* Zionists ‘incarnation of Satan,’ says Ahmadinejad Zionists are the “true incarnation of Satan,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in his latest verbal assault on Tehran’s arch foe Israel.

* ‘Arab peace plan currently unacceptable’ Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the Palestinian daily Al Ayamm in an interview published Thursday morning that “Israel could not accept the Arab peace initiative.

* Iran positive on Iraq conference Iran says it will take part in a planned security conference in Iraq, to be attended by the US, if it is “in Iraq’s best interests”.

* Israel not ‘threatened’ by US-Iran talks A day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would take part in a “neighbors meeting” with Syrian and Iranian representatives on stabilizing Iraq, Israeli officials said Jerusalem had no need to “feel threatened”.

* Chinese stocks slide again China’s main stock index fell more than 3 per cent in early trade on Thursday.

* Rabbis aim to renew animal sacrifices A fringe group of extremist rabbis wants to resume the biblical practice of animal sacrifice at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

* Spain and Germany up pressure on EU constitution Spain has reaffirmed its role of a vocal promotor of the EU constitution with renewed criticism of the UK, France and the Netherlands.

* First peacekeepers are in Somalia A small advance team of African Union troops has arrived in Somalia, say officials in the country.

* China urges Iran to halt enrichment China urged Iran on Thursday to halt uranium enrichment and step up efforts to reach a peaceful, negotiated solution.

* Senior Palestinian official: Drop demands for Israel recognition The international community can drop its demand that the incoming Palestinian government recognize Israel because the Palestinians’ supreme authority – the Palestine Liberation Organization – already does so, a senior Palestinian figure said.