* ‘Western Wall was never part of temple’ The former mufti of Jerusalem, Ikrema Sabri, has made the claim that there never was a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount, and the Western Wall was really part of a mosque.

* Lebanon fires on IAF jets for first time since cease-fire Lebanese troops opened fire Thursday on IAF warplanes flying low over southern Lebanon, but no hits were reported, Lebanese officials said.

* Google Earth used to target Israel Palestinian militants are using Google Earth to help plan their attacks on the Israeli military and other targets, the Guardian has learned.

* US to announce new sanctions on Iran The Bush administration is ready to roll out a package of new sanctions against Iran aimed particularly at the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force, which US officials have accused of stirring up trouble in Iraq and elsewhere, according to published reports.

* Key discussions on Kurdish crisis A high-level Iraqi delegation is expected in Ankara for key talks aimed at stopping attacks by Kurdish fighters based in northern Iraq.

* China beats Germany to take world trade crown China has surged ahead of Germany for the first time to become the world’s top exporter, prompting ever louder demands from the United States and Europe to revalue the yuan.

* Cabinet Minister Announces Sanctions Against Gaza Defense Minister Ehud Barak is set to approve Thursday sanctions upon Palestinian Authority-controlled Gaza.

* Political Activist Banned From Judea and Samaria Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov, a political activist known for his outspoken views in favor of Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, was expelled for three months from his home in the town of Tapuach on Monday.

* Rice: Mideast peace plan in jeopardy US secretary of state tells House committee ‘without a serious political prospect for the Palestinians we will lose the window for a two-state solution’; blames Iran for fanning flames in the region.

* Commission challenges France on Turkish membership talks The European Commission has said membership negotiations with Turkey should be expanded in the coming weeks, challenging France’s stance that such a decision should wait until a “committee of wise men” has been set up to discuss the future of the European Union.