* Turkey-Iraq border tension grows Tension is rising on Turkey’s border with Iraq amid speculation Ankara may be about to launch an incursion to tackle Kurdish rebels.

* Mashaal: Rocket attacks will continue Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal declared on Tuesday that the rocket attacks against Israel would continue.

* Houses raided after Iraq kidnap US and Iraqi troops have raided houses and buildings in Baghdad’s Sadr City, close to where five Britons were kidnapped on Tuesday.

* Russia Says New ICBM Can Beat Any System Russia tested new missiles Tuesday that a Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system.

* Iran links Iraq and nuclear issue A senior Iranian official has said that direct Iran-US talks about security in Iraq will have an impact on the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programm.

* Qaeda warns of attacks ‘worse than 9/11’ An American member of Al-Qaeda warned in an Internet video that US President George W. Bush should withdraw all his troops from Muslim land or face attacks worse than September 11.

* Ministers push for stepped-up Gaza campaign The security cabinet voted Wednesday in favor of stepping up Israel’s military pressure on terror groups responsible for the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.

* France gives stay of execution on Turkey EU hopes France has confirmed that it will agree to press ahead with Turkey’s EU membership talks for now.

* Leaders to meet as Gaza deaths rise Two suspected Palestinian fighters have been killed in fresh Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip.

* Lebanese army files terrorism charges against militants A Lebanese military magistrate filed terrorism charges Wednesday against 20 suspected members of the militant Fatah Islam group.