* Report: IAF attacked N. Korean nuclear shipment to Syria The secret IAF foray into Syrian airspace was in fact an Israeli air strike directly linked to a North Korean shipment of suspected nuclear material which was delivered to Syria three days before the attack.

* Putin ‘may seek 2012 re-election’ Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he expects to remain an influential figure in Russian politics after he steps down next March.

* Saudis, Egyptians refuse Mashaal visit The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jareeda reported Friday that there is no communication between the group’s leadership in Gaza and its leadership abroad.

* US claims HIzbullah still smuggling arms through Syria The US ambassador to Lebanon said on Friday that there was clear evidence the Shiite terror organization Hizbullah was still smuggling weapons across the Syrian border.

* Mubarak slams reports about his health as ‘inciting chaos’ Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday slammed recent media reports about his allegedly poor health and said they aim to provoke chaos.

* US sees religious freedom setbacks A US government report has said that conditions for religious freedoms have worsened in the Middle East and Central Asia.

* More than 90,000 Muslims arrive at Temple Mount Some 93,000 Muslim worshippers arrived at the Temple Mount for the first Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan.

* EU warns Ukraine on upcoming elections EU leaders have warned Ukraine it cannot expect deeper integration unless it tidies up its political mess in upcoming elections.

* Al-Qaida offers bounty for cartoonist The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq offered money for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist who recently produced images deemed insulting to Islam.

* US: Syria on nuclear watch list A senior US nuclear official said Friday that North Koreans were in Syria and that Damascus may have had contacts with “secret suppliers” to obtain nuclear equipment.