* Preparing the Battlefield Late last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources.

* Israel has a year to stop Iran bomb, warns ex-spy A former head of Mossad has warned that Israel has 12 months in which to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme or risk coming under nuclear attack itself.

* Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency On Tuesday 1 July, France takes over the EU presidency armed with a big country’s sense of the natural order of things, a hyperactive president and a lengthy list of priorities.

* ‘Sunday Times’ reports Iran targeting Dimona As rumors continue to circulate that Iran may find itself a target of a military strike aimed at destroying its nuclear capabilities, the country has stepped up deterrent efforts by moving ballistic missiles into launch positions and targeting various sites in Israel, including the Dimona nuclear plant, The Sunday Times reported defense sources as saying.

* Berlin forum calls for Israel’s destruction Representatives of Germany’s foreign and economics ministries are fumbling the hot potato of who, exactly, backed a conference in Berlin last week that became a mouthpiece for anti-Semitic Iranian propaganda and a call for Israel’s destruction.

* Anglican conservatives form group Conservative Anglicans meeting in Jerusalem will create a global network to combat modern trends in the Church like the ordination of gay clergy.

* First World Noahide Conference Begins The conference is taking place at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hilton Hotel, and is designed to bring Jews and Noahides together. The organizers stated that for this purpose, the location was specifically chosen for its proximity to a large Jewish populace.

* Assad: Atmosphere in ME is good The general atmosphere in the Middle East is positive, Syrian President Bashar Assad said Monday.

* Oil prices pass $143 a barrel; US gas hits high Oil prices surged past $143 a barrel for the first time ever Monday, and the price for a gallon of gas hit an all-time high in the United States.

* Hospitals in north instructed to prepare for earthquake Health Ministry director-general sends letter to medical facilities in northern Israel, warning them Geophysical Institute believes large quake may hit area soon.