* Meridor: We must be ready to preempt threats Israeli Ambassador to the US Sallai Meridor declared Monday that Israel should always be prepared “to preempt, to deter and to defeat if we can”.

* Dr. Mazar: PM’s Office Complicit in Temple Mount Destruction Well-known archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University told Arutz Sheva Radio that she sees the recent revelation of First Temple artifacts on the Temple Mount as further proof of what she called the Antiquities Authority’s “criminal behavior.”

* Brown says he backs further sanctions against Iran British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that his government would seek further sanctions against Iran through the United Nations and the European Union.

* Turkey wins Iraq backing on PKK Turkey and Iraq have agreed to work together to deal with the problem of Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq.

* ‘Be prepared to fight any aggression’ Syrian Chief of General Staff Ali Habib on Monday called on his country’s pilots to be prepared to fight against any possible attack.

* First names floated for top new EU jobs Although the ink on the new EU treaty deal is barely dry, several names are already being floated as possible candidates for the European Union’s first-ever president.

* “Save Jerusalem” Emergency Coalition Forms An unprecedented coalition of American Jewish groups has formed on short notice to ensure that united Jerusalem remains Jewish.

* Bin Laden issues Iraq message Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, has released a new audiotape calling on fighters in Iraq to unite.

* China to test space weapon in launching moon satellite: rights group+ Chinese submarine will send test signals that could change the course of a satellite when China launches its first moon orbiter.

* International troika ups efforts to break Kosovo deadlock With a December deadline looming, diplomats from the EU, Russia and the US presented both Serbian and Kosovar leaders with proposals for a compromise solution.