* Report: Syria, North Korea hold high-level talks in Pyongyang North Korea and Syria held high-level talks Friday in Pyongyang, the North’s state media reported, amid suspicions that the two countries might be cooperating on a nuclear weapons program.

* 144-nation atomic energy conference criticizes Israel Conference censures Israel for refusing to put its nuclear program under international purview.

* IDF ups alert level on northern border The IDF has raised the level of alert along Israel’s northern border out of concern that Syria will attempt to retaliate for an alleged IAF attack within its borders on September 6.

* Army weighs ‘complete’ Gaza pullout A day after the cabinet defined the Gaza Strip as “hostile territory,” The Jerusalem Post learned Thursday that the IDF is working on a proposal that calls for a “complete disengagement” from the Gaza Strip – involving the closure of all border crossings with Israel and the transfer of all responsibility over the Palestinian territory to Egypt.

* Arctic seabed ‘belongs to Russia’ A Russian expedition has proved that a ridge of mountains below the Arctic Ocean is part of Russia’s continental shelf, government officials have said.

* Israeli archeologists ordered out of court hearing A group of Israeli archeologists and public officials who petitioned the High Court of Justice against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Antiquities Authority over ongoing Wakf infrastructure work on the Temple Mount were ordered out of the courtroom during a hearing Thursday, an archeologist said.

* Crowds attend Lebanese MP funeral Thousands of Lebanese have turned out for the funeral in Beirut of anti-Syrian MP, Antoine Ghanim, who was assassinated on Wednesday.

* Court urges Sudan war crimes arrest The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has urged world leaders to “break their silence” and press the Sudanese government to arrest one of its ministers for alleged war crimes.

* Sheikdom shakedown: Dubai moves on Nasdaq n a complex set of transactions, Dubai is moving to acquire 19.9 percent of the Nasdaq in New York, placing the Arab government in an ownership position of the key U.S. stock exchange and raising concerns in Congress.

* Israel on alert for most sacred Jewish day Israel shut off the Palestinian territories for the holy Jewish day of atonement, and went on alert for a possible attack, 34 years after Syria and Egypt launched a surprise assault that sparked war.

By: Hilmi Toros – Asia Times Online

Despite the verdict at the polls, Turkey’s staunchly secular military is far from caving in to the Islamic-rooted civilian authority that is now in full control of Parliament, the government and the presidency. At best it appears willing to accept, for the time being, an uneasy co-existence.

Read more….

* UN chief urges Israel to reconsider decision on Gaza Ban Ki-moon warns that any cutoff of vital services to Strip would violate international law, punish already suffering civilian population.

* Rice says international peace conference must be ‘substantive’ US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday an upcoming US-sponsored Middle East conference must be “substantive,” and that Israel and the Palestinians must draft a document before the meeting that lays “foundations for serious negotiations.”

* Iran says it successfully tested self-produced fighter jets Iran said on Thursday it had “scared its enemies” by test flying two new generation, domestically-produced jet fighter planes and had shown its battle readiness, the latest riposte to speculation about a war over Tehran’s nuclear plans.

* Defense Minister Barak: Attack on Gaza Coming Nearer Wednesday’s decision by the mini-security cabinet to declare Gaza a “hostile entity” continues to make international waves – while Defense Minister Ehud Barak says a large-scale Israeli attack on Gaza is coming closer.

* Al Qaeda to declare war on Musharraf Osama bin Laden will release a new message soon declaring war on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, al Qaeda announced Thursday.

* An uneasy military marriage in Turkey Despite the verdict at the polls, Turkey’s staunchly secular military is far from caving in to the Islamic-rooted civilian authority that is now in full control of Parliament, the government and the presidency.

* Israel to launch spy satellite in India Israeli space capabilities will take a giant leap this week when an Indian missile launches the IDF’s most-advanced satellite to date, capable of transmitting tiny images in all weather conditions.

* Euro Hits New High, Crests $1.40 Level The dollar fell to a new low against the euro on Thursday as the european currency breached $1.40 for the first time since its debut in 1999.

* Rep. Peter King: There are “too many mosques in this country” New York Rep. Peter King, a prominent House Republican, said there are “too many mosques in this country” in a recent interview with Politico.

* Yom Kippur Services to be Secular-Friendly In an open pre-Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) letter to synagogue sextons, communal leaders and others, Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger reminds them of their heavy responsibility vis-a-vis those who come to synagogue only once a year.

By: ETGAR LEFKOVITS – Jerusalem Post

The Chief Rabbinate has banned Jewish participation in the Feast of the Tabernacles march in the capital, scheduled to take place next month, due to concern that some of the groups participating are involved in Christian missionary work, officials said Tuesday.

Read more….

* Hamas: Decision is an act of war A Hamas spokesperson on Wednesday called the security cabinet’s decision to declare the Gaza Strip an enemy entity a comprehensive declaration of war, for which Israel would bear the consequences.

* ‘Dozens died in Syria-Iran missile test’ Proof of cooperation between Iran and Syria in the proliferation and development of weapons of mass destruction was brought to light Monday in Jane’s Defence Weekly, which reported that dozens of Iranian engineers and 15 Syrian officers were killed in a July 23 accident in Syria.

* Iran promises “response” to Zionism’s supporters on Oct. 12 Supporters of the “Zionist regime” will receive a response from Iran during the world Qods Day rallies on October 12, the IRNA news agency reported government spokesman, Gholam-Hossein Elham, saying Wednesday.

* Rice: Hamas hostile entity to us as well US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the US “will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza,” shortly after Israel declared the territory to be an enemy entity and said it would cut off power and fuel supplies to it.

* Chief Negotiator Favors Division of Jerusalem, Incl. Old City In a letter to a fellow Kadima politician, the lead negotiator on behalf of the government in talks with the Fatah-run half of the Palestinian Authority confirmed his plan to relinquish sovereignty over much of Jerusalem, including in the Old City.

* Egypt rejects armed strike against Iran Egypt is opposed to any military action against Iran and is working on normalizing its own relations with the Islamic Republic after 28 years of frozen ties, the foreign minister said Wednesday.

* EU monies ‘should fund Galileo’ The European Commission has outlined its plan to get the Galileo satellite navigation system back on track.

* Rice attacks UN watchdog on Iran US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has attacked the head of the UN nuclear watchdog for urging caution in the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme.

* Rabbinate bans Jews from Succot march The Chief Rabbinate has banned Jewish participation in the Feast of the Tabernacles march in the capital, scheduled for October 2, due to concern that some of the groups participating are involved in Christian missionary work, officials said Tuesday.

* Air Force activates provisional Cyber Command At a celebration of the Air Force’s 60th birthday Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne moved forward on the service’s Cyber Command, officially activating it as a provisional unit with its headquarters, for now, at Barksdale Air Force Base.

* J’lem downplays Iranian threat; Olmert: I respect Assad Israeli officials are treating Iran’s latest claims that it has 600 Shihab-3 missiles aimed at targets throughout the country the same way it treated Teheran’s claims.

* Peres: Israel Gave Land Before, but Rec’d No Peace, No Security President Shimon Peres says the “land for peace” formula on which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is working has not worked for Israel.

* N. Korea denies cooperating with Syria North Korea strongly denied Tuesday that it has secretly helped Syria develop a nuclear program.

* Russia ‘worried’ by Iran war risk Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed fears over the threat of war in Iran after talks with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner.

* Syria: U.S. nuclear claims are ‘false,’ biased toward Israel Syria criticised the United States on Tuesday, accusing it of spreading false claims of Syrian nuclear activity and cooperation with North Korea.

* Indonesia’s big one ‘on its way’ An international team of earthquake specialists says Indonesia faces another potential “giant” quake in the near future.

* Oil Hits New Intraday High Above $81 Oil prices climbed to a new high, above $81 a barrel, on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would cut benchmark federal funds rate later.

* Report: India to launch Israeli spy satellite in upcoming days India plans to launch an Israeli spy satellite over the coming days.

* Europe is not a ‘threat’ Barroso tells UK European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has told UK politicians they have nothing to fear from Europe and they should back the new Reform Treaty.

* Independence for Kosovo is off the agenda, envoy reveals The international community is backing away from a clear endorsement of independence for Kosovo.

* 600 Iranian missiles said to be pointed at targets in Israel Six hundred Iranian Shihab-3 missiles are pointed at targets throughout Israel, and will be launched if either Iran or Syria are attacked, an Iranian website affiliated with the regime reported on Monday.

* Israelis ‘blew apart Syrian nuclear cache’ It was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is crossed the Syrian coast-line.

* France warning of war with Iran French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says the world should prepare for war over Iran’s nuclear programme.

* PA Chairman Abbas threatens to boycott November peace summit Palestinian authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will not attend Washington’s regional peace summit in November unless Israel agrees to a reach an agreement with the Palestinians there, Abbas’ associates told Haaretz Sunday, adding the summit could “prove dangerous”.

* Sadr group quits Iraq ruling bloc The political movement loyal to radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has withdrawn from Iraq’s governing Shia alliance.

* Israeli astrophysicists help find oldest-known planet outside solar system The discovery of the oldest planet yet identified outside our solar system – just announced in the prestigious journal Nature – illustrates the process that is likely to lead to the sun burning out in approximately five billion years.

* Oil industry ‘sleepwalking into crisis’ Lord Oxburgh, the former chairman of Shell, has issued a stark warning that the price of oil could hit $150 per barrel, with oil production peaking within the next 20 years.

* ‘Settlers must move to save their lives’ Anita Finkelstein almost tossed the personally addressed letter from the “One House” movement warning that her home in the Tekoa settlement would soon be in “trapped in hostile territory” because it is located on the Palestinian side of the security barrier.

* Interior Ministry eyeballs biometric passports Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit recently declared that as Israel’s passports and identity cards are easily counterfeited, he will push to replace all of them to increase security and meet the increasingly stringent requirements of other countries admitting Israeli visitors.

* Bush setting America up for war with Iran Senior American intelligence and defence officials believe that President George W Bush and his inner circle are taking steps to place America on the path to war with Iran, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.

* Report: IAF attacked N. Korean nuclear shipment to Syria The secret IAF foray into Syrian airspace was in fact an Israeli air strike directly linked to a North Korean shipment of suspected nuclear material which was delivered to Syria three days before the attack.

* Putin ‘may seek 2012 re-election’ Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he expects to remain an influential figure in Russian politics after he steps down next March.

* Saudis, Egyptians refuse Mashaal visit The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jareeda reported Friday that there is no communication between the group’s leadership in Gaza and its leadership abroad.

* US claims HIzbullah still smuggling arms through Syria The US ambassador to Lebanon said on Friday that there was clear evidence the Shiite terror organization Hizbullah was still smuggling weapons across the Syrian border.

* Mubarak slams reports about his health as ‘inciting chaos’ Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday slammed recent media reports about his allegedly poor health and said they aim to provoke chaos.

* US sees religious freedom setbacks A US government report has said that conditions for religious freedoms have worsened in the Middle East and Central Asia.

* More than 90,000 Muslims arrive at Temple Mount Some 93,000 Muslim worshippers arrived at the Temple Mount for the first Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan.

* EU warns Ukraine on upcoming elections EU leaders have warned Ukraine it cannot expect deeper integration unless it tidies up its political mess in upcoming elections.

* Al-Qaida offers bounty for cartoonist The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq offered money for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist who recently produced images deemed insulting to Islam.

* US: Syria on nuclear watch list A senior US nuclear official said Friday that North Koreans were in Syria and that Damascus may have had contacts with “secret suppliers” to obtain nuclear equipment.

* Rice: US trying to stop spread of WMDs The United States is worried about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and is working to prevent such proliferation from occurring.

* Bush pledges Iraq troop reduction US President George W Bush has made a televised address backing a limited withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

* ‘Turkey gave Israel intel on Syria’ Turkey provided Israel with intelligence on Syria prior to last week’s alleged IAF flyover into the country.

* Syria says not planning a military response to IAF air strike The Syrian deputy foreign minister said Friday that Damascus is not planning a military response.

* Russia’s Zubkov confirmed as PM Viktor Zubkov has been confirmed as Russia’s new prime minister and has pledged to wage a war on corruption.

* IDF blocks W. Bank Palestinians trying to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque Hundreds of Palestinians thronged two major West Bank checkpoints, trying to reach Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

* Fatah takes battle with Hamas to mosques Loyalists of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are taking their fight with Hamas to the mosques of the West Bank, to stop what they call Islamist brainwashing and recruiting.

* Iran Leader: Bush Will Be Tried President Bush will one day be tried in court just like deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for his involvement in the Iraq tragedy, Iran’s supreme leader said.

* China Cracks Down on One-Child Violators Urban Chinese who have more than one child will get a black mark on their credit record.

* ‘Rice trip must set conference’s agenda’ Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed hope Thursday that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s upcoming visit to the region will result in an agenda and location for a planned US-sponsored peace conference.

* Livni pushes UN to get tougher with Iran The UN Security Council should adopt more and tougher sanctions against Iran to try to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

* Report: Israel spots nuclear installations in Syria Israel believes that North Korea has been supplying Syria and Iran with nuclear materials.

* Saudis question Middle East talks Saudi Arabia has said that a US-backed Middle East peace conference will be pointless unless it tackles key issues and sets a timetable for a final deal.

* Heightened state of alert announced over Rosh Hashana The security establishment has announced Tuesday the highest state of alert throughout Israel over Rosh Hashana.

* Ramadan begins across Muslim world Ramadan, a month of day-long fasting, spiritual reflection and sometimes night-long revelry, has begun for most of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims.

* Oil hits record on supply fears Oil prices have risen above $80 a barrel for the first time, a day after Opec moved to boost its output of crude in an effort to ease cost pressures.

* Ahmadinejad: Iran can help secure Iraq, Israel is ‘cruel’ Iran wants “peace and friendship for all,” the country’s president said Wednesday while again denying Western assertions his nation is pursuing nuclear weapons and trying to destabilize Iraq.

* Jews From 18 Countries Coming on Aliyah Jews from several countries around the globe will be making Aliyah [immigration to Israel] this coming week.

* Hamas urges militants not to target Israeli border crossings The Hamas government urged Gaza militants Thursday not to attack border crossings with Israel in order to ensure the flow of basic goods into Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

* Belgrade will not bargain on Kosovo, Serbian PM says The breakaway province of Kosovo cannot be the object of “any sort of trade or any sort of deal” with Belgrade.