* ‘Iran would destroy Israel, US bases’ Iran would “destroy” Israel as well as 32 US army bases in the region if the Islamic Republic is attacked, an aide to Iran’s SupremeLeader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday.

* Hizbullah gets veto power in Lebanon Lebanon’s prime minister formed a national unity Cabinet on Friday after six weeks of wrangling over how to distribute posts among members of the country’s Western-backed parliamentary majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition.

* ‘Iran test showed no new capabilities’ Iran’s missile test this week demonstrated no new capabilities, according to a US official familiar with the intelligence, and the test may not have included one of the longer-range missiles that Iran said was among those launched.

* Sarkozy welcomes Assad in Paris French President Nicolas Sarkozy has welcomed his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, to the Elysee Palace.

* Mediterranean Union to be launched France will on Sunday (13 July) launch the Union for the Mediterranean – the brainchild of President Nicolas Sarkozy, which will bring together EU member states and a number of North African and Middle East countries.

* Dichter: Jerusalem attacks not an intifada One of two officers shot in Friday night terror attack in capital currently fighting for his life; interior security minister visits him in hospital. ‘I am confident police, Shin Bet will put their hands on terrorist,’ he says.

* Syria asks France to help direct talks with Israel Syrian president says Washington, Paris should contribute to future security arrangements in region.

* Pope to apologise for sex scandal Pope Benedict XVI has said he will apologise for decades of sexual abuse of children by Australian priests.

* Bashir seeks Arab League support Khartoum has asked the Arab League to hold a meeting of foreign ministers after a move by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek the arrest of Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, for alleged crimes in the Darfur region.

* Russia blasts U.S., UK over Zimbabwe vote Russia has reacted angrily to comments made by U.S. and British officials who criticized Moscow’s veto of U.N. sanctions against Zimbabwe.