* New Turkey presidency row looms Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has confirmed he plans to stand again as a presidential candidate.

* Iran denies arming Taliban Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has told his Afghan counterpart during a one-day visit to Kabul that Tehran is not arming the Taliban.

* Pakistan marks 60th anniversary Celebrations are taking place across Pakistan to commemorate the 60th anniversary of independence from the UK and the creation of the country.

* Netanyahu: Israel’s arch-hawk aiming for comeback Former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to be re-elected as head of Israel’s right-wing Likud party on Tuesday, is a media-savvy arch-hawk.

* Hezbollah marks Lebanon war’s end The Lebanese Shia Muslim group Hezbollah is to hold a mass rally in Beirut to mark the anniversary of the end of its war last year with Israel.

* NBN Aliyah Across the Atlantic: Both Sides Now! Two Nefesh b’Nefesh charter flights touched down on the tarmac of Ben Gurion International Airport Tuesday morning bearing the gift of new “anglo” immigrants.

* Arab official: Syrian general mulling war with Israel In Damascus, it is forbidden to photograph him and diffuse pictures that can identify him.

* Calling for a Global Caliphate in Ramallah An international movement that has made the Islamic call for a worldwide Caliphate its trademark held a conference in Ramallah on Saturday.

* Ultra-Orthodox Jews deliver a population boom to the West Bank The settler population is growing twice as fast as the rest of the country every year.

* U.S., Iraqi Forces Begin New Operation About 16,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops began a new operation north of Baghdad targeting insurgents who have fled a crackdown in Baqouba.