkish Envoy: Israel Must Understand Ankara's Mideast Role Turkey's new ambassador to Israel has appealed for Jerusalem's "understanding" in his first statement to the media since taking the position earlier in the week.

* EU leaders head for difficult summit on climate and institutions EU leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday (29 October) for a two-day summit to try and shape a common position on climate issues.

* EU leaders to debate Blair presidency on summit sidelines European government chiefs gather in Brussels this evening for a summit likely to be the first occasion to broach the divisive subject of Tony Blair's candidacy to be Europe's first president.

10/28/09

2009-10-28T07:35:00.001-05:00

* Iraq goes nuclear with plans for new reactor program Iraq has started lobbying for approval to again become a nuclear player, almost 19 years after British and American war planes destroyed Saddam Hussein's last two reactors.

* Labor Blocks Bill Defining Jerusalem 'Capital of Jewish People' The Labor party, using its power as a government coalition partner, blocked an attempt by Jewish Home Knesset Member Zevulun Orlev to bring to first reading a bill aimed at strengthening the status of Jerusalem.

* Czech decision on Lisbon treaty only after EU summit The Czech constitutional court has indicated it will rule on whether the Lisbon Treaty is compatible with Czech national law next week.

* Sheikh to Jews: Keep Jewish Law on Temple Mount Sheikh Kamal Riyan called on Jews to “observe Jewish Law” and not visit the Temple Mount.

* The 'Third Templars' It's a dilemma for mainstream Israelis: How to resist capitulating to Arab violence on the Temple Mount - driven by irrational fears of Zionist plots against it.

* Blair EU candidacy on menu of Merkel-Sarkozy dinner A working dinner in Paris between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday (28 October) night is likely to include the issue of the next EU president.

* Carnage as car bomb hits Peshawar At least 91 people have been killed after a huge car bomb ripped through a busy market in Peshawar, Pakistan.

* Juncker declares interest in EU president job Luxembourg leader Jean-Claude Juncker has said he would be willing to be the first president of the European Council.

* Hamas warns Gazans against elections The internal Palestinian strife continues to deepen, and Hamas is taking a firm stand against President Mahmoud Abbas' call for general elections in January.

* Iran nuclear sanctions 'unlikely' Further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear plans are unlikely.

10/27/09

2009-10-27T09:06:00.001-05:00

* Ahmadinejad: 'The Zionist regime is a threat to all nations' "The Zionist regime is a threat to all nations ... it cannot tolerate the existence of any strong country in the region."

* Obama: Israel-Jordan treaty shows peace always possible US President Barack Obama said a peace treaty signed 15 years ago between Jordan and Israel is a reminder that peace is always possible.

* Abbas Threatens to Quit, Obama Steps In Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has sent multiple messages to United States President Barack Obama threatening to quit.

* Czech court hears EU treaty case The Czech Constitutional Court is hearing what could be the last legal challenge to the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

* Israel, Egypt in conflict over FM's attendance in Euro-Med conference Israel and Egypt are in conflict over Cairo's objection to the participation of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in a European-Mediterranean conference.

* Ed. Min. Agrees: Temple Mount in School Trips A top official in the Education Ministry on a tour of the City of David in Jerusalem said his office would approve and even pay for school trips to the Temple Mount if there is a demand for such.

* New pro-Russia campaign comes to EU capital Russian news agency Ria Novosti is rolling out a new public relations campaign in the political capital of the European Union.

* Al-Qaida linked group claims Baghdad attacks An al-Qaida linked group claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombings in the heart of Baghdad that killed at least 155 people.

* Rabbi Cherlow: 'Human Rights' Includes Jews Worshipping on Mount Jews have a right to worship freely on the Temple Mount, says Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the Yeshivat Hesder in Petach Tikvah.

* UN signals delay in climate change treaty Just weeks before an international conference on climate change, the United Nations signaled it was scaling back expectations of reaching agreement on a new treaty to slow global warming.

10/26/09

2009-10-26T12:14:00.004-05:00

* Iran FM plays down threat of pre-emptive IDF strike Iran's foreign minister on Monday played down the possibility of Israel launching a strike against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, after his French counterpart warned of such an attack if talks between Iran and world powers failed.

* Prof. Weiss at rightist event: Build third temple immediately ‪‪In wake of Muslim riots at Temple Mount, leading rabbis, rightists call on Israel not to capitulate to Palestinian violence.

* Jordan - Israeli provocations at Temple Mount threaten peace ‪‪After riots subside, Jordanian Communications Minister Sharif calls on Israel to prevent entrance of security forces, Jewish extremists to east Jerusalem compound.

* ‪‪Gaddafi: Palestinians should have nukes ‪‪Libyan leader says Arab nations and 'even the Palestinians' should be allowed nuclear weapons as long as Israel's nuclear ambitions are tolerated.

* Hamas: War will settle Jerusalem dispute, not talks Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal declared that "Jerusalem's fate will be decided with jihad (holy war) and resistance, and not negotiations."

* Asian nations jostle for power in EU-style bloc Asia's moves toward an EU-style community covering half the world's population have sparked a backroom power play led by the United States, China and Japan.

* West treating Iran "unfairly" on nuclear issue - Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has accused the West of treating Iran unfairly over its nuclear programme, in comments that come as world powers await Tehran's response to a UN-drafted plan.

* Iran: Zionist entity won't attack us "The Zionist regime doesn't dare to attack Iran because it is currently in its weakest position," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

* Darwin teaching divides opinion More than half of adults in a survey of 10 countries thought school science lessons should teach evolutionary theories alongside creationism.

* Bombings in Iraq, Deadliest Since 2007, Raise Security Issue Two synchronized suicide car bombings struck at the heart of the Iraqi government here on Sunday, severely damaging the Justice Ministry and provincial council complexes.

10/24/09

2009-10-24T12:10:00.001-05:00

* Larijani: West is trying to 'cheat' Iran Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Saturday called the UN-drafted deal to ship much of Teheran's uranium to Russia and France for further enrichment an attempt by the West to "cheat" the Islamic republic.

* Asian leaders eye EU-style bloc Asian leaders meeting in Thailand are discussing plans to "lead the world" by forming an EU-style community by 2015.

* 'US-Israel drill unrelated to current events' A major US-Israeli missile-defense exercise begun this week was planned several months ago and bears no relations to current events, US and Israeli military officials said.

* Police up alert in Temple Mount The Jerusalem Police will bolster deployment throughout the Old City, east Jerusalem and Temple Mount compound Sunday.

* Engineer: Dig improving Temple Mount stability Despite recent accusations to the contrary, the chief site engineer for the Western Wall tunnels declared on Thursday that Israeli archeological excavations were not being done under the Temple Mount.

* NATO Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort Defense ministers from NATO on Friday endorsed the ambitious counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan proposed by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.

* Abbas calls January 24 elections Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday issued a decree calling for presidential and parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on January 24.

* Netanyahu hopes for Obama meet in November Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington next month for a conference of Jewish organizations and hopes to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama.

* Afghan Campaign for Presidential Runoff Starts Under Taliban Threats Taliban insurgents are threatening to target Afghans who vote in the country's November 7 presidential runoff.

* Anglicans ponder Rome invitation About 600 Church of England priests are meeting later to discuss the Pope's offer for them to join their own section of the Roman Catholic Church.

10/23/09

2009-10-23T09:04:00.003-05:00

* Iran's nuclear answer 'next week' Iran will respond to a proposed deal on its controversial nuclear program by the middle of next week, the UN atomic agency (IAEA) has said

* Assad: Israel must choose between occupation, peace "Israel must choose between occupation and peace," Syrian President Bashar Assad said Thursday, adding that the two concepts "do not go hand in hand".

* EU states envisage new foreign policy giant The EU's new foreign minister will have sweeping powers to conduct foreign policy, propose his own budget and name his own staff independently of other EU institutions.

* NATO Defense Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort NATO defense ministers gave their broad endorsement Friday to the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan.

* After Lebanon war devastation, Hezbollah suburb now booming Dahiyah - meaning the suburb in Arabic - is the Hezbollah stronghold that was heavily targeted by Israel during its war with the militant Shiite group during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

* Israel Plans Major Excavation at Western Wall Israel is planning a major archaeological dig under the Western Wall (Kotel) plaza, opposite the Temple Mount.

* Christian donor to out haredi recipients Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, chairman of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, said Thursday that his organization was compiling a list for publication of haredi institutions that receive its donations.

* Star Fades for Blair in EU Role The odds against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair becoming the first president of the European Union appear to have lengthened.

* Klaus strikes positive note on EU treaty deal Czech President Vaclav Klaus has backed away from a major dispute with other EU leaders by indicating that he is satisfied with a proposal to modify the Lisbon Treaty following a last minute demand he made last week.

* U.S. envoy: Efforts to revive Mideast talks haven't failed The United States' special Mideast envoy George Mitchell said Thursday that it was too soon to brand his efforts to resume peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders a failure.