Category Archives: Top 10 News Stories

07/20/12

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* Al-Aqsa Sheikh: Jerusalem will be Muslim Forever Sheikh Yusuf Salameh, a preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, denounced on Thursday a statement by Israel’s Attorney General that Israeli law must be applied to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem.

* Russia, China veto of Syria sanctions spark West’s outrage Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria for the third time.

* Israel eases West Bank travel restrictions for Ramadan To mark the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Israel is easing travel restrictions for West Bank Palestinians.

* Russia official: Assad ready to step down from power; Syria denies Syrian President Bashar Assad has accepted that he will have to leave power, but will only leave in an orderly way.

* Israel threatens a ‘heavy price’ for Iran after deadly Bulgaria bus bomb Israel yesterday fuelled fears of a further escalation in the already high tensions with Iran by promising to “exact a heavy price” from the perpetrators of the suicide bombing which killed seven people in Bulgaria.

* Bundestag approves Spanish bailout with large majority The German Parliament on Thursday (19 July) approved a bailout for the Spanish banking sector of up to 100 billion.

* Massive protests in Spain against austerity cuts Tens of thousands of angry Spaniards protested in 80 cities throughout Spain on Thursday against the government’s latest austerity package.

* London 2012: Coe promises ‘safe and secure Games’ London 2012 chairman Lord Coe has promised a “safe and secure Games” despite the security guards fiasco.

* US military allowed to wear uniforms at gay pride march The US military will for the first time allow its members to wear uniform at a gay pride march.

* Is There a ‘Presbyterian War on Israel’? On July 6, after much speculation, the Presbyterian Church (USA) narrowly rejected a proposal to divest its portfolio from companies that supply equipment to Israel.

07/19/12

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* Syria conflict: Fresh offensive against rebels Syrian troops have been mobilized in a drive to oust armed rebels from parts of Damascus, a day after a bomb attack that killed three top regime figures.

* Al-Qaeda Could Obtain Syrian Chemical Weapons, Jordan King Warns King Abdullah II of Jordan warned Wednesday that the situation in Syria is spinning out of control.

* Pentagon reportedly seeking to avert Israeli strike on Syrian chemical weapon sites Defense officials are in talks with the Pentagon, which wants to prevent a possible Israeli strike on Syria’s chemical weapons facilities.

* ‘Assad gave us rockets to fire at Israel,’ Nasrallah says The Assad regime provided Hezbollah and Hamas with the rockets fired at Israel during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

* Abbas and Egypt’s Morsi Meet in Cairo Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met Egypt’s newly elected president, Mohammed Morsi, in Cairo on Wednesday.

* Rural Chinese get online as mobile overtakes desktop Mobile phones are now the most common way for people to connect to the internet in China.

* China pledges $20bn in credit for Africa at summit China has pledged $20bn in credit for Africa over the next three years, in a push for closer ties and increased trade.

* Peres extends Ramadan greetings to Muslims worldwide In a video message sent Wednesday to thousands of websites and blogs, President Shimon Peres wished the Muslim world a “generous Ramadan.”

* ‘Mahdi’ virus stole data on national infrastructure A new computer virus with Persian words in its programming code infected sensitive computers across the Middle East, including Israel.

* PM: Time for world to admit Iran’s role in world terror Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that all the countries of the world that understand that Iran is an exporter of world terror must join Israel in “stating that fact clearly”.

07/18/12

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* Syria conflict: Ministers ‘killed in suicide attack’ Three men at the heart of President Assad’s defence team have died in a suicide bombing.

* Israel worried about fallout from Syria bombs The suicide bombing that killed several members of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s inner circle “is a 7 on the Richter scale.”

* Gaza Church claims Christians kidnapped, forced to convert The Orthodox Christian Church in the Gaza Strip is claiming that a group of armed Islamists kidnapped five Christian Palestinians.

* 20 Nations Boost Defense in Mideast Waterways, Says US In a move to bolster military strength against Iran, 20 nations will stage an anti-mining exercise in Mideast waterways.

* PA Slams A-G for Saying Israeli Law Applies on Temple Mount An Islamic official in Jerusalem said Tuesday that a statement by Israel’s Attorney General that Israeli law must be applied to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem is a “violation against Muslims and Palestinians.””

* Afghanistan: Taliban bomb destroys 22 Nato fuel tankers A bomb planted by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan has destroyed 22 Nato fuel tankers carrying supplies to coalition forces.

* Persian-Language Cyber Attacks on Iran Dubbed ‘Muslim Messiah’ An Israeli security firm says an ongoing cyber attack aimed mainly at Iran uses Persian language communications and is named after Mahdi, the “Muslim Messiah.”

* ‘Dr. Doom’ Predicts ‘Bad’ Will Get Worse The world economy has slowly come out of the global financial crisis.

* Christian MK calls for legal action against Ben-Ari Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein should press incitement charges against MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) for tearing a New Testament and throwing it in the trash.

* At least five killed in attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria At least seven people were killed in an attack on an Israeli tour bus at the Sarafovo International Airport in the Bulgarian vacation city of Bourgas.

07/17/12

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* A-G: Israeli law is applicable Temple Mount The Temple Mount is under Israeli law but authorities must be “extra sensitive” to applying the laws on the site.

* Syria conflict: Central Damascus hit by clashes Fighting is intensifying across the Syrian capital Damascus, where the military has deployed tanks and helicopters.

* IDF intelligence chief: Fall of Assad regime in Syria only a matter of time The regime of Bashar Assad in Syria will not overcome the uprising against it.

* Intel chief warns of rising terror on northern and southern borders Dwindling governmental control and a sharp influx of al-Qaeda operatives in Sinai and Syria have led to a spike in terror activity in the Sinai Peninsula.

* Pentagon Boosts Defenses in Persian Gulf The Pentagon is building a missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar.

* PA Gov’t Names Summer Camp for Terrorist The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority government has named a summer program for the bloodthirsty terrorist who killed 37 civilians in 1978, Dalal Mughrabi.

* Tunisian Leadership: ‘No Normalization with Israel’ Tunisia’s leading political party, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Ennahada party, has reiterated its opposition to normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel.

* Gaza Christians Protest ‘Forced Conversions’ Dozens of Christians in Gaza staged a public protest on Monday, claiming two congregants were forcibly converted to Islam.

* Muslims Barred IOC from Honoring Murdered Israelis An Olympics official admitted that Muslim countries blocked the “One-Minute of Silence” campaign to honor the 11 murdered Israeli athletes.

* IMF tells eurozone to turn on printing presses The euro crisis continues to weigh down the global economy, the International Monetary Fund said.

07/16/12

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* Activists report clashes in Syrian capital Syrian troops and rebels clashed inside Damascus for a second day on Monday, causing plumes of black smoke to drift over the city’s skyline in some of the worst violence in the tightly controlled capital since the country’s crisis began 16 months ago.

* ‘Arab Internal Disputes Fuel Anti-Israel Terror’ A growing terrorist state in Sinai and disputes in Lebanon increase the likelihood of missile attacks on Israel, says a defense analyst.

* Clinton in Israel: A Time for Pleasantries Other than “It’s a beautiful day” and other pleasantries, Hillary Clinton’s remarks had little content – four months before US elections.

* Syria conflict: West ‘blackmailing’ Russia on sanctions Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Western attempts to get Moscow to discuss sanctions against Syria contain “elements of blackmail”.

* North Korea military head Ri Yong-ho ‘relieved of post’ North Korean military chief Ri Yong-ho has been removed from all official posts, according to state media.

* Romney to Break Fast of Temple Mount Mourning with Netanyahu Romney’s visit to Israel on the fast day mourning the destruction of the Holy Temples shows his insight on Israel, says campaign adviser.

* Christians Flood Knesset with ‘New Judaism’ Knesset Members are furious after finding in their mail boxes what many called missionary propaganda promoting the New Testament.

* Iraq in deals to boost energy exploration Iraq signed an initial deal with a Kuwait-led consortium Monday and a contract was awarded to a Russia-led group to drill for energy, part of Baghdad’s efforts to strengthen its role as a major producer.

* ‘Cell plotted to kidnap IDF soldier for bargaining’ Shin Bet reveals Palestinians from village near J’lem planned to kidnap soldier to exchange for terror leaders.

* ‘Israel being excluded from counterterrorism parley’ Simon Wiesenthal Center founder: I’m prepared to believe Israel is being left out intentionally from Global Counterterrorism Forum. 

07/14/12

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* Iran: If threatened, we’ll close Strait of Hormuz Iran could prevent even “a single drop of oil” passing through the Strait of Hormuz if its security is threatened.

* Iran’s War Games Showed Missile Accuracy Iran’s war games this month showcased missiles with improved accuracy and firing capabilities.

* Experts: U.S. Cyber War on Iran Has Just Begun A U.S. cyber war against Iran’s nuclear program may have only just begun and could escalate with explosions triggered by digital sabotage.

* Hamas leader: Egypt will protect Gaza from Israeli attack The head of the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip said on Friday he was confident Egypt’s new president would shield the Palestinian enclave.

* Solar storm barreling toward Earth A solar storm is racing toward Earth this weekend, but scientists say not to worry.

* Clinton to Egypt – premature or the push Cairo needs? On Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Egypt, the first U.S. Cabinet official to meet with newly elected president Mohamed Morsy.

* Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood to boycott early elections The Islamists said recent changes to the election law did not go far enough, and warned of further public protests.

* Hevron Hills Residents say ‘Enough!’ to Road Terror Dozens of Israelis from the town of Negohot in the Hevron Hills blocked roads Thursday in protest of terrorism.

* World Condemns Assad for Latest Massacre Syria’s opposition urged the UN Security Council on Friday to pass a binding resolution against Damascus.

* Spanish Debt Crisis Turns Bloody Spain’s sovereign debt crisis turned bloody on Wednesday as police in central Madrid fired rubber bullets after thousands rose up against new spending cuts by the government.

07/13/12

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* Israel fears window for Iran attack starting to close, while US urges more patience Israeli and American officials met in Jerusalem on Thursday for one of their semi-annual “strategic dialogue” meetings.

* Israel Preparing for Action in Syria, Says Former Mossad Chief Former Mossad chief Danny Yatom said on Thursday that Israel is preparing for the possibility of military action in Syria.

* Conference: No Barriers to Annexation More than 600 people took part Thursday in the Hevron Conference on the topic of annexing Judea and Samaria.

* Hamas leader: Egypt will protect Gaza from Israeli attack The head of the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip said on Friday he was confident Egypt’s new president would shield the Palestinian enclave from Israeli attack.

* Syria unrest: Kofi Annan shocked at Tremseh ‘atrocities’ The UN said it had confirmed intense fighting including the use of tanks, helicopters and heavy artillery.

* Robots in our midst Science fiction writers predicted that the 21st century would be full of sentient computers, robots who serve us, flying cars and silvery jumpsuits.

* MI6 Chief: Strike on Iran likely by 2014 Sir John Sawers, the head of the MI6 British spy agency, said that Iran is likely to obtain a nuclear weapon by 2014.

* Naval exercises raises tension in the region Heightened tension was noted in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Thursday amid reports that Israeli, British and Turkish naval forces were conducting simultaneous maneuvers near Cyprus.

* Syria ‘Moving Sarin, Cyanide Out of Storage’ Syria has begun moving parts of its vast arsenal of chemical weapons out of storage facilities.

* Navy Beginning To Implement Underwater Drones In Gulf Hold your breath, drone lovers. Literally.

07/12/12

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* Never mind the nukes, Iran’s other military means are also thriving, US report says While the world focuses on Iran’s nuclear program, the Islamic Republic is also continuously improving and expanding its regular armed forces.

* Ashton boat trip seen as new chapter in China relations EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton believes Beijing is ready to step up co-operation after a meeting with her Chinese counterpart.

* 10 Years Later: Nefesh B’Nefesh Brings Hundreds More to Israel Welcome to a bright new day in the Summer of 2012 at Nefesh B’Nefesh.

* Pressure on Assad as envoy defects, West eyes sanctions Pressure mounted on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday after a first senior diplomat defected and Western powers drew up a 10-day sanctions ultimatum.

* U.S. moving submersibles to Persian Gulf to oppose Iran The Navy is rushing dozens of unmanned underwater craft to the Persian Gulf to help detect and destroy mines.

* Abbas urges US to pressure Israel over settlements Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his refusal on Wednesday to resume peace talks unless Israel halts construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

* Somali al-Shabab training base Lanta-Buro ‘captured’ Somali government soldiers and African Union troops have seized a major Islamist militant training base.

* Partial Tally in Libya Suggests Defeat for Islamists Libya’s Islamists suffered a major defeat on their eastern home turf on Wednesday.

* Germany Investigates Nazi for Massacre of Ukrainian Jews German prosecutors have launched an investigation into a 91-year-old man suspected of taking part in a 1942 massacre of over 300 Jews from the Zhytomyr ghetto in Ukraine.

* UN arms treaty could put U.S. gun owners in foreign sights, say critics A treaty being hammered out this month at the United Nations — with Iran playing a key role — could expose the records of America’s gun owners to foreign governments.

07/11/12

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* Pentagon: Iran boosts missiles’ lethality, effectiveness Iran’s military has “boosted the lethality and effectiveness of existing” ballistic missile systems.

* Contradicting Abbas, Hamas says it still believes in ‘armed resistance’ against Israel Hamas continues to believe in armed resistance against Israel, a movement spokesman said Sunday.

* NY Times Claims Israel ‘Took’ Yesha from Jordan in 1967 A New York Times editorial Tuesday rewrites history and claims Israel “took” Judea and Samaria from Jordan in 1967.

* PA Hosts ‘Diaspora Arabs’ in ‘Ancient Jaffa’ The Palestinian Authority has launched a new campaign to bring Arabs from the “Diaspora” to visit their “homeland”.

* Russia Sending Warships on Maneuvers Near Syria Russia said on Tuesday that it had dispatched a flotilla of 11 warships to the eastern Mediterranean.

* Peres: Settlement building threatens Jewish state President Shimon Peres spoke out Tuesday against West Bank settlements, stating that they jeopardize the state’s Jewish identity.

* Egypt court overturns President Mursi parliament order The highest court in Egypt has overturned a decree by President Mohammed Mursi to recall parliament.

* Calls to Destroy Egypt’s Great Pyramids Begin According to several reports in the Arabic media, prominent Muslim clerics have begun to call for the demolition of Egypt’s Great Pyramids.

* US Episcopal Church approves same-sex blessing service The Episcopal Church has become the largest US denomination to bless same-sex relationships.

* Syria’s opposition appeals for Russian support A delegation of Syrian opposition figures is visiting Moscow to discuss international efforts to find a political solution to the violence.

07/10/12

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* U.S. opposes report recommending legalization of West Bank settlements The U.S. State Department criticized on Monday night the Edmond Levy committee report which recommended legalizing most outposts in the West Bank.

* Are we safe from the sun? Solar flares keep on getting stronger – with latest hotspot the size of 15 Earths strung together The sun is a tempestuous mistress – and her outbursts are becoming more and more violent as the weeks go on.

* ‘Germany agrees to compensate 80,000 Nazi victims’ Germany has agreed to provide restitution payments to an additional 80,000 Jews in what Claims Conference officials are describing as a historic breakthrough.

* Egypt braces for new showdown between Islamists and military Egypt is braced for a major confrontation between the country’s Islamist president and military.

* PM urges Europe to be more balanced toward Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu urged Europe to adopt a more balanced approach to Israel.

* Expert: Libyan elections prove country’s singularity News that a liberal coalition headed by Mahmoud Jibril, a Western-educated politician, was reportedly in the lead in the Libyan election surprised many observers.

* Israel’s Elbit Anti-Missile System Protects Jets Israel’s giant Elbit Systems firm has produced a new to protect medium and large aircraft against shoulder-fired missiles.

* Russia’s Putin says the West is on the decline In a biennial speech to Russian ambassadors, Putin also took a shot at the West by condemning any unilateral actions to solve international disputes.

* Iran plans to expand, not suspend, its nuclear program, position paper obtained by Times of Israel says A position paper obtained by The Times of Israel makes plain the Tehran regime’s unyielding rejection of international efforts to negotiate safeguards and restrictions that would prevent Iran attaining a nuclear weapons capability.

* Barroso in Palestine: ‘We are laying foundations of future state’ European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has pledged support for a future Palestinian state on his first official trip to the region.