* NY police: Terror suspects aimed for ‘jihad’ Four men arrested after planting what they thought were explosives near a synagogue and a Jewish center.

* Russia could deploy missiles near Poland: Officer Russia could deploy its latest Iskander missiles close to Poland if plans to install U.S. Patriots on Polish soil go ahead.

* ‘We reserve operational freedom on Iran’ Israel will not let Iran attain nuclear weapons capability, said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s National Security Adviser Uzi Arad on Thursday.

* Clinton to PM-No more settlement construction Sharp differences emerged between the US and Israel over the settlement issue on Wednesday .

* Nasrallah: US and Israel plotting Iran-Sunni strife Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday accused the United States and Israel of trying to foment strife between Sunni Arab countries and Shi’ite Iran.

* PA officials ‘surprised’ by US Middle East plan Palestinian Authority officials said on Wednesday that they had been “surprised” to hear about US President Barack Obama’s new peace plan from the Israeli media.

* Israeli Arabs blast plan for PA to cede Temple Mount sovereignty The northern branch of the Islamic Movement blasted Thursday a proposal for the Palestinian Authority to relinquish sovereignty over the Temple Mount in exchange for international Islamic control of the site.

* EU sets low expectations for Russia summit EU envoys at a summit in the Russian Far East on Thursday (21 May) and Friday will voice worries over energy security and trade tariffs.

* Up to 200,000 Pakistanis stranded in Swat Up to 200,000 civilians have been stranded by a Pakistani army offensive against Taliban militants in the Swat valley.

* Iran claims missile test with Europe in range Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed to have sucessfully tested another ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe.

* Israel PM Netanyahu ‘ready for peace talks’ Israel is ready “to immediately begin” peace talks with the Palestinians and Syria, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said after returning from the US.

* Jerusalem’s population hits 760,800 Despite the trend of emigration from the capital, the population of Jerusalem increased by 1.8 percent to reach 760,800 during 2008.

* Israeli settlers reject Obama call to halt building Jewish settler leaders on Tuesday shrugged off U.S. President Barack Obama’s call for Israel to halt settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

* Ayalon: Iranians are playing with fire “The Iranians are playing with fire,” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told Army Radio on Wednesday.

* Turkey receives reassurance on EU membership bid The European Commission as well as the current and upcoming EU presidencies on Tuesday (19 May) reassured Turkey that it is negotiating for full membership of the European Union.

* CIA head: J’lem knows not to attack Iran CIA director Leon Panetta on Wednesday said that Jerusalem knew it needed to coordinate its strategy on Iran with other nations.

* Iran tests missile with range that can hit Israel Iran test-fired a new missile Wednesday it claimed had a range capable of reaching Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East.

* Deputy PM: ‘Jerusalem Will Not be Divided’ “Jerusalem will remain Israel’s eternal capital forever.” So stated Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom on Wednesday.

* Russia halts plans for Syria fighter sale Russia has halted plans to sell MiG-31 fighters to Syria because of pressure from Israel.

* Gloves come off in EU election campaigns EU election campaigning is beginning to get ugly, with legal challenges over media abuses launched in France and Italy.

By: BBC News

A consortium of oil companies plans to revive a project to supply Europe with gas from northern Iraq.

Greater stability has helped Iraq to access its oil and gas reserves

Austria’s OMV and Hungary’s MOL have teamed up with two companies from the United Arab Emirates to extract the gas from fields in Iraq’s Kurdish region.

They anticipate that supplies will be sufficient to feed the long-planned Nabucco pipeline, which proposes pumping gas to Austria via Turkey.

The pipeline would reduce Europe’s dependency on gas from Russia.

The UAE’s Crescent Petroleum and affiliate Dana Gas believe there is enough gas in the Khor Mor and Chemchemal gas fields they operate to supply the Nabucco pipeline after meeting immediate demand in northern Iraq and Turkey.

Competition

But Russia’s Gazprom on Friday said it had signed agreements with a number of Balkan and southern European countries on the construction of a gas pipeline, South Stream, that will deliver gas to Central Europe and Italy via the Balkans.

See Nabucco and South Stream pipeline routes

The pipeline is in competition with Nabucco, backed by the European Union.

The proposed Nabucco route goes via Erzurum in Turkey and on through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Austria. Discussions first began on the project in 2002.

OMV said production could reach a level of 3bn cubic feet per day by 2015.

“These volumes will initially satisfy the requirements of local industry with substantial quantities available for export to destinations primarily Turkey and Europe via the planned Nabucco pipeline,” it said.

Iraq has the world’s tenth-largest gas reserves, and the world’s third largest supply of crude oil.

OMV said it will pay $350m for a 10% stake in the regional operating unit handling of the project. MOL will also take a 10% stake in the company.

* Abbas swears in new PA government Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday swore in a new government comprised mainly of members of his Fatah Party.

* Ethiopia troops ‘back in Somalia’ Ethiopian military forces have crossed back into Somalia, four months after leaving.

* PM praised, chided after Obama meet A day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Barack Obama, the Israeli political arena was split.

* Netanyahu to brief US leaders on peace plan Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to outline his vision for Middle East peace when he visits Capitol Hill in Washington.

* ‘No peace while Hamas rules Gaza’ Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday morning that there was “no chance for an effective peace process so long as Hamas rules the Gaza Strip.”

* Scientists hail stunning fossil The beautifully preserved remains of a 47-million-year-old, lemur-like creature have been unveiled in the US.

* Restrictions on Jerusalem Day Marchers Jews celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem this Thursday and Friday will not be allowed to conduct their flag-waving march through the Old City’s Lions’ Gate.

* ‘Ethiopian aliyah must be made part of school curriculum’ Israelis of Ethiopian descent approached the Education Ministry and demanded that the story of the community’s immigration to Israel be included in history textbooks used in schools.

* China lies at heart of Europe’s recovery, says Brussels European commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner highlighted the central role China will play in Europe’s economic recovery.

* Russia, US Begin Talks Over New Arms Control Pact Negotiations between Russia and the United States on a new agreement to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons opened Tuesday in Moscow.

* Netanyahu and Obama begin key talks in US Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has begun his first meeting with US President Barack Obama at the White House.

* China ready to join US as world power David Miliband described China as the 21st century’s “indispensable power” with a decisive say on the future of the global economy, climate change and world trade.

* Peres: Assad, PM should start talking If Syrian President Bashar Assad is genuinely interested in peace, he should come to Israel to open direct talks.

* Hamas wants acceptance without changing ideology Leaders of Hamas have begun reaching out to the West with conciliatory words, saying the Islamic militant group wants to be part of a Mideast solution and raising the possibility they would someday accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

* Pakistan Is Rapidly Adding Nuclear Arms, U.S. Says Members of Congress have been told in confidential briefings that Pakistan is rapidly adding to its nuclear arsenal even while racked by insurgency.

* Iraq deal to revive gas pipeline A consortium of oil companies plans to revive a project to supply Europe with gas from northern Iraq.

* Make United Jerusalem a Reality Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin believes that Israel must take action now in order to make “united Jerusalem” a reality, and not merely a slogan.

* Peres to Assad: Don’t be shy Syrian President Assad should not by shy, embark on direct talks with Israel if he truly wants peace.

* WHO annual meeting dominated by swine flu Swine flu and the possibility of a vaccine topped the agenda Monday as the World Health Organization opened its annual meeting amid concern that the virus continues to spread – and kill – around the globe.

* Rumsfeld mixed Bible with intelligence for Bush Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld routinely used militaristic passages from the Bible on the cover pages of White House intelligence documents.

* ElBaradei: Israel would be ‘utterly insane’ to attack Iran Israel would be “utterly insane” to attack Iran, outgoing International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said.

* Ayalon: Assad doesn’t want actual peace Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Saturday slammed comments by Syrian President Bashar Assad that his country is interested in peace with Israel.

* US officials: Mitchell may visit Syria US officials revealed on Friday that President Barack Obama’s special Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is laying plans to visit Syria.

* ‘Inaction on ME conflict not an option’ King Abdullah II spoke a day after he pressed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to immediately commit to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

* Blair hopeful for two-state solution Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Congress on Thursday there is no workable alternative to a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

* Europe in deepest recession since War as Germany suffers The declaration was made as it emerged that Europe’s biggest economy has now suffered a worse “lost decade” than Japan and is deeper in recession than any other major economy.

* China’s yuan ‘set to usurp US dollar’ as world’s reserve currency The Chinese yuan is preparing to overtake the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency, economist Nouriel Roubini has warned.

* Netanyahu ‘won’t back Palestinian state’ in US Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will refuse on his trip to Washington to back the formation of a Palestinian state.

* Islamic Movement: Zionist sun will set Movement’s vice-chairman tells Nakba Day rally in Kfar Kana ‘wars and conflicts are not won with F-16 planes and Merkava tanks’.

* Benedict XVI: Peace is possible Pope Benedict XVI assured his followers in the Holy Land that peace is possible, as he ended his Mideast visit Friday.

* IAEA chief says Mideast ‘ticking bomb’ The number of potential nuclear weapons states could more than double in the next few years unless major powers take radical steps towards disarmament.

* At end of Mideast trip, pope says peace is possible Pope Benedict XVI assured his followers in the Holy Land that peace is possible, as he ended his Mideast visit Friday by putting aside the contentious issues he has confronted.

* Israel: U.S. will know before any Iran strike Israel has acceded to American demands by pledging to coordinate its moves on Iran with Washington and not surprise the United States with military action.

* Fear causes Abbas to delay new gov’t Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was forced this week to postpone the formation of a new government.

* Tony Blair: Iranian Threat and Two-State Solution are Contingent Tony Blair, Mideast envoy of the Quartet, told the United States to push Israel and Arabs for a two-state solution as soon as possible.

* Egypt finds huge Sinai munitions cache Egyptian security forces uncovered an immense munitions cache near the Israeli border.

* European satellites to explore origins of universe The European Space Agency on Thursday launched a telescope and spacecraft on a mission set to explore the creation of the universe.

* Thousands flee Pakistan fighting Thousands of people are streaming into camps seeking refuge from the conflict between Pakistan’s army and Taleban rebels in the country’s north-west.

* Shuttle snapped up against sun NASA’S space shuttle Atlantis has been caught in a stunning snap silhouetted against the sun.

* Netanyahu to Meet Obama as U.S. Priorities Shift The last time Benjamin Netanyahu met an American president as Israel’s new leader, in 1996, it did not go well.

* IAF practicing MIG-29/F-16 dogfights Israel Air Force test pilots are flying MIG 29 jets and conducting dogfights against the IAF’s F-16 fighters.

* PM turns down Abdullah’s request that he endorse 2 states Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a meeting Thursday with Jordanian King Abdullah II and promised that he would pursue peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

* Coming Up: 3 New Anti-Missile Systems in 4 Years Israel will have three different levels of missile defense systems within the next four years, according to a high level military assessment.

* 40,000 join pope at Nazareth mass An estimated 40,000 people greeted Pope Benedict XVI on Mount Precipice in Nazareth before he presided over a mass on Thursday morning.

* Iron Dome to be deployed in 2010 Israel will have operational missile defense systems on three different levels within four years.

* PMW: Jordanian Media Report ‘Jews Descend from Pigs’ Jordanian media last week quoted Egyptian clerics who declared that Jews are the descendants of pigs — the only point of debate was whether they are direct descendants or not.

* Syrian official: Israel must return Golan Heights Syria’s new ambassador to Turkey says Israel must commit to returning the Golan Heights before Damascus resumes indirect peace negotiations with the country.

* Netanyahu urges Pope: Sound your moral voice against Iran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday asked Pope Benedict XVI to condemn the anti-Semitic declarations of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Thousands of Palestinians mark Nakba Day: We want to return to our homes Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon on Thursday marked Nakba Day – or the “catastrophe” of Israel’s inception.

* In Iraq, an exodus of Christians Iraq has lost more than half the Christians who once called it home, mostly since the war began.

By: Haaretz

		Palestinian school girls walking down the street after classes were let out in Jebaliya, northern Gaza Strip. (AP)

The Jewish and Arab populations in Israel and the Palestinian territories will reach an equal number by 2016, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

The data, which was published as part of a special study to mark 61 years since Israel’s independence ? or Naqba, as referred to by Palestinians ? cites a growth of more than nine million self-identified Palestinians since 1948.

There were 1.4 million Palestinians recorded in the area in 1948, whereas by 2008 the number of self-identified Palestinians worldwide hit a census of 10.6 million.

According to the Bureau, 5.1 million of those who call themselves Palestinians reside in Israel or the Palestinian territories. Currently, there are 5.6 million Jews living in Israel.

Palestinian refugees worldwide comprise 44.3 percent of the self-identified population. Some 16.3 percent living in the West Bank, 23 percent in the Gaza Strip, 41.8 percent in Jordan, 9.9 percent in Syria and 9 percent in Lebanon. According to the data, one-third of Palestinian refugees live in camp enclaves.

The bureau’s data relies on the fact that many Israeli Arabs also identify themselves as Palestinians.

* Egypt refusing to sign WMD treaties Egypt is refusing to sign treaties prohibiting biological and chemical weapons, a week after it was reported that weapons-grade uranium was found in Egypt.

* Pope calls for Palestinian state Pope Benedict XVI has offered his support for the Palestinians’ right to a homeland, as he continues a Middle East tour in the West Bank.

* ‘Ahmadinejad’s popularity rises in Iran’ President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s popularity has grown among Iranian voters.

* Pakistan conflict map A map produced by the BBC suggests only 38% of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and surrounding areas is under full government control.

* Kremlin: Battles over energy may lead to wars A Kremlin policy paper says international relations will be shaped by battles over energy resources.

* Islamic Jihad: Don’t recognize Israel Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Abdullah Ramadan Shallah said Palestinian recognition of Israel would be “more dangerous than the Nakba of 1948”.

* Palestinians and Israeli Jews to reach equal number by 2016, data shows The Jewish and Arab populations in Israel and the Palestinian territories will reach an equal number by 2016.

* Hezbollah deputy chief: We actively support Hamas Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said that the Lebanese militant group has been actively supporting Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

* India has high degree of interest in Afghanistan, Pakistan: US The US has acknowledged that India as a “great regional power” has a very high degree of interest in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

* Somalia ‘worst drought in decade’ Somalia is facing its worst drought for at least a decade, says the UN.