Category Archives: Top 10 News Stories

09/12/11

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* Was Iran behind 9/11? US lawsuit charges that Iran, Hezbollah involved in facilitation of September 11 attacks.

* Doomsday weapon: Israel’s submarines Rare glimpse into Israel’s doomsday weapon – the submarine fleet

* Turkish Navy sending 3 warships to eastern Mediterranean Erdogan: Gaza flotilla raid was grounds for war.

* Cheney: Israel would attack to prevent nuclear Iran Former US vice president says he believes Israelis will “do whatever they have to do to guarantee their survival and their security”.

* UN nuclear chief increasingly concerned about Iran “Iran not providing necessary cooperation to provide credible assurance about absence of undeclared nuclear material,” says Yukiya Amano.

* French JDL recruiting Jews with military experience to defend Israeli settlements Rightist group, founded by late Rabbi Meir Kahane, is bringing volunteers to counter Palestinian marches on settlements planned for week of September 20.

* Polls show EU support for Palestinian bid A strong majority of people in three large EU countries – France, Germany and the UK – have said their governments should vote in favour of Palestine’s UN bid.

* Jordan king: Palestinians have more secure future than Israel King Abdullah II tells authors and academics in Amman that Jordan will never serve as substitute Palestinian homeland.

* Global stock markets down on debt fears as euro falls US shares have opened down, following falls in European and Asian markets on fears that Greece may default.

* World Bank report warns Palestinians headed for acute fiscal crisis Report lauds Palestinian government for efforts to create a foundation for statehood, saying “Palestinian public institutions compare favorably with other countries in the region”.

09/10/11

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* Egypt on alert after Israel embassy stormed in Cairo Egypt has declared a state of alert after protests on the streets of Cairo, following the storming of the Israeli embassy on Friday night.

* Clinton: Al-Qaeda behind threat to US US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday said that al-Qaeda was behind a specific, credible but unconfirmed report of a threat to harm Americans.

* Arab League chief in Syria for talks with Assad Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby arrived in Syria on Saturday for talks with President Bashar Assad.

* Tony Blair denies military action ‘radicalised’ Muslims Tony Blair has denied that military intervention in the Middle East has radicalised Muslims and encouraged them to engage in acts of terrorism.

* Group of five calls for EU military headquarters Five of the biggest EU countries have tasked foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton with making plans for an EU military command centre despite British objections.

* Beijing stays aloof of Arab Spring – for now China’s traditional foreign policy of staying aloof of other countries’ internal affairs is being sorely tested in the turmoil of the Arab Spring.

* Post 9/11 Europe: ‘safer’ but less free Ten years after the fall of New York’s twin towers and four months after the death of Osama Bin Laden, Europe is said to be ‘safer’ – but in return, private data is scrutinised.

* U.S. and Turkey launch new effort to combat global terrorism The United States and Turkey are launching a new effort to combat terrorism.

* Egypt PM offers to resign over protests Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has offered to resign Saturday along with his cabinet ministers over the failed handling of Friday’s protests in Cairo.

* Libya conflict: Gaddafi forces resist Bani Walid attack Pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya have been putting up fierce resistance in Bani Walid, one of four towns still controlled by loyalist fighters.

09/09/11

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* 9/11: Clinton says Al-Qaeda behind New York threat The US secretary of state has warned that al-Qaeda is behind a credible threat to Americans in the run-up to the anniversary of 9/11.

* Egyptians demolish Israel embassy wall Hundreds of Egyptian activists on Friday demolished parts of the wall erected around a building housing the Israeli embassy in Cairo to protect it against demonstrators.

* Israel Seeks to Calm Tensions With Turkey Israel was wrestling on Friday with growing tensions with Turkey after the Turkish prime minister threatened to use his navy to accompany aid flotillas to Gaza.

* Post 9/11 Europe: ‘safer’ but less free Ten years after the fall of New York’s twin towers and four months after the death of Osama Bin Laden, Europe is said to be ‘safer’ – but in return, private data is scrutinised by a multitude of counter-terrorism programmes.

* Blair: Palestinian UN statehood bid is unilateral cry of frustration A Palestinian bid for greater recognition at the United Nations this month would be a cry of frustration.

* Bank shares lead falls on US and European stock markets Sharp falls in banking shares have led US and European stock markets lower as concerns continue about the strength of the world economy.

* Supercomputer predicts revolution Feeding a supercomputer with news stories could help predict major world events, according to US research.

* Is Syria slipping out of the grasp of its rulers? I argued in May that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would probably survive, but new pressures, from within and without, are taking the country one step closer to the tipping point.

* World Entering ‘Dangerous New Phase’: Lagarde Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, warned that the global economy is entering a “dangerous new phase”.

* Harper Wants to Reinstate Anti-terror Legislation The 10th anniversary of 9/11 will understandably feature Americans, but another North American statesman, Canadian Premier Stephen Harper, will be a major participant both in the United States and in practical terms in Canada as well.

09/08/11

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* US confirms it will veto Palestinian statehood bid The US will veto a Palestinian request for state recognition if it is submitted to the UN Security Council later this month.

* ICC Seeks Red Notice for Qaddafi With Muammar Qaddafi’s nowhere to be found, the International Criminal Court (ICC) asked Interpol Thursday to issue Red Notice arrest warrants for the fugitive Libyan leader.

* Israel on alert over Turkey plans to send ships to Gaza Strip Israel is concerned that Turkey plans a naval confrontation in the eastern Mediterranean.

* General concerned new Arab populist leaders will spark ‘all-out war’ Israel’s military envisions the prospect of a regional war in 2012 that could include such countries as Egypt and Turkey.

* Mossad Hacked? hacker or hackers fabricated certificates for Israel’s intelligence service, Mossad, the CIA, and Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, and other sites such as AOL and Microsoft.

* Brussels: ‘No one can leave the euro’ The European Commission on Thursday (8 September) insisted that no member of the eurozone can leave the single currency.

* Syrian activists appeal for international help Syria’s underground opposition appealed to the international community on Thursday to send in human rights monitors to help deter military attacks on civilians.

* EU moots greater role in deals with oil-rich countries The European Commission on Wednesday suggested it should negotiate ‘strategic’ energy contracts with other countries.

* Meteorites delivered gold to Earth Scientists have shown that the Earth’s surface became enriched with precious metals by impacting meteorites.

* Will Saddam’s WMD be discovered in Syria when Assad falls? Ten years after 9/11, one captivating thought keeps crossing my mind: When the Assad tyranny in Syria finally collapses, will George W. Bush be vindicated?

09/07/11

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* GSS Cracks Hamas Network Israel’s General Security Services (GSS) cleared for publication it had, with the assistance of the IDF and Israel Police, broken up numerous Hamas terror-cells in Judea and Samaria in recent months.

* Libya’s Elusive Desert Fox Despite the frenzy of media speculation, no one knows where Muammar Qaddafi really is.

* EU Also Fears ‘Islamic Winter’ Despite attempts by Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday to play down IDF Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg’s warning Israel may face an ‘Islamic Winter.’

* Israel Unveils Haunting ‘Ghost’ UAV A new Israeli silent “Ghost” UAV, designed to haunt terrorists and operate in urban areas both day and night, was unveiled at the Latrun Conference this week, near Jerusalem.

* Spectre of fresh EU treaty returns to haunt ‘incomplete’ Europe It took nearly a decade of squabbling amongst EU states, a series of referendum disasters and a last-minute game of high-stakes brinksmanship from a stubborn Czech president, but the bloc finally managed to radically refashion the way it worked with the passage of the Lisbon Treaty in 2010.

* NATO membership a restraint for Turkey The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is ultimately believed to be the main obstacle that will prevent Turkey from actually following through with its threat.

* Palestinians: We won’t surrender to U.S. pressure to drop UN bid The Palestinians on Tuesday said they would not give in to American pressure to drop their bid for statehood at the United Nations.

* ‘Be Prepared for Mass Aliyah of Turkish Jews’ Many of the 20,000 Jews living in Turkey are considering moving to Israel.

* Merkel outlines steps to ‘stability union’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a “stability union” in which all member states behave in a fiscally responsible manner.

* US officially asks PA to abandon UN recognition plan The US on Wednesday officially asked the Palestinian Authority to abandon its plan to ask the UN later this month to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines.

09/06/11

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* Iran launches mass air drill The Iranian Air Force embarked on a massive 10-day exercise on Tuesday.

* IDF general: Likelihood of regional war growing Recent revolutions in the Arab world and the deteriorating ties with Turkey are raising the likelihood of a regional war in the Middle East.

* Libya weapons deals raise questions about Gaddafi aftermath Al Qaeda acquired weapons from Gaddafi’s forces, Chinese arms dealers negotiated with the dictator’s envoys, and France ignored an arms embargo in supplying the rebels.

* Jihadists plot to take over Libya Jihadists among the Libyan rebels revealed plans last week on the Internet to subvert the post-Moammar Gadhafi government and create an Islamist state.

* US Spied on Israel Embassy in Washington The United States spied on Israel’s Washington Embassy and pressed charges against an FBI employee who leaked details from information thus acquired.

* Somalia famine: UN warns of 750,000 deaths As many as 750,000 people could die as Somalia’s drought worsens in the coming months, the UN has warned, declaring a famine in a new area.

* West Races to Secure Qaddafi Munitions Western leaders are racing to secure fugitive strognman Muammar Qaddafi’s stockpiles of weapons – which have been abandoned for the taking.

* ‘Seven Wonders of Israel’ Competition in September While the State of Israel is promoting the Dead Sea to win the international New7Wonders of Nature competition this fall, the Ministry of Tourism has been working on a parallel project on the local level as well.

* US Imam: Muslims Needs Decades to Clean Up Image It will take generations before Muslims can clean their negative image of being radicals.

* Iran punctuates end of Ramdan with new attack on Kurds, inside Iraq Iran has reported another military incursion into Iraq.

09/03/11

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* IAEA: Iran reaches breakthrough in suspected nuclear weapons push The United Nations nuclear watchdog released a report Saturday stating that Iran is pursuing the development of nuclear weapons.

* Tension, confusion behind EU facade on Palestine Hostility toward foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, confusion over what the Palestinians will ask for and how major EU countries will react marked behind-closed-doors talks of EU foreign ministers in Poland.

* Turkey to challenge Gaza blockade at ICJ Turkey is preparing to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

* Israel Unfazed by Turkey’s Moves: We Will Not Apologize Despite Turkey’s downgrade of its ties with Israel, Jerusalem remained unfazed on Friday.

* Iran makes new military push against Kurdish rebels Iran has begun a new military push against Kurdish rebels on the border with Iraq.

* UN chief: Israel, Turkey ties important for Mideast peace United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that good relations between Turkey Israel are important for future peace in the region.

* Blair has major, unheralded role in Mideast talks Britain’s Tony Blair is playing a central but largely unheralded role in trying to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* Russia’s Lavrov condemns EU oil sanctions on Syria Russia has condemned the EU’s move to step up sanctions on Syria by banning imports of its oil.

* Suicide Bombs in Iraq Have Killed 12,000 Civilians, Study Says While sophisticated roadside bombs have taken a heavy toll on American troops over the course of the war here.

* WikiLeaks Document Sheds Light on Iraqi Jews A U.S. diplomatic cable that has been leaked by WikiLeaks sheds light on the fate of Iraq’s Jews.

09/02/11

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* Israel: We hope to mend Turkey ties, but will not apologize for Gaza flotilla A senior source in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel will endeavor to mend frayed ties with the Turkish government and people.

* IDF Moves to Protect Naval Commandos The IDF plans to take legal precautions to protect members of the Shayatet-13, Israel’s Naval Commando, and other senior officers from criminal lawsuits.

* EU to Debate Unified Vote on PA Statehood European Union foreign ministers are gathering in Sopot, Poland this weekend for informal talks on the Middle East.

* September songs The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee held more than 30 meetings during the past three months.

* ‘Palestinian Solidarity’ Support for Anti-Semitic Abuse “Palestinian solidarity” campaigners in Scotland earned contempt from local Jewish groups this week over their support for a student convicted of racist abuse of a Jewish classmate.

* Say ‘No’ to the Kotel, Temple Activists Urge The Movement for Establishment of the Temple will hold a Temple Conference and “Temple Feast” in ten days’ time.

* Turkey expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza flotilla row Turkey has expelled Israel’s ambassador and suspended all military agreements over its refusal to apologise for last year’s raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.

* Jordanian Group Threatens Lawsuit Over Baptism Site A Jordan-based group is threatening to file a lawsuit against Israel in the International Criminal Court over its opening of the baptismal site Qasr al-Yahud near the Jordan River.

* EU bans Syrian oil imports over crackdown The European Union banned oil imports from Syria on Friday in a move that will cost the embattled regime millions of dollars each day as it uses deadly force.

* Libya war is Nato conquest of oil-rich south, Russian diplomat says The Libya conflict signals the end of Nato’s eastward expansion and the beginning of a new campaign to conquer the oil-rich Muslim south.

09/01/11

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* Iran, Russia agree to explore strategic ties Iran and Russia have agreed to enhance security cooperation.

* Iran Concerned West Will Benefit From Arab Uprisings Iran’s supreme leader admonished the West and Israel on Wednesday not to seek advantage from the antigovernment uprisings convulsing the Arab Muslim world.

* Hebrew Language Needs Public’s Help, Says Government Government Secretary Tzvi Hauser has invited the public to present ways of preserving and promoting the Hebrew language.

* Libya conflict: Leaders gather for Paris summit Senior politicians from around the world are gathering in Paris for a summit on Libya’s future.

* Iranian nuclear bid could provoke attack: Sarkozy France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy warned on Wednesday that Iran’s alleged attempts to build long-range missiles and nuclear weapons could lead unnamed countries to launch a pre-emptive attack.

* Iran Doth Protest! Tehran Says Saudi Security Top Priority Iran reacted to a Saudi allegation that Tehran was “targeting” the kingdom Wednesday saying Saudi Arabia’s security was of paramount concern to the Islamic Republic.

* Media Comment: Hebrew Now Samuel Johnson, who devoted himself to improving the English language, wrote in the preface to his dictionary that he did so in order that “its purity may be preserved”.

* Construction in Judea and Samaria Up a Whopping 660% With the end of the building freeze, construction has started up in Judea and Samaria.

* Diplomats: EU split on support of Palestinians’ UN statehood bid The European Union remains undecided whether to recognize the Palestinian push for recognition at the United Nations.

* Meet The City of David in Jerusalem The story of the City of David began about 3,000 years ago when King David decided to leave Hevron and move to Jerusalem in order to unite the people of Israel around one capital.

08/31/11

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* Israel Deploying Warships in Red Sea – Iran Following Suit The IDF on Monday deployed two warships in the Red Sea near the border with Egypt.

* Ten years after 9/11, anti-Semitic conspiracies ‘still going strong’ As the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack on the twin towers approaches, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are “alive and well”.

* ‘Iran deploys submarine, warship to the Red Sea’ Iran is planning to send its 15th fleet, comprised of a submarine and a warship, to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

* Rebels say 50,000 have died in Libyan civil war Libya’s interim leader gave forces loyal to deposed ruler Muammar Gaddafi a four-day deadline.

* Libyan rebels set steps to elections within 18 months Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) has set out steps leading to democratic elections monitored by the United Nations within 18 months.

* Libya’s interim leaders reject UN military personnel Libya’s interim leadership has rejected the idea of deploying any kind of international military force.

* Jordan Continues Attempt to Persuade PA to Abandon UN Bid Jordan is continuing its efforts to convince the Palestinian Authority leadership to abandon its attempt to secure membership as a new country.

* Libya’s Rebels Raise Algerian Tensions Libya’s rebels are demanding Algeria return Muammar Qaddafi’s wife and three of his children for trial after they fled.

* UN Extends Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission by One Year The UN Security Council extended UNIFIL’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for another year.

* IDF chief warns terror groups: Don’t test us IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Benny Gantz on Tuesday warned the Gaza Strip-based militant groups of Israel’s severe response should terror attacks and rocket fire on the south continue.