Lebanese Christian leader killed Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Maronite Christian leader, has been killed in the capital, Beirut.

Scores of bodies found in Iraq Iraq’s defence minister has declared that the country is in a “state of war.”

Iraq and Syria restore relations Syria and Iraq are to restore diplomatic relations, after a break of more than 20 years.

Boost global role and forget constitution, Soros urges EU US billionaire financier and liberal political activist George Soros has said the EU should “shelve” its planned constitution.

China and India ink prosperity deal The leaders of China and India have signed a 10-point socio-economic development plan.

Ethiopians celebrate under shadow of discrimination Tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews arrived in Jerusalem on Monday to celebrate the Sigd holiday.

Peace Now report targets settlements Forty percent of all West Bank settlements were built on private Palestinian land and are therefore illegal, a settlement watchdog group said Tuesday.

United States ‘trapped’ in Iraq: Annan US forces are trapped in Iraq, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.

U.N. Says 39.5 Million People Have HIV The global HIV epidemic is growing, leaving an estimated 39.5 million people worldwide infected with the deadly virus, the United Nations said.

Poll: 93% of Israelis worry about terror Ninety-three percent of Israelis see terrorism as a major problem.

Ahmadinejad: ‘Zionist regime is weak’ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Israel would not attack the Islamic Republic as “its regime is weak and it has many problems.”

Stay in Iraq, says Pentagon panel A US military review of strategy in Iraq is likely to back a limited troop increase focused on training.

Kissinger: Iraq Military Win Impossible Military victory is no longer possible in Iraq, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in a television interview broadcast Sunday.

Report: Israeli spies active in Iran Iran has developed and tested a trigger device for a nuclear bomb, Israeli agents stationed there have told the White House.

Syria on the Move in Lebanon and Iraq Syrian-backed Hizbullah may be poised to stage a revolution in Lebanon.

Chinese leader begins India visit China’s president, Hu Jintao, has arrived in India for the first visit by a Chinese head of state in 10 years.

PM Blair warns of long fight against Taliban Tony Blair today described the battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan as a “generation-long struggle”.

Italian Premier Prodi heads to Eygpt, Italy joins push for peace Italian Premier Romano Prodi is heading to Cairo today for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarark.

EU raises the pressure on Turkey The Finnish EU presidency has raised the political stakes in the faltering EU-Turkey talks.

Poll: Tradition holding Jews together A survey by Market Watch carried out among a representative sample of the Israeli public shows that two thirds of the public believe that there exists a common denominator between Jews in the Diaspora and Jews in Israel.

Palestinian negotiator: Hamas-led gov’t will resign The Hamas-controlled Palestinian government will resign within two or three days to make way for a new unity government.

Tens of Thousands Ascend to Hevron to Relive Biblical History Tens of Thousands of Jews will ascend to Hevron for the annual reading of Chayei Sarah.

Israel dismisses Spanish peace plan Israel dismissed reports Thursday that Spain, France and Italy are preparing a new Middle East peace initiative.

China’s Hu set to offer Pakistan nuclear plants Chinese President Hu Jintao is poised to unveil an ambitious expansion of nuclear power cooperation with Pakistan when he visits next week.

Lebanese confirm arms flow to Hizbullah Lebanese civilians close to the border with Syria told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that weapons for Hizbullah were being brought in by the truckload at night.

Oil Sinks $2.50 for Lowest Level in Year The price of oil sank by more than $2 a barrel Thursday, settling at its lowest level in a year as traders focused on the bearish aspects of conflicting market trends.

Wanted: man to land on killer asteroid and gently nudge it from path to Earth It is the stuff of nightmares and, until now, Hollywood thrillers. A huge asteroid is on a catastrophic collision course with Earth and mankind is poised to go the way of the dinosaurs.

Rice: U.S. Concerned About Rising China The United States has some concerns about a rising China, including a military expansion that may be excessive.

Sudan accepts UN ‘help’ in Darfur Sudan’s president has said he welcomes the United Nations’ support for the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

Bush draws Vietnam lesson for Iraq: don’t quit US President George W. Bush, making his first visit to Vietnam, said that one lesson of the bloody US military defeat here a generation ago was that the United States must be patient in Iraq.

By: Hillel Fendel – Arutz Sheva

In his first interview since retiring as Head of IDF Intelligence, Gen. Ze’evi says stability is not foreseen in the PA, Al-Qaeda is down but working hard to rise, and Iran can and must be stopped.

Speaking with Aharon Ze’evi-Farkash on behalf of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and the Shalom Toronto newspaper, Yonatan D. HaLevy reports that the retired Major-General sees increasing threats against Israel from an increasingly radicalized Islamic Middle East.

Read more…

Spain, France and Italy promote new peace initiative Spain will sponsor a new Middle East peace initiative along with France and Italy.

‘Nuclear programme in its final stages’ Iran’s president said on Thursday his country was about to take the “final step” in its nuclear program.

Iraq government in crisis after employees tortured Many of the hostages seized in a daylight raid on a government building in Baghdad were tortured and some killed.

EU Parliament: Send international force to Gaza The European Parliament on Thursday expressed overwhelming support for sending international peacekeepers to Gaza.

Ex-Intelligence Chief Sees No Political Solution in Gaza In his first interview since retiring as Head of IDF Intelligence, Gen. Ze’evi says stability is not foreseen in the PA.

Megapastor Rick Warren blasts Iraq war, praises Syria California mega-church pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling “Purpose-Driven Life,” reportedly told a Syrian-controlled news agency the U.S. should have been holding dialogues with Damascus.

Ayalon: We’ll build Bush institute in Israel In an unusual display of appreciation, US President George W. Bush invited outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the United States Daniel Ayalon to privately bid farewell at the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Al-Jazeera English hits airwaves Doha, Qatar newsroom of al-Jazeera International The Arabic television news channel al-Jazeera has launched its new English-language station.

Palestinian FM: Iran donated $120M to Hamas-led government Iran has donated $120 million to the Palestinian Hamas-led government and has said it is ready to give more.

Annan presents Darfur force plan UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has opened a conference on the crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region with a new plan for the peacekeeping force there.

Iranian paper: Great war to wipe out Israel coming Iranian newspapers Kehyan and and Resalat have urged Muslims around the world to prepare for a ‘great war’ to destroy the State of Israel.

Gaza rocket kills woman, Israel vows to retaliate Iran’s An Israeli woman was killed by Palestinian rocket fire from Gaza Wednesday.

Bush Visits Putin on Way to Asia President Bush tended to the sometimes frosty Washington-Moscow relationship Wednesday by paying a quick call on President Vladimir Putin.

Mubarak meets Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Hosni Mubarak, his Egyptian counterpart, have discussed the proposed new Palestinian government and possible peace talks with Israel.

Lebanese cleric: Nasrallah eyeing presidency Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Jozo is concerned over the recent political developments in his country.

Blair: ME strategy starts with Israel The war on “global terrorism” will be won by the West only when there is peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Rice snub for Iran and Syria Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has said she opposes the idea of including Iran and Syria in talks to curb the violence in Iraq.

India and Pakistan agree on security, not Kashmir India and Pakistan agreed today to set up a three-member panel to share intelligence to help combat terrorism.

Report: 700 Somalis aided Hizbullah A recent UN report revealed that over 700 Somali combatants aided Hizbullah during the recent war in Lebanon.

More Calls to Conquer Large Parts of Gaza Ex-Gaza Division Commander: short-term offensives against Gazan terrorists are ineffective.

Peggy Cidor, The Jerusalem Post

In a recently released survey conducted for the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies (JIIS) in early January 2006, 77 per cent of the adult Jewish population in Israel agreed with the statement that “The State of Israel’s national resilience is linked to the resilience of its capital city.”

That, notes co-author Maya Choshen (together with Israel Kimhi and Yair Assaf-Shapira) is the good news.

And now for the bad news.

According to monitoring by the JIIS, “recent years have witnessed the intensification of processes which threaten to impair the city’s resilience and there is a real reason to fear for Jerusalem’s ability to weather the difficulties facing it.”

Read more…

Diskin: Gov’t must prepare for large-scale Gaza operation Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that Israel’s government must prepare for a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Iraq neighbours told to mend ways Iran’s The US and UK governments have indicated there will be no softening of their stances on Iran and Syria despite calls for their help to stabilise Iraq.

Ahmadinejad says celebrations near Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday said Iran would soon celebrate the completion of its controversial nuclear fuel program.

Hamas: No recognition of Israel A future Palestinian national unity government will not agree to demands that it recognise Israel.

Jumblatt: Democrat win paves way for Mideast chaos The Democrat’s midterm election victories last week and the subsequent resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent a message of American weakness to Syria that will likely result in “instability and chaos” in Lebanon.

Gunmen seize 100 at Iraq ministry Gunmen in military-style uniforms have kidnapped more than 100 men from a research institute belonging to Iraq’s higher education ministry.

Netanyahu: It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany; Ahmadinejad is preparing another Holocaust Drawing a direct analogy between Iran and Nazi Germany, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu asserted Monday that the Iranian nuclear program posed a threat not only to Israel, but to the entire western world.

S. Africa Parliament OKs Gay Marriages The South African parliament on Tuesday approved new legislation recognizing gay marriages.

Bush to Olmert: No international peace convention The Olmert-Bush summit which took place in the White House Monday failed to provide any real news.

EU downbeat on chances to salvage Turkey talks EU foreign ministers have given a downbeat assessment on the chances of keeping Turkey’s accession talks on track.