Synagogue Planned For Temple Mount, Hashemites to Add Minaret MK Uri Ariel (National Union) is drawing up plans to construct a synagogue on the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site. Jordan’s King Hussein plans to build a fifth minaret on the site as well.

China’s ‘nightmare scenario’ A North Korean nuclear test has long been a nightmare scenario for China.

S. Korea: Israel has important role As a strong regional power, Israel has a key role to play in demonstrating a firm international consensus opposing North Korea in the wake of its claimed nuclear test Monday.

Kurds accuse Saddam of slaughtering families Kurdish witnesses accused Saddam Hussein Monday of cramming their starving families into disease-ridden death camps and casting the bodies of the fallen into mass graves.

Largest Priestly Blessing Crowd Since Temple Mount Liberation A record number of Jews gathered Monday at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City for the traditional massive Birkat Kohanim, priestly blessings.

Amid civil war fears, Fatah and Hamas stockpile arms When hundreds of Fatah gunmen paraded past his West Bank supermarket last week, Mohammed Zahi stared unbelieving at their sparkling black M16 assault rifles.

Somali Islamists declare ‘jihad’ on Ethiopia Somalia’s powerful Islamists on Monday declared holy war against Ethiopia.

Iran warns of retaliation if sanctions imposed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has vowed to impose retaliatory sanctions on world powers if the UN Security Council carries out threats to penalize Iran over its nuclear program.

Syria: US lacks Mid-East vision Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the United States does not have “the will or vision” to pursue peace in the Middle East.

EU ‘must face TB threat’ Health agencies are urging the European Union to tackle an “alarming” outbreak of drug-resistant tuberculosis among its eastern neighbours that they say poses a major threat to the continent.