* ‘Time running out for Iran strike’ Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, said that time to launch an effective military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations was running out.

* Iraq fears Turkey troop build-up Iraq says Turkey has 140,000 soldiers along its border, prompting fears of an incursion against Kurdish guerrillas.

* ‘Hamas army’ established in Gaza, intelligence source says Hamas’ military industry is giving serial production numbers to the roadside charges and Qassam rockets it manufactures.

* US Iraq chief warns of long war The head of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has told the BBC that fighting the insurgency is a “long term endeavour” which could take decades.

* Ten EU FMs tell Blair road map is dead, call for int’l conference A group of 10 EU foreign ministers has called for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the road map peace plan dead.

* World will face oil crunch ‘in five years’ The world is facing an oil supply “crunch” within five years that will force up prices to record levels and increase the west’s dependence on oil cartel Opec.

* ‘New rules for new wars’ The Geneva Convention on armed conflict and the 100 year-old Hague Rules on war need to be “fine tuned” to meet the challenges posed by 21st century asymmetrical warfare.

* Syria rejects offer to hold peace talks Damascus has rejected Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s offer to hold peace talks with President Bashar Assad.

* Jumblatt: Syria trying to destabilize Lebanon Widespread media reports of Syria warning its nationals to flee Lebanon ahead of a major outbreak of violence and civil war there are “unfounded,” contended Lebanon’s Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt.

* Hamas denies Abbas charges it is letting Al-Qaida enter Gaza Hamas officials Tuesday hotly denied allegations by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Iraqi FM Warns Against U.S. Withdrawal Iraq’s foreign minister warned on Monday that a quick American military withdrawal from the country could lead to civil war and the collapse of the government, as pressure on the Bush administration for a pullout grows.

* Government to set up tent city for Darfur refugees Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter says tents will be erected near jail in south to provide temporary shelter for Sudanese refugees.

* Palestinian PM holds Israel talks Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has met the Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, for the first time since Mr Fayyad took office last month.

* Report: Iran general gives nuclear info Ali-Reza Asghari, the Iranian general who went missing in Turkey nearly half a year ago, is currently being held in a secure US intelligence facility, it was reported on Sunday.

* Jordan celebrates Petra’s pick as one of 7 wonders of the world Jordanians rejoiced Sunday over the inclusion of the ancient city Petra in the new seven wonders of the world, celebrating their victory with a fireworks display in the capital and dancing in the early morning hours.

* Sadr movement warns Iraqi PM to back off as no-confidence vote reported brewing against him Followers of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr accused Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki Sunday of attacking them in order to appease his US allies, and warned him his days in office might be numbered.

* Arab League team due for 1st-ever visit The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan are expected to lead an Arab League mission to Israel this week for talks on the Arab peace initiative adopted in 2002 and readopted at an Arab League summit in Riyadh in March, a Foreign Ministry source said.

* Al-Qaeda threatens war against Iran The leader of an al-Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq, who was thought to have beeen killed by US forces, has threatened to wage war against Iran unless it stops supporting Shias in Iraq within two months.

* Iraqi official: Lawmakers cutting short summer recess Iraq is on target to meet by September key political benchmarks set by the U.S. Congress, Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Sunday.

* Israel pumping Syrian water to Kinneret – experts Water experts say Israel pumping water from Golan Heights springs whose natural stream leads to Syria.

* Report: Syria removing Syrian Golan military checkpoints The London based Al-Hayat reported Saturday that Israel was “concerned” that Syria’s decision to remove military checkpoints on the road to Kuneitra on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights could be a preparation for war.

* EU downsizes Gaza-Egypt border monitoring mission The EU is scaling back its monitoring mission at the Gaza-Egypt border.

* Rice: Iran is increasingly dangerous Iran is becoming increasingly dangerous, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

* Brussels questions EU capitals over approach to Islam Following failed car bomb attacks at two UK airports leading to the arrest of Muslim suspects, Brussels is pooling ideas on how to tackle radical Islam.

* US concerns over China weapons in Iraq The US has raised concerns with the Chinese government about the discovery of Chinese-made weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan.

* Turkish government and military agree on Iraq incursion plans Turkey’s government and military have agreed on detailed plans for a cross-border operation against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.

* Report: Settlements spreading out Nine of every 10 Jewish settlements sprawl beyond their official boundaries in an attempt to grab more land in the West Bank.

* Jewish groups slam Vatican Latin prayer for conversion of Jews Some Jewish groups have complained about the prayer for the Jews contained in the old form of the Latin Mass.

* Al-Qaeda linked to operations from Iran Evidence that Iranian territory is being used as a base by al-Qaeda to help in terrorist operations in Iraq and elsewhere is growing.

* Arab Parliament stages Hamas, Fatah reconciliation bid The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammad al-Saqr, arrived in Amman Friday saying he was planning to meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Ross: Risk of war Dennis Ross, the former senior American Middle East peace negotiator, says he thinks “there is a risk of war” between Israel and Syria this summer.

* Policy planning institute: Future of Jewish people is not assured A working paper prepared for next week’s Conference on the Future of the Jewish People, sponsored by The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, contains the following assessment: “The future of the Jewish People is not assured, though there are great opportunities” for thriving.

* Pakistan cleric makes defiant vow The deputy leader of radical Islamic students besieged at the Red Mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has said he would rather die than surrender.

* Hamas has rockets than can hit IDF planes Senior defense officials are extremely concerned by the fact that Hamas has recently seized large quantities of anti-aircraft missiles, antitank rockets and Katyusha rockets.

* Emirates aims to redraw world aviation map The chairman of Emirates Airlines – Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum of the ruling family of Dubai – has grand ambitions, and a bankroll to match.

* Al-Qaida deputy calls on Muslims to follow 2-pronged strategy Al-Qaida’s deputy leader sought to bolster the terror network’s main arm in Iraq in a new video released Thursday.

* Guam becomes key US military base The US is spending billions of dollars and moving troops in the Asia Pacific to strengthen bases in outlying US territories.

* Papal directive seen as a step backward Pope Benedict XVI is expected in a directive Saturday to encourage priests to use the traditional Latin mass.

* Japan moves to build missile system Japan has said it is seeking to build an anti-missile system as quickly as possible and will move its Air Defence Command to a US military base.

* 45 Muslim doctors planned US terror raids A group of 45 Muslim doctors threatened to use car bombs and rocket grenades in terrorist attacks in the United States during discussions on an extremist internet chat site.

* Iranian Missiles Could Threaten Israel from Syria Iran is planning to deploy, in Syria, missiles that can hit Israel.

* Al Qaeda’s No. 2 says end of West imminent, video shows In a newly released videotaped message similar to a “fireside chat,” al Qaeda’s second-in-command issues advice and directives for the Muslim world.

* Ya’alon: Land for peace concept failed The concept of land for peace has proven a failure in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

* Russians threaten to counter US shield Russia could site cruise missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania.

* Former COS Yaalon: Pal. State No Longer Practical or Relevant ÒWe have to replace the conception of a two-state solution Ð it is not relevant anymore,Ó former Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio Thursday morning.

* George Bush goes wobbly When Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C., in June 1957, his 500-word talk effused good will.

* Analyst Suspects Kadhafi Phobia in AU Summit Outcome The Ninth Ordinary Summit of the African Union is in the history books following its conclusion in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

* China Tries to Prevent Weapons in Darfur China’s special envoy to Sudan pledged Thursday that Beijing will try to prevent the weapons it sells to Sudan from being used in violence-wracked Darfur.

* Poland stays tough on EU treaty Poland has reaffirmed it will not bow to pressure from its EU partners and is set to push for a fresh debate.

* Regaining the Land of Israel Spirit: Five New Sites Planned “We have forgotten our destiny,” people are complaining – and five new Jewish settlement sites are being planned in Judea and Samaria.

* Gazans pull kids from Hamas camp Some Palestinian parents in the Gaza Strip are up in arms over Hamas summer camps which are being used to train children on the use of weapons and other military equipment.

* Russia issues new missile threat Russia has raised the idea of basing new missile forces in Kaliningrad, close to Poland and Lithuania.

* Sarkozy meets with Middle East leaders in Paris New French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his government were holding a flurry of meetings Wednesday on the Middle East, hosting King Abdullah II of Jordan and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

* Fatah and Hamas Searching for Ways to Collaborate Again Despite the complete Hamas takeover of Gaza and the Fatah suppression of Hamas in Judea and Samaria, the two Palestinian Authority terrorist organizations may be moving towards a renewed cooperation.

* EU plans tougher security checks on all entrants Millions of air passengers could be tracked across Europe under security proposals unveiled in Brussels yesterday.

* Euro skirts with record high, pound hits 26-year peak The euro climbed close to its record high against the dollar on Tuesday while the pound hit a 26-year peak against the US currency on worries over the US housing market and interest-rate differentials, dealers said.

* Syria says ready for unconditional talks with Israel Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem said Tuesday that Damascus is ready to resume unconditional peace talks with Israel, at a press conference with his Danish counterpart, Per Stig Moeller.

* No timetable set for African unity African nations failed to reach a firm timetable on steps towards a so-called United States of Africa after leaders were deeply divided over the issue at a three-day summit in Ghana.

* Rightists plan new illegal outposts Settlers prepare to establish five new illegal outposts in West Bank in response to decision to exclude Eitam hill from Gush Etzion.

* Iran heaps scorn on U.S. claim of Hezbollah in Iraq An Iranian official slammed what he called “ridiculous and false claims” from U.S. officials about the “arrest of a foreign citizen in Iraq and his relation with Iran.”

By: Yahoo News

Doctors could soon be storing essential medical information under the skin of their patients, the American Medical Association says.

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By: Johnathan Adiri – The Jerusalem Post

Amid the looming Turkish failure to preserve the secular nature of its democracy, the growing Russian regional energy dominance and recent agreements to extend a natural gas pipeline from Iran to India, it seems like global diplomacy is becoming more dictated by increased demand for cheap and efficient energy.

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By: – The Jerusalem Post

Saudi Arabia and Jordan cautioned Wednesday that a bloody conflict between Hamas and Fatah could hamper the creation of an independent Palestinian state and gives Israel an excuse not to make peace.

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