Barack Obama launches key Mid-East mission US President Barack Obama has arrived in Saudi Arabia at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at increasing US engagement with the Islamic world.

* Barack Hussein Obama: US “one of the largest Muslim countries in the world” It is important to note that “if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we’d be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world”.

* Al Qaeda deputy criticizes Obama’s Egypt trip On the eve of President Obama’s highly anticipated speech to the Muslim world, al Qaeda’s second-in-command issued an audio statement saying the president of the United States is not welcome in Egypt.

* Lieberman in Moscow: Israel has no intention of bombing Iran Israel does not intend to bomb Iran, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday in the most explicit comments on the matter.

* Hezbollah camp gaining ground ahead of Lebanon vote Hezbollah and its Christian allies are expected to gain a slim advantage in Sunday’s Lebanese parliamentary election.

* Iran may send envoy to Obama’s address The Egyptian hosts of US President Barack Obama’s upcoming Cairo speech invited Iran’s top diplomat here to attend.

* Likud: Obama has crossed the line US President Barack Obama’s administration’s criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s policies has crossed the line into interfering in Israeli politics.

* Swat fight ‘may take two months’ The offensive to eject the Taliban from the Swat valley of Pakistan could take another two months to complete.

* PA optimistic about hard-line US stance Reports about growing tensions between Jerusalem and Washington over the revival of the peace process in the Middle East are being hailed by many Palestinians.

* New Zealand named world’s most peaceful nation The South Pacific nation of four million people and 40 million sheep has knocked Iceland off its perch.