Category Archives: Top 10 News Stories

02/18/12

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* US officials believe Iran sanctions will fail, making military action likely Officials in key parts of the Obama administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear program.

* Hamas, insurgents basing SAMs in Sinai for attacks on Israel Islamic insurgents have deployed surface-to-air missiles in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula for attacks on Israel.

* Iranian warships arrive at Syrian port’ Ships from Iran’s 18th fleet cross Suez Canal, dock in Syria for second time in a year.

* Top Obama aide heads to Israel for talks on Iran US President Barack Obama’s top security aide will visit Israel for two days of talks on regional issues including Syria and Iran.

* IDF on Alert Following Attacks from Gaza Rocket and missile fire from Gaza put the IDF on high alert on Friday evening.

* U.S. drones flying over Syria to monitor crackdown The United States is flying unmanned reconnaissance planes over Syria to monitor the regime’s escalating crackdown on dissent.

* Iran claims its navy enters Mediterranean as tensions with Israel grow The claim, released through the official Iranian news agency, came at a time of growing speculation that Israel will launch airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear program.

* Assad: Conflict is ploy to divide Syria Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday blamed 11-months of turmoil in which his forces have cracked down on pro-democracy protesters as a ploy to split the country.

* Stronger budgetary surveillance laws up for agreement EU finance ministers meeting next week are set to sign off a first agreement on laws that would strongly increase Brussels’ power to instruct eurozone countries on how to spend their national budgets.

* Iraqi PM orders security review of Syrian border Iraq’s prime minister says all intelligence or tips about weapons smuggling and insurgent travel from Iraq to Syria must be investigated.

02/17/12

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* Is Israel gearing up for an attack on Iran? Israel’s motivations for a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities are obvious.

* Hamas Threatens Israel, Says it Will ‘Pay the Price’ The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, threatened Israel on Thursday and announced that the Jewish State will soon pay the price.

* Intel Official: Iranian Missiles Could Hit Nearby U.S. Targets, Europe Iran has the ability to fire missiles at U.S. targets in the Middle East and “temporarily” close a key sea transit route.

* U.S. intelligence officials: Iran not about to abandon nuclear program, but unlikely to provoke conflict The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said Thursday that Iran is not close to abandoning its nuclear program.

* Libyans still feel insecure one year after Gadhafi’s fall Libyans took to the streets on Friday to celebrate the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Muammar Gadhafi.

* Stronger budgetary surveillance laws up for agreement EU finance ministers meeting next week are set to sign off a first agreement on laws that would strongly increase Brussels’ power to instruct eurozone countries.

* Security Officials: More Attacks Coming Israeli counterterrorism officials warned Friday that Iran and its terror confederate Hizbullah are plotting more attacks on Israelis abroad.

* Bombardment of Syrian city ‘intensifies’ after UN vote One opposition group said the bombardment was the heaviest since troops launched attacks on anti-government strongholds 13 days ago.

* Israelis Refrain from Visiting Turkey as Turks Tour Israel The 18th International Mediterranean Tourism Market show in Tel Aviv included a booth which tried to encourage Israelis to visit Turkey.

* NATO to stay out of Syria, even with a UN mandate NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Western alliance had no intention of intervening in Syria.

02/16/12

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* Iran Threatens West with ‘Heavy Casualties’ Just hours after Iran announced it would be expanding centrifuge operations at the underground Fordo nuclear facility near Qoms, the Islamic Republic continued to threaten the West.

* IDF fears Syria attack as pressure builds on Assad Israel concern hones in on recent reports that Assad is using nerve gas against the new opposition.

* ‘Iran cultivating L. American ties beyond Venezuela’ Iran is cultivating relationships beyond Venezuela to make sure its toehold in Latin America stays secure.

* Time for honest audit of EU-US relations With pressure coming from every direction, the EU and the US now, more than ever, need an honest discussion about their partnership.

* ZOA: End Discrimination Against Jews On Temple Mount Now The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) this week sent a sharply critical letter to Knesset members government ministers, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, demanding that Jews have the right to “unfettered access and freedom” to pray on the Temple Mount .

* Ancient Tel Shiloh: Proud to be a National Heritage Site Although it excluded the Patriarchs’ Cave and Rachel’s Tomb from its list of national heritage sites, the Israeli government has decided to recognize Tel Shiloh.

* ‘You must sleep with a gun under your pillow’ The terror attack in New Delhi, the attempted attack in Tbilisi and the botched bombing in Bangkok over the past 24 hours have propelled Israeli diplomats abroad into a state of emergency.

* Israeli library uploads Newton’s theological texts He’s considered to be one of the greatest scientists of all time.

* Putin Wants To Win Presidency On The First Ballot Russian presidential aspirant Vladimir Putin has confronted a dilemma: Should he seek a victory on the first ballot, or should he defer victory and win in a runoff on the 2nd ballot?

* ‘Egypt to hold presidential poll in May’ Egypt’s first presidential election since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown a year ago will be held by late May.

02/15/12

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* ZOA: Jews Cannot and Will Not Remain Silent The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) issued a press release on February 13, imploring the Israeli government to stop police and Muslim Wakf discrimination against Jews on the Temple Mount.

* FM: Israel knows how to handle Iranian threat Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday met with the Croatia’s President Ivo Josipovic and Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic.

* State Dept.: Russia and Iran still arming Bashar al-Assad Russia and Iran are continuing to send arms to the Syrian regime that can be used against protesters.

* PA ‘Double Talk’: Song Wishes for a World Without Israel Twice in the past two weeks, official Palestinian Authority TV has broadcast a song which expresses longing for a world without Israel.

* Nuking our Nukes President Obama has ordered the Pentagon to consider cutting U.S. strategic nuclear forces to as low as 300 deployed warheads.

* Mormons baptise parents of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal The Mormon Church has apologised for posthumously baptising the parents of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal.

* 500m children ‘at risk of effects of malnutrition’ Half a billion children could grow up physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years because they do not have enough to eat.

* Eurozone states want Greece out, says Venizelos Some eurozone countries no longer want Greece in the bloc, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said.

* Video: Assad Blows Up Oil Pipeline; Children Starving The brutal bombardment of Homs Wednesday became even more unbelievable as an oil pipeline was blown up and hungry family scavanged for food.

* After Five Years Of Self Imposed Exile Tony Blair May Be Back Don’t look now, but Tony Blair may be on the verge of a political comeback.

02/14/12

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* Israel blames Iran for Bangkok blasts An Iranian man was critically injured by his own bomb in a series of blasts, raising fears he and two countrymen accomplices had planned an attack.

* ‘Iran, Hezbollah seeking to harm Israelis globally’ Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday accused Iran and Hezbollah of carrying out Monday’s terror attacks in India and Georgia.

* Israeli attack on Iran would be complex operation If Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, the strike would probably take the form of a complex air assault.

* Muslim Brotherhood Warns U.S. Aid Cut May Affect Egypt’s Peace Treaty With Israel A top Muslim Brotherhood official has warned that any cuts in U.S. aid to Egypt could affect Cairo’s peace treaty with Israel.

* USS Abraham Lincoln in Strait of Hormuz voyage The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, close to the coast of Iran, for the second time in recent weeks.

* The Israel Project: ‘American Hispanics are the most hostile toward Israel’ Americans of Hispanic origin, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, are relatively hostile towards Israel.

* Ahmadinejad’s Iran is the new best friend of Israeli settlers The red-bordered headline on Israel’s weekend newsstands was as jarring for its calm, consumer-guide choice of wording as for the subject matter, which was, in essence, a countdown to Armageddon.

* Newsweek: Israel keeping U.S. in the dark on Iran attack Mossad head Tamir Pardo’s visit to Washington around two weeks ago was meant to evaluate how the United States would react if Israel decided to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities on its own.

* EU countries want UN peacekeepers in Syria Libya-type military strikes in Syria are still “out of the question,” but France, Italy and the UK have backed a call to send in UN peacekeepers.

* Barroso to China: EU is not falling apart European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has told the Chinese public that the EU is going to become a fully-fledged “political union” after the financial crisis.

02/13/12

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* Car bombs target Israel envoys in India and Georgia Bombers have targeted staff at Israeli embassies in India and Georgia, officials say, with Israel accusing Iran of masterminding the attacks.
* Arab Spring: EU influence at risk Egypt on Saturday marked the first anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak, with crowds blocking the streets of Cairo and demanding that the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces delivers on its promise to transfer power to civilian rule.
* Al-Qaida calls on Muslim world to support Assad opposition forces New video of terror group’s chief Ayman al-Zawahri urging the ouster of Syria’s ‘cancerous regime’ follows report of al-Qaida links to recent series of bombings in the country.
* Iran Offers Aid to Palestinian Authority to Defeat Israel Iran tells Gaza’s Hamas leader Haniyeh it is offering “scientific and technological experience” to the PA for a “victory” over Israel.
* Krauthammer: Israel Will Not Tolerate Threats of Annihilation Krauthammer: “Israel was established to prevent a second Holocaust, not to invite one”; says strike on Iran is inevitable.
* Haniyeh: No compromise, only armed resistance Hamas PM wraps up Iran visit, saying the “gun is our only response” and that “the path of resistance continues.”
* Saudi writer may face trial over Muhammad tweets Hamza Kashgari’s comments seen as blasphemy in homeland; deported by Malaysia 4 days after fleeing death threats.
* eBay sale of ‘Western Wall stones’ prompts outcry in Jewish world Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich lodges official police complaint over the fraudulent sale, calls any use of Kotel stones a violation of both religious and modern law.
* Copts Protest Eviction of Christians from Shabrat Hundreds of Coptic Christians staged a protest at Egypt’s parliament after 8 Copt families were forcibly evicted from Shabrat

02/11/12

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* ‘Idol’ of Holocaust underpinning Israel is smashed: Iran Iran has broken the “idol” of the Holocaust underpinning the creation of the Israeli state and US hegemony.

* ‘Egypt seizes Gaza-bound anti-aircraft missiles’ Security forces intercept weapons cache in northern Sinai believed to be slated for smuggling into Strip.

* Syrian Armored Forces Move Nearer to Israel According to reports from the Free Syria Army, the Syrian military has moved forces stationed in the southern part of the Syrian Golan Heights closer to Israel.

* Lebanon fears Syria uprising may spill across border The recent clashes that have raged in northern Lebanon have raised concerns that the 11-month unrest in Syria might spill over into its smaller neighbor.

* Hamas Will ‘Never Recognize Israel’ Gaza de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, says the terrorist group will “never recognize Israel” and “the resistance will continue.”

* Vatican besieged by leaks, conspiracies The Vatican is being besieged by near-daily leaks of confidential documents and tabloid-style reports.

* Iran to unveil ‘great nuclear achievements’ Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, says “great” nuclear achievements will be announced in the next few days.

* Syrian military hospital chief ‘killed in Damascus’ The head of a Syrian military hospital has been killed by members of an “armed terrorist group” in the capital Damascus, the state news agency says.

* Al-Qaida behind recent terror attacks in Syria Al-Qaida’s branch in Iraq carried out two recent terrorist attacks in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

* PA rejects Israeli incentive package The Palestinian Authority has recently rejected an Israeli “incentive package” meant to encourage the PA’s return to the negotiating table.

02/10/12

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* Anonymous threatens cyber crusade against Israel International hacker group Anonymous released a video on YouTube overnight Thursday threatening to launch a crusade against the Israeli government, who it accused of committing “crimes against humanity.”

* Egyptians rally against military rulers outside ministry Thousands rallied outside Egypt’s defence ministry on Friday demanding the military rulers’ ouster on the eve of a planned civil disobedience .

* Turkey FM: Israeli military strike on Iran would be a disaster Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday that an Israeli strike on Iran would be disastrous and should not be an option.

* Lieberman: Abbas poses obstacle to peace Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman met with 15 UN ambassadors from across the world in New York on Thursday.

* Turks torpedo Israel Navy participation in NATO op Turkey has torpedoed an Israeli plan to contribute an Israel Navy missile ship to a NATO mission in the Mediterranean Sea.

* 44% of Americans support strike against Iran Americans are more likely than Europeans or Middle Easterners to support a strike against Iran.

* Russia accuses West of arming Syrian rebels Without specifying which nations he is accusing, Moscow’s deputy FM says Western countries are arming and advising rebels.

* The Pope will die within a year: Vatican ‘assassination fears’ revealed The Pope will die within the next 12 months, a senior Vatican figure has reportedly claimed amid fears of an assassination plot.

* Somalia’s Al Shaba’ab Officially Joins Al Qaeda Somalia’s Shaba’ab has officially joined the international Al Qaeda terrorist organization.

* Tensions flare in Athens ahead of austerity vote Anti-austerity protesters threw rocks and petrol bombs at police on Friday (10 february) in Syntagma Square outside parliament.

02/09/12

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* ‘Iran must attack Israel by 2014’ Khamenei strategist releases document providing legal, religious justification for annihilation of Jewish people.

* U.S. military beginning review of Syria options Although the U.S. focus remains on exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on Syria, the Pentagon and the U.S. Central Command have begun a preliminary internal review of U.S. military capabilities.

* US Forces Assassinate Al Qaeda Chief in Pakistan US forces have assassinated an Al Qaeda terrorist chief in a targeted air strike in Pakistan.

* Hizbullah for first time announces Iran as sole source of funding, arms Hizbullah has asserted that its only means of financial and military support stem from Iran.

* Anti-Semitism in the Presbyterian Church Church’s Facebook page includes anti-Israel, anti-Semitic content; accusing Jews of controlling politics, media; causing economic crisis.

* Iran sends toy drone to Obama An Iranian toy company is sending a pink replica of a US spy plane captured in December to US President Barack Obama.

* Assad forces mull use of chemical weapons in Homs, opposition says Syria’s military has begun stockpiling chemical weapons and equipping its soldiers with gas masks near the city of Homs.

* Syrian Armored Forces Move Nearer to Israel The Syrian Army moved forces stationed in the Golan Heights and they are now closer to Israel.

* Israel hopes world rejects Palestinian unity gov’t Amid continuing uncertainty regarding what the Doha agreement between Fatah and Hamas actually means, Israel is stepping up its demand that the international community not accept an unreformed Hamas as part of the Palestinian Authority government.

* US Officials Say Israel Backing ‘Terrorists’ US officials say deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident armed, funded and trained by the Mossad.

02/08/12

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* Iran: US, Israel vulnerable to counterattack Senior Revolutionary Guard official vows Iran will pursue its objectives without considering US policy of “carrot and stick.”

* Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike? Foreign embassies in Israel have recently started to formulate contingency plans to evacuate their citizens from the Jewish State in case of a missile attack on Israel.

* Seeking refuge in fortress Lebanon Pictures on opposition websites show Free Syrian Army soldiers crossing a stream separating their country from northern Lebanon.

* Hamas’s Gaza-based leadership challenges Palestinian unity deal Hamas’s Gaza-based leadership challenged on Wednesday a Palestinian reconciliation deal signed by the Islamist group’s political chief in exile.

* Is Bold Alligator Eyeing Tehran? Diplomatic sources say Iran is accelerating uranium enrichment as the United States and eight other countries stage a major amphibious exercise against a fictional nation that looks suspiciously like Iran.

* A-Jad in Tehran’s Hot Seat Iran’s palriament on Tuesday announced it would summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questioning over a long list of alleged policy failures.

* NASA Tutorial: ‘Capital of Israel is Tel Aviv’ The United States was the first to put a man on the moon — but apparently its space agency is unable to figure out where the capital of Israel is on Earth.

* America and Eurasia ‘to meet at north pole’ America and Eurasia will crash into each other over the north pole in 50-200 million years time, according to scientists at Yale University.

* UN Human Rights Chief: ‘End Killing in Syria Now’ The head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Navi Pillay, has called on the international community to “take effective action” to stop the killing in Syria.

* EU concerned about potential instability in Jordan With all eyes on violence in Syria, some EU countries are becoming increasingly concerned about the risk of instability in Jordan.