Palestinian FM: Israel is an abomination that will disappear Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas said Friday that Israel is an abomination in the Middle East that will some day disappear.

Geologist: Earth has lots and lots of oil A University of Washington economic geologist says there is lots of crude oil left for human use.

Rice says North Korea seeks to escalate crisis Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cast doubt on Saturday on reports North Korea had pledged to stop nuclear tests, saying it seemed bent instead on escalating the crisis.

Israel must prepare for Iran to push the button Iranian president said earlier there is no reason for Israel “the greatest insult to human dignity” to exist and it would soon disappear.

Egypt’s Mubarak blames Muslims for faith’s bad image Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak questioned on Thursday whether Muslims had done enough to change the West’s “wrong perceptions” about Islam, which he said was under “ferocious attack”.

Bush consults top Iraq generals US President George W Bush is holding a video conference with his senior generals in Iraq to discuss the escalating violence there.

UK a prime target for al-Qaida cells Al-Qaida has become much more sophisticated and organized and the UK is the terror organization’s prime target according to British counter-terrorism experts.

Calm returns to southern Iraqi city Calm has returned to the southern Iraqi city of Amara after two days of violent clashes between government security forces and Shia fighters

Four killed at Baghdad mosque Four people were killed when a bomber blew himself up outside Baghdad’s Baratha mosque, one of the city’s most important Shia sites and a frequent target of attacks.

Yesha Council Negotiations Bringing Internal Debate to Surface Reports of a secret meeting between the Yesha Council’s Ze’ev (“Zambish”) Hever and Defense Minister Amir Peretz have reawakened the debate within Judea and Samaria regarding the council’s actions.

Iran warns of revenge over Israel Iran’s president has warned that Muslims around the world will take revenge on states who supported Israel against the Palestinians.

Olmert: Palestinian moment of truth near Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on the way back from Moscow Thursday that the moment of truth for the Palestinians is closer than ever.

IDF officials: Full-scale Gaza op needed In order to fight comprehensively against the smuggling of weapons into the Palestinian territories, Israel needs to embark on a full-scale operation in the Gaza Strip.

Tens of thousands pray at Jerusalem mosque Tens of thousands of Muslims prayed at the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan amid a heavy Israeli police presence to prevent any disturbances.

Fatah gunmen fire on Ismail Haniyeh’s motorcade in Gaza Disgruntled relatives of a Fatah activist killed in recent fighting with Hamas fired at Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s motorcade as it drove through Gaza on Friday.

Darfur call by genocide survivors Genocide survivors are urging the European Union to do far more to help end the violence in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Hamas and Fatah agree to end clashes Fatah and Hamas officials have agreed to take steps to end violence between the two rival Palestinian movements which has raised fears of civil war.

Russian, European Leaders Hold Informal Summit Russian and European leaders are meeting in Finland Friday for an informal summit at a time when a number of issues – including energy and Russian-Georgian tensions – cloud relations between the two sides.

Shiite militia pushes for control of Iraqi city Iraqi authorities are deploying more troops and senior security officials to Amarah where at least 16 people have been killed and a notorious Shiite militia is said to have seized the restive southern city.

N Korea ‘not planning more tests’ North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il told a visiting Chinese envoy the North had no plans to conduct more nuclear tests.

China pressures N Korean leader A Chinese envoy has met North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, according to Chinese officials

Brussels to defend ‘core’ of EU constitution in treaty talks The European Commission is starting to take a position in the expected re-negotiations of the EU constitution.

PM raises energy issue in Moscow Israel imports 90 percent of the approximately 250,000 barrels of oil it uses daily from former Soviet Union countries via tankers.

Haredim: J’lem gay parade may lead to another war Thousands of ultra-Orthodox protested at Jerusalem’s Sabbath Square Wednesday against the holding of the 2006 Gay Pride Parade in the city.

Charles Darwin’s works go online The complete works of one of history’s greatest scientists, Charles Darwin, are being published online.

Analysis: Abbas’s growing predicament Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s efforts to replace the Hamas-led government suffered a major setback this week.

UK ‘number one al-Qaeda target’ Al-Qaeda has become more organised and sophisticated and has made Britain its top target.

Settlers vow tough struggle Yesha leaders are holding contacts for the peaceful evacuation of ten illegal outposts but extreme right wing activists have other plans.

Ethiopia says military in Somalia Ethiopia’s prime minister has for the first time admitted to having soldiers inside Somalia.

Beast in sediment is photo winner A picture that took nine years to obtain and was almost deleted at the last minute has won the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

Michael Freund, THE JERUSALEM POST

The warning signs are everywhere, yet no one wishes to see them. Israel’s foes are gearing up for war, and it’s time that we opened our eyes to the danger that confronts us.

The conflict may be just weeks or even months away, or perhaps a bit longer. How it will start is anyone’s guess, but make no mistake, a major outbreak of hostilities is almost certainly around the corner.

Read more….

By: Elliot Jager, THE JERUSALEM POST

Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, ends next Monday at sunset with the festival of Id al-Fitr. Muslims worldwide have been marking the “handing down” of the Koran through obligatory daytime fasting.

These last days of the month are filled with heightened religious significance making it – for Islamists – a fine time for “martyring.”

Read more….

PM to Putin: Help resolve Iran crisis Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Wednesday that Russia should use its influence to help resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program.

US stands firm over NK sanctions Japan and the US have pledged to work together to implement UN sanctions on North Korea.

Rice Tries to Head Off Nuclear Arms Race North Korea’s nuclear test could set off an atomic arms race in Asia.

Bush Sets Defense As Space Priority President Bush has signed a new National Space Policy that rejects future arms-control agreements that might limit U.S. flexibility in space.

Iraqi official to hold talks in Jordan Tariq al-Hashimi, Iraq’s vice president, arrived in Amman on Tuesday for talks with Jordanian officials that will focus on Iraqi security developments and bilateral ties.

Sharansky’s formula As Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left for Russia yesterday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and other officials.

EU picks birthday logo saying countries are ‘together’ A young Polish designer has won the logo design competition for the EU’s 50 year anniversary celebrations.

Rabbis tout Jewish option to courts A group of leading religious Zionist rabbis and experts in Jewish law met in Jerusalem Tuesday evening for the official launch of a chain of rabbinic courts that aspires to replace the civil court system.

Iraq reconciliation conference date set A much-anticipated conference aimed at stemming the cycle of sectarian violence in Iraq will take place on November 4.

Ramadan realities Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, ends next Monday at sunset with the festival of Id al-Fitr.

Ahmadinejad: God told me we would win Iranian president says he has been in touch with God, who reassured him Tehran victory against West is guaranteed.

EU to celebrate subdued 50th birthday party The EU has ditched plans to hold big-style celebrations for its 50th anniversary next year.

Hamas: Israel’s tanks will be destroyed The military wing of Hamas announced Monday evening that it had completed its preparations towards a possible all-out conflict with Israel.

PM hopes for sympathetic ear in Russia Prime Minister Ehud Olmert traveled to Moscow Tuesday for three days of talks.

N Korea condemns ‘war’ threats North Korea has said that a United Nations resolution imposing new sanctions on the country following its nuclear test amounts to a declaration of war.

Bush praises US Muslims for working to defeat terrorism President George W. Bush welcomed Muslims living in the United States and from Islamic nations that are helping in the war on terror to an iftar meal.

U.S. population now 300 million and growing At 7:46 ET Tuesday morning, the United States became a nation of 300 million people.

Amateur ‘video bloggers’ under threat from EU broadcast rules The Government is seeking to prevent an EU directive that could extend broadcasting regulations to the internet, hitting popular video-sharing websites such as YouTube.

PA Survey Shows: Peace Still Far Off A poll carried out in the Palestinian Authority by the Al-Mustaqabal Research Institute shows that nearly 2/3 of PA Arabs object to normalized relations with Israel.

Mubarak-Assad meeting in cards Syrian President Bashar Assad and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are set to meet in the coming days.

Islamic State of Iraq Has Been Proclaimed According to Islamic Web sites, the newly formed alliance Hilf Al-Mutayibeen that includes many of the fighting groups in Iraq has announced that an Islamic State has been declared in many parts of Iraq.

Moscow tells Israel it will tighten its export controls on weapons Moscow has told Israel that it intends to tighten its export controls on arms.

Israel to up its offensive in Gaza Israel warned Sunday it would step up its offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 22 people in recent days, with the aim of stopping rocket fire and arms trafficking from Egypt.

Pyongyang and the ‘p’ word Now that North Korea has apparently brought its nuclear weapons program out in the open, all sorts of forbidding rhetoric and scenarios are being offered about what it might do with its nuclear weapons.

China in rural birth control bid China is to bring in new financial incentives to encourage people in rural areas to have fewer children in another bid to control its rising population.

Turks and Serbs face EU scrutiny Turkey’s and Serbia’s unsteady progress towards joining the EU is to come under scrutiny at meetings in Luxembourg.

Saddam verdict expected within 3 weeks A verdict against Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants charged in connection with an anti-Shiite crackdown in the 1980s will be issued by early next month.

Descendants of King David plan Israel reunion An international foundation is seeking to gather Jewish descendants of King David, the second biblical king of Israel, for a reunion next year in Jerusalem aimed at fostering Jewish unity.

2nd warning for Muslims to leave U.S. before attack Another Pakistani journalist is reporting receiving another threat – this one from a senior Taliban leader – warning all Muslims to leave the U.S. in anticipation of a major terrorist attack before the end of Ramadan.

Minaret that can’t rise above politics Plans for a 130ft tower on the holiest site of two religions will have to overcome some big problems.

Hundreds of Palestinians riot over Temple Mount restrictions Hundreds of Palestinians rioted outside Jerusalem on Friday morning to protest restrictions on Palestinian entry to the Temple Mount for Friday prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Lebanon: We’ll shoot Israeli planes Lebanon’s Defense Minister Elias Murr said that four divisions of the Lebanese Army have been deployed along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Hamas may send operatives to Iran Hamas representatives were in Teheran on Thursday discussing the possibility of training its operatives in Iran.

Ahmadinejad: Palestine is the Front Line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Thursday, “Palestine is the front line of the Islamic nations in their struggle against the aggressive superpowers.”

Seoul, Beijing debate NK sanctions Presidents of China and South Korea met Friday to discuss possible sanctions against North Korea for its claimed nuclear test.

UN pulls staff out of Somalia The United Nations has pulled out its international staff from parts of Somalia controlled by Islamic fighters.

America’s Iran-Watchers Flock to Dubai A handful of U.S. diplomats here on Iran’s doorstep have quietly opened a diplomatic mission to monitor the Islamic republic and reach out to its people despite a three-decade-old freeze in formal relations.

Mishaal speaks out on Israel Hamas sees no political gain in recognising Israel and will resist doing so despite sanctions imposed on the Palestinian government.

Over 35,000 Christians have fled Iraq More than 35,000 Iraqi Christians have fled to Syria to escape the violence in their country.

UK army chief pleads for Iraq pullout The chief of Britain’s army says that the presence of British troops in Iraq is exacerbating the security situation on the ground.

Mashaal okays state with 1967 borders Hamas politburo leader Khaled Mashaal reiterated Wednesday that his group would not recognize Israel.

US General: Strikes on Iran possible by 2007 Is it possible to halt Iran’s nuclear program by military means? For years, this question has been asked by Israeli and US military officials.

Israel won’t seek military solution for Iran nuclear crisis Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday said Israel supports efforts in the UN Security council to impose sanctions on Iran to punish Teheran for its defiance in pursuing a nuclear program.

Germany plans to revive EU treaty German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her government will be “very ambitious” in trying to revive the European Union constitution in 2007.

Poll: Support sinks for trading Golan The recent bellicose declarations by Syrian President Bashar Assad were heard much more loudly by the Israeli Jewish ear than his statements calling for peace.

Iraqi MPs approve federalism Iraq’s parliament has approved a law that sets out the mechanics of forming federal regions.

General: Iran sending millions to Iraq’s Mahdi fighters Iran has transferred millions of dollars as well as weapons and expertise to Iraq’s Mahdi Army.

Jordan plans new Temple Mt. minaret Israel has not objected to Jordanian plans to construct a fifth minaret on the Temple Mount, and the Hashemite Kingdom is pressing ahead with plans to do so early next year.

Syria rejects Peres’ invitation for Bashar Assad to visit Jerusalem Syria on Thursday rejected Vice Premier Shimon Peres’ invitation for President Bashar Assad to visit Jerusalem.

Russia ‘not neutral’ in Black Sea conflict, EU says Russia’s actions in the Georgia spy row have damaged its credibility as a neutral peacekeeper in the EU’s Black Sea neighbourhood.