* ‘US seeks to drown Mideast in wars’ Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah criticized a US plan on Friday to increase military assistance to Arab countries.

* Turkish parliament being sworn in Turkey is swearing in a new parliament with attention focusing on 20 pro-Kurdish deputies, represented for the first time since 1991.

* Olmert to meet with Abbas in Jericho Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the quiet West Bank town of Jericho on Sunday.

* Lebanon braces for key elections Lebanon is stepping up security ahead of two by-elections, one a key test of support among the deeply divided Christian community.

* Ahmadinejad accuses US of seeking ME dominance Iran’s president criticized the US on Friday for its plan to increase weapons sales to several Arab countries and step up military aid to Israel.

* Miles below the North Pole, Russian mini-subs lay claim to Arctic wealth Russia symbolically staked its claim to billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the Arctic Ocean yesterday.

* Arafat aide calls on Chirac to reveal truth about Arafat’s death Former French President Jacques Chirac knows what killed Yasser Arafat and should make it public, an ex-Arafat aide said.

* New olim: We’ll accept Israel as it is Last week they landed in Israel on two large El-Al planes which carried them to the Holy Land.

* Russia confirms Hamas officials invited to Moscow for talks Russian Foreign Minsiter Sergei Lavrov said his country is holding talks with Hamas in order find solutions for the conflict in the Middle East.

* Lift off for Nasa’s Mars probe Nasa has launched a spacecraft on a nine-month journey to Mars, where it will dig below the surface for clues to the existence of past or present life.

By: Economist.com

Russia’s foray into the Arctic is an audacious geopolitical adventure, as popular at home as it is troubling for outsiders. At stake are the region’s natural riches, until now frozen both in law and in nature. But global warming is making them look more accessible.

Read more….

* ‘Swiss seize Iran nuke plant equipment’ Swiss customs authorities seized mechanical equipment weighing over two tons which they suspected was destined for an Iranian nuclear plant.

* A first step to save Darfur The UN Security Council has at last taken a meaningful step toward stopping the genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.

* India-US nuclear details released India and the United States have released details of how they intend to share civilian nuclear technology.

* Pro-Syria summer camp starts in Golan A pro-Syria summer camp for Druse children has started on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.

* Iraqi progress ‘disappoints’ US US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said he is disappointed by the lack of political progress in Iraq.

* Gold rush under the ice Russia’s foray into the Arctic is an audacious geopolitical adventure, as popular at home as it is troubling for outsiders.

* European group agrees Libya missiles deal The way in which Europe negotiated the release of six Bulgarians imprisoned in Libya came under fresh scrutiny on Friday morning.

* APEC Says Flexible Currencies Will Reduce Imbalances Currency “flexibility” is needed to reduce imbalances in the global economy, Asia-Pacific finance ministers said today.

* Army to crack down on draft dodgers In an effort to curb the growing number of youth who evade military service.

* Russia ‘amazed’ by Western mockery Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday he was “amazed” by Western mockery of Russia’s landmark expedition to the North Pole seabed this week.

By: Larry Cohler-Esses – The Jewish Week

Evangelical Christians, long seen as a monolith in lockstep support of Israel, publicly fractured last week as two significant evangelical factions lobbied President Bush with criticism of Israel from opposite points of view.

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* Abbas ready for ‘declaration of principles’ with Israel Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he is ready to work with Israel on a “declaration of principles” as a step toward a full peace agreement.

* Russia plants flag under N Pole Russian explorers have planted their country’s flag on the seabed 4,200m (14,000ft) below the North Pole to further Moscow’s claims to the Arctic.

* ‘Hamas must be kept out of the game’ During his meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stressed, according to Israeli officials, that Hamas must “be kept out of the game.”

* Middle East peace conference likely in November A peace conference which would include Israel and moderate Arab states may convene in Washington in November.

* Hamas brushes off ME peace summit Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk brushed off the planned Middle East peace conference as a publicity stunt.

* Syria plans war of attrition in the Golan Heights In a secret message relayed to Jerusalem, Syria warned the Israeli government that should it continue to reject Damascus’ peace overtures.

* Netanyahu: ‘Hamastan’ in West Bank must be prevented Any West Bank land that Israel fails to settle is land made available for another “Hamastan.”

* France could re-open debate on Turkey referendum The major political question of whether France will in future hold a referendum on the EU entry of Turkey and Balkan.

* Sunnis Asked to Reconsider Quiting Gov’t The Iraqi prime minister’s party asked the country’s largest Sunni Arab bloc Thursday to reconsider its withdrawal from government.

* Serbia to reject any proposals of confederation with Kosovo Serbia’s minister for Kosovo confirmed that Belgrade has been receiving off-the-record proposals that it form a confederation with its predominantly Albanian province.

By: Edward Lucas – Daily Mail

Remember the mammoths, say the clean-cut organisers at the youth camp’s mass wedding. “They became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia”.

Read more….

* S. Arabia pledges to attend US Mideast peace conference Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told the visiting US secretaries of State and Defense Wednesday that his country supported and would attend the Middle East peace conference.

* Iraq Sunni bloc quits coalition Six ministers from Iraq’s Sunni bloc have resigned from the Shia-led government of Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, following a month-long dispute.

* Syria to attend ME peace conference Syria is ready to take part in a US-sponsored international Mideast peace conference to be held later this year,.

* Global stock markets take a dive World stock markets fell sharply on Wednesday and currency markets churned as casualties mounted from worsening credit markets and investors scrambled away from riskier assets.

* UN approves Darfur 26,000-strong peacekeeping force The UN Security Council unanimously approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Darfur on Tuesday.

* Russia claims North Pole with Arctic flag stunt An audacious Russian mission to claim the North Pole for Moscow is due to reach its climax in the next 24 hours.

* Rice in Israel after winning Saudi support for summit The Saudi foreign minister indicated Wednesday that his country may attend a Middle East peace conference proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush.

* IDF goes to battle against draft dodging A day after Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that the IDF was turning into an “army of half the people” due to the growing numbers of draft dodgers.

* China’s Leaders Make Show of Unity Past and present Chinese leaders appeared together on army day Wednesday.

* Hamas shows proof of PA corruption Two paintings worth $66,000 were presented as a gift to a woman in Paris by the PA, which also paid millions of dollars to cover the personal expenses of senior Fatah officials and their families.

By: Robert Marquand – The Christian Science Monitor

The leader of 1.1 billion Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI, is completing a significant theological shift of the Roman Catholic church – a sweeping change that not only eclipses 40 years of a more moderate and collegial Catholicism, but seeks to reassert the spiritual supremacy of the Vatican and more openly proclaim the authority of the office of pope among all Christians.

Read more….

* Iran ‘biggest threat to Mid-East’ US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has warned that Iran poses the biggest threat to US Middle East interests, as she begins a major regional tour.

* Syrian diplomat scorns Bush Mideast proposal Arab League governments were reluctant Monday to support US President Bush’s call for an international conference to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

* Russia Backing Abbas, Supplying Iran Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has thus far received enthusiastic support from Moscow during his three-day trip to Russia this week.

* Golan residents call for talks with Syria The Peace with Syria movement held a conference Monday evening at Kibbutz Gadot with the participation of hundreds of Golan Heights residents.

* Corruption ‘mars Iraq rebuilding’ The US agency overseeing reconstruction in Iraq has told the BBC that economic mismanagement and corruption there are equivalent to “a second insurgency”.

* US funds allies against Iran The US has announced military aid worth more than $43bn to Egypt.

* Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp Remember the mammoths, say the clean-cut organisers at the youth camp’s mass wedding. “They became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia”.

* Barak: Draft dodging a security threat Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned Monday that the growing number of youth who dodge the IDF draft will eventually harm national security.

* Army warns Hebron settlers to evacuate market willingly The Military Advocate General’s office on Monday warned Jewish families residing in Hebron’s old market that should the IDF be instructed to forcefully evacuate them from the site.

* Report: Olmert, Abbas are holding final status talks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas have been holding secret talks on a final status agreement on the critical issues between Israelis and Palestinians.