* Australia feared Israeli strike on Iran could spark nuclear war, WikiLeaks cables reveal WikiLeaks cables show that Australian intelligence believed that Iran should not be considered a rogue state.

* Jordan’s king wants improved ties with Iran Abdullah II accepts Ahmadinejad’s invitation to visit Tehran, says it is “imperative to undertake practical steps for improving Jordanian-Iranian relations”.

* Middle East peace: Elders urge revised process A group of elder statesmen says a new approach is needed for the Middle East peace talks, after failed US efforts to get an extended Israeli settlement ban.

* Ahmadinejad to Gaza convoy: Israel an insult to humanity Iranian president accuses world of giving Israeli leaders Nobel Prize while “real genocide” goes on in “Palestine”; Asian convoy heads to Strip.

* Erekat calls on EU to recognize a Palestinian state Ahead of EU foreign ministers’ meeting, top Palestinian negotiator quoted as saying move would “provide protection for the principle of two states.”

* November: Israel Breaks Yet Another Tourism Record Tourism to Israel broke yet another all-time record in November, when 310,000 visitors entered the country – more than during any previous month in modern history.

* Manouchehr Mottaki fired from Iran foreign minister job Iran’s president has fired Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in part of a perceived power struggle in Tehran.

* Europe will recognize Palestinian state when appropriate Erekat asks for recognition of Palestinian state, but ministers convening in Brussels expected to say EU “will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties”.

* US cables expose clumsy Vatican diplomacy “Most of the top ranks of the Vatican – all men, generally in their seventies – do not understand modern media,” the US said.

* Germany predicts EU political union in 10 years German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has said his country is willing to discuss greater harmonisation of eurozone tax policy, adding that the next decade is likely to see Europe take significant steps towards closer political union.