* WikiLeaks quotes IDF chief: Iran could hit Israel within 12 minutes Gabi Ashkenazi told US officials in 2009 that Israel was preparing for war against Hamas, Hezbollah and that rocket threat against Israel is “more serious than ever”.

* Sabretooth cats threatened most ancient human ancestor Humankind’s oldest known ancestor probably lived in fear of several large sabretooth cats that roamed the same ancient lakeside habitat in Africa.

* Alexandria church bomb: Egypt police on high alert Hundreds of Egyptian riot police are deployed outside the church in Alexandria where 21 Christians were killed in a New Year’s Day bomb attack.

* Turkish IHH Continues to Lead Incitement Drive The Turkish IHH, which directed the ‘Free Gaza’ flotilla led by the Mavi Marmara, continues at the forefront of an anti-Israeli hate and incitement campaign.

* Opposition groups urge Jordanian government to severe ties with Israel Statement comes in the wake of reports that national security chief Uzi Arad met secretly with Jordanian FM in Amman last week.

* Ex-Lebanon president: Extremists waging genocide against Christians in Middle East Following New Year’s suicide bombing at a church in Egypt, Amin Gemayel urges Middle East leaders to give Christian communities a larger political role.

* Obama Tries to Reassert His Christian Bona Fides, With Words and Deeds Barack Obama went to church on the Sunday after Christmas in his native Hawaii, worshiping at a multidenominational service at a chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

* Iran says Bushehr plant nearly ready to join power grid Salehi tells Iranian television that progress being made at power plant, says fuel has been pumped into core for several months.

* Russian president’s visit to Israel cancelled due to Foreign Ministry strike Foreign Ministry workers threatened to cause problems upon Dmitry Medvedev’s arrival, so the planned visit was cancelled to avoid an embarrassing diplomatic incident.

* China in nuclear power advance China has developed its own technologies that will enable it to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, state television has reported.