* Mashaal secures Iranian pledge of funds for Hamas Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal extracted from Iran Tuesday a pledge to fund his radical Palestinian movement.

* Hamas trains militants in Iran, Shin Bet chief says The Islamic Hamas, which runs the Palestinian government, has sent dozens of militants to Iran for training.

* Iran: Missing general likely kidnapped Iran officially announced on Tuesday that its former deputy defense minister was missing while on a private trip to neighboring Turkey.

* Israel, Iran top ‘negative list’ A majority of people believe that Israel and Iran have a mainly negative influence in the world, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.

* Abdullah to US: Focus on Palestinians Jordan’s King Abdullah met with high-level US officials Monday.

* PM Olmert and PA Chairman Abbas to meet next week Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will meet next week for their second summit.

* Poll: More Americans pro-Israeli Americans are more pro-Israeli in their views today than they were 10 and 20 years ago.

* China confirms Moon probe in 2007 China will launch its first lunar probe this year, and expects to be able to land a man on the Moon within 15 years, a senior space official has confirmed.

* EU rifts deepen over US missile shield plan US plans to build an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech republic have led to open divisions within the EU.

* Russia capable of hitting US missile shield: general Russia’s bomber force would have no trouble destroying planned US missile defense sites in Europe.