* EU leaders sign landmark treaty EU leaders have signed a treaty in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, that is expected to greatly alter the way the 27-nation body operates.

* Report: Nasrallah demoted by Khamenei Some of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s responsibilities have been taken away by the organization’s backer, Iran.

* EU rights charter signing attracts protest The leaders of the three main European institutions on Wednesday (12 December) signed a charter of fundamental rights that will be annexed to the EU’s new treaty.

* Putin heads to Belarus for talks on merger Vladimir Putin could become the leader of a land even larger than Russia.

* Palestinian anti-terror forces training in Russia Palestinian forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have been sent for covert training sessions at a secret base in Russia.

* Saturn’s rings ‘may live forever’ Saturn’s iconic rings may be much older than we thought, scientists say.

* Russia, Iran agree on plant completion Russia and Iran reached an agreement Thursday on a schedule for finishing construction of the Bushehr nuclear plant.

* Ahmadinejad invited to be pilgrim Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will this week become the first sitting president of the Islamic republic to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, his office said.

* The case against Kosovo independence If I were to say that Israel deserved to qualify for the European championship, most local football fans might agree. Israel played really well.

* Barak Agreed To Hand Temple Mount & Yesha to Arabs in 2000 Talks According to a document brought out of mothballs seven years after it was signed, Defense Minister Ehud Barak – then Prime Minister of Israel – agreed to transfer the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest site, to Arab sovereignty.