* PM meets with settler leaders, asks for cooperation, leadership Some 22 heads of councils from Judea and Samaria and a handful of heads of the Yesha Council met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and discussed the recently-announced 10-month settlement freeze.

* Putin: Russia has no evidence Iran trying to build nukes Russia has no evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.

* New manifesto reveals a more sophisticated, confident Hizbullah Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah this week announced the publication of a new political manifesto, outlining the goals of his movement.

* Lebanon: Hizbullah has right to arms Lebanon’s new government Wednesday endorsed Hizbullah’s right to keep its weapons.

* New foreign policy chief asks MEPs for help Europe’s new top diplomat, Catherine Ashton, told MEPs on Wednesday (2 December) she had no full team in place yet.

* Iran: We’ll enrich uranium to higher levels Iran said Wednesday it will enrich uranium to a higher level on its own, the latest indication the country was rejecting a UN-backed proposal.

* Vladimir Putin ‘to think about’ presidential bid Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said he will think about running for president again in 2012.

* U.S.: Time running out for Iran to avoid sanctions Time is running out for Iran to avoid sanctions over its nuclear program, a White House spokesman said.

* Afghanistan surge tops Nato ministers’ meeting European, American and Canadian foreign ministers are later today (3 December) meeting at Nato headquarters in Brussels to discuss the new strategy for Afghanistan.

* How ElBaradei misled the world about Iran’s nuclear program This week, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei ended his controversial and unsuccessful term as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.