* Assad says Syria may host Russian missile batteries Syrian President Bashar Assad has pledged to support Russia in its conflict with Georgia.

* Olmert: Israel will unleash all its force if Hezbollah siezes Lebanon Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned on Tuesday if Lebanon were to become a terrorist state under the domination of Hezbollah, Israel would unleash more massive firepower.

* US and Poland seal missile deal The US and Poland have signed a deal to locate part of the US’s controversial missile defence system on Polish soil.

* Hezbollah Signs Pact with Salafis Amidst a growing world crisis, new developments in Lebanon may signal what lies ahead in the sphere of global jihadist forces in the near future.

* Russia rejects UN Georgia draft Russia has rejected a draft UN Security Council resolution on Georgia, saying it contradicted the terms of last week’s ceasefire deal.

* UN begins Kosovo handover to EU The UN has begun the handover of office space and vehicles to the EU’s “EULEX” police and civilian administration team in Kosovo.

* ‘Gov’t exchanged Jabotinsky with Nakba’ “The government took Ze’ev Jabotinsky out of the schoolbooks and inserted the [Palestinian] Nakba instead.”

* Iraq to Sign $1.2B Oil Service Deal with China Iraq will sign a $1.2 billion oil service contract with China to replace a production-sharing deal agreed under Saddam Hussein.

* Russia-NATO relations in tatters Moscow’s relations with NATO were left in tatters on Tuesday (19 August) after the Kremlin dismissed the results of an emergency meeting.

* Black Sea Fleet: a factor of stability or instability? Tensions over Sevastopol in the Crimea have flared time and again since the breakup of the Soviet Union.