* Syria will back Hizbullah against IDF If Israel were to attack Hizbullah in Lebanon, Syria would respond and not sit idly by, reports quote Syrian sources as saying.

* Iran Shielding Its Nuclear Efforts in Maze of Tunnels Last September, when Iran’s uranium enrichment plant buried inside a mountain near the holy city of Qum was revealed, the episode cast light on a wider pattern.

* Hamas 2010 budget mainly ‘foreign aid’ from Iran Hamas has approved a $540 million budget for 2010, the lion’s share of which was said to come from Iranian aid.

* Abbas: ’67 borders precondition to talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would be the first to negotiate with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, but only if the latter would cease construction in the settlements and recognize the 1967 borders of a Palestinian state.

* China again rejects UN sanctions against Iran China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Yesui, has said the time is not right to consider more sanctions against Iran.

* Egypt police clash with Gaza aid convoy activists More than 50 people have been hurt in clashes between Egyptian police and pro-Palestinian activists seeking to take a convoy of supplies to Gaza.

* Pro-Life Advocates Plan to Protest Opening of Largest Abortion Clinic in U.S. A coalition of pro-life advocates and religious leaders plan to gather in Houston on Jan. 18 to oppose what is expected to be the largest abortion clinic in the country.

* Emanuel: U.S. is fed up with Israel, Palestinians White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently told the Israeli consul in Los Angeles that the Obama administration is fed up with both Israel and the Palestinians.

* Obama admits intel failure on terrorist US President Barack Obama announced changes to his countries airport security measures, and admitted the American intelligence community failed on Christmas Day in what almost became a massive terror attack.

* Ben-Gurion Airport revolutionizes security with Unipass biometric system As international aviation officials look to Israel for techniques to safeguard air travel after the failed Christmas Day bombing, Ben-Gurion airport launched a biometric security system for outbound passengers, heralding a new era of hi-tech passenger screening.