By: Rukmini Callimachi – Associated Press
The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots.
By: Iain Rogers and Sylvia Westall – Star Publications
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and peace envoy Tony Blair will jointly organise a Middle East security conference to be held at the beginning of June in Berlin, the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday
* ‘Israel threatened Syria with strike if Hizbullah attacks’ Israel has secretly warned Syria that it may strike the country if Hizbullah attacks the Jewish state.
* Merkel, Blair to stage Middle East security talks German Chancellor Angela Merkel and peace envoy Tony Blair will jointly organise a Middle East security conference to be held at the beginning of June in Berlin.
* Islamic summit draft communique accuses Israel of ‘war crimes’ The world’s largest Muslim body will accuse Israel of committing war crimes against Palestinian civilians.
* Muslims nations: Defame Islam, get sued? The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots.
* Iran polls vote count under way Vote counting is under way in Iran after parliamentary elections which conservatives are expected to win after many reformists were barred.
* Dutch brace for new anti-Islam film directed by far-right leader The Netherlands is feeling the pressure of the release in two weeks of an explosive short film entitled “Fitna” about the Koran.
* Israel putting spoke in wheels of ‘Abbas army’ What is delaying the training of Palestinian police officers in Jordan?
* Rice: Sides not showing commitment US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that not enough has been done by the Israelis or the Palestinians to demonstrate their commitment to peace.
* Syria wants ‘public’ peace talks with Israel Syria has recently relayed a message to Israel conveying the county’s interest in peace talks with Israel.
* Erekat: Barak busy planning incursions Israeli and Palestinian representatives sat down Friday at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel for their first meeting.
By: Elitsa Vucheva – EUobserver
EU leaders on Thursday (13 March) approved a watered-down version of a plan put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a grand Mediterranean Union stretching from Morocco to Turkey and aiming to foster cooperation with the EU’s southern neighbors.
* ‘Roadmap’ focus of Mid-East talks Israeli and Palestinian officials are to meet President Bush’s envoy in the first trilateral meeting since peace talks were relaunched last year.
* Aksa Brigades tell Abbas to fire Fayad, band with Hamas Fatah’s armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to fire Prime Minister Salaam Fayad.
* Iranians vote in general election Voting has begun in Iran’s elections, with conservatives expected to win after opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were barred from running.
* ‘Worldwide anti-Semitism on the rise’ Worldwide anti-Semitism has increased over the last decade.
* EU leaders agree to weakened Mediterranean Union plan EU leaders on Thursday (13 March) approved a watered-down version of a plan put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
* Beirut PM invited to Syria summit Syria has invited the prime minister of Lebanon to an Arab summit in March, in the absence of a Lebanese president.
* Vatican official: New sins on horizon Fifteen hundred years after the Roman Catholic Church introduced the original list of seven deadly sins, a Vatican official last week suggested an updated roster.
* Gates Predicts Big Technological Leaps Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates said Thursday he expects the next decade to bring even greater technological leaps than the past 10 years.
* Archbishop kidnapped in Mosul is found dead The body of the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul was discovered Thursday in an area south of the city.
* Attack aimed at killing senior rabbi The terrorist who carried out the attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem last week was sent to assassinate one of the yeshiva rabbis.
By: Hillel Fendel – Arutz Sheva
The Israel Antiquities Authority announces the first time in the history of the archaeological research of Jerusalem that building remains from the First Temple period have been exposed so close to the Temple Mount – on the eastern slopes of the Upper City.
* Abbas accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Jerusalem Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in Arab East Jerusalem.
* Rice: Saudis failed to combat extremism US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized Saudi Arabia for not doing enough to counter extremism.
* First-Ever: First-Temple Building Remains Found Near Temple Mt. The Israel Antiquities Authority announces the first time in the history of the archaeological research of Jerusalem that building remains from the First Temple period have been exposed so close to the Temple Mount.
* Barak warns of Mahmoud Abbas’s demise Defense Minister Ehud Barak rejected reports on Wednesday that Israel had agreed to a cease-fire with Hamas.
* Barak: Israel will hunt down anyone with Jewish blood on their hands Israel is morally committed to every soldier who gave his life for it, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.
* Serbian leader calls snap polls Serbian President Boris Tadic has dissolved parliament, calling snap elections for 11 May.
* Lebanon: Pregnant with incredible danger It was late November 2007 when the already extended mandate of Lebanon’s President Emile Lahoud expired.
* Iran to choose new parliament in muted election Iranians vote Friday in parliamentary polls marked by a low-key campaign and mass disqualifications of reformists but which the Islamic republic hopes will send a message of unity.
* Video Road Hogs Stir Fear of Internet Traffic Jam Caution: Heavy Internet traffic ahead. Delays possible.
* Gas, Oil Rise to Records As Dollar Falls Gas and oil prices jumped to new highs Thursday as the dollar weakened and investors shrugged off fresh evidence of a U.S. economic slowdown.
By: Hillel Fendel – Arutz Sheva
The annual intelligence report, prepared by the IDF Intelligence Branch, with the help of the Mossad and the Shabak (General Security Service), warns of another round of warfare with the Lebanon-based Hizbullah terrorist organization. It could occur, the experts state, in the coming year or two.
* Annual Intelligence Report: Hizbullah is the Key The annual intelligence report warns of another round of warfare with the Lebanon-based Hizbullah terrorist organization.
* Commander of US forces in the Middle East resigns For Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, the perception of a disagreement with President George W. Bush’s policies on Iran rather than an actual rift was reason enough to step down.
* European Parliament turns 50 The European Parliament has changed profoundly since its talking-shop beginnings in 1958.
* Pentagon: Syria, Iran supporting Iraq terror Despite increased counterterrorism efforts by Damascus, as much as 90 percent of the foreign fighters in Iraq cross the border from Syria.
* Dubai to set up Muhammad museum The Gulf emirate of Dubai has said it is to set up the world’s first museum dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad.
* Abbas agrees to resume peace talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to resume peace talks with Israel without prior conditions.
* Iran: Dutch anti-Quran film to ‘breed violence’ Iran warned on Tuesday that an anti-Quran film by a right-wing Dutch lawmaker would “beed violence”.
* Shas urges PM to continue aliyah of Ethiopian Falashmura Shas ministers have asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to reverse the decision to halt the aliyah campaign for the Ethiopian Falashmura community.
* Kazakhstan’s search for its identity With their arms folded neatly on the desk, and eyes focused on the teacher, a group of five-year-olds repeat diligently the rasping syllables of their new language.
* Serbs and Russians Oppose EU in Kosovo Serbia and Russia have demanded that the U.N. administration in Kosovo halt the transfer of authority to the European Union.
* Defense official: Hizbullah ready to fight Israel The Hizbullah organization has completed its military and logistic preparations for a confrontation with Israel.
* PM: No ceasefire talks with Hamas The IDF will continue striking at Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip identified as planning or perpetrating a terror attack against Israel.
* Israel cements ownership of Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City More than 40 years after it gained control of East Jerusalem, the State of Israel is now registering Jewish-owned property in Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter.
* Arab leader denies temple ever existed The al-Aqsa mosque was never the site of a Jewish temple, Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch, said.
* Israeli Intel report paints grim picture Israel’s intelligence community painted a bleak picture of threats facing the Jewish state.
* Sarkozy urges Israel to halt West Bank ‘colonization’ Israel’s security depends upon a halt to “colonization” in the West Bank, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.
* EU must boost military capabilities in face of climate change The European Union should boost its civil and military capacities to respond to “serious security risks”.
* US, UN, EU, deplore Givat Ze’ev project The UN, the EU and the US on Monday deplored Israel’s plans to build some 400 new homes in the Givat Ze’ev settlement.
* Our years on Earth are numbered – all 7.59 billion of them In the end, there will not even be fragments. If nature is left to its own devices, about 7.59 billion years from now Earth will be dragged from its orbit by an engorged red Sun.
* Bush sends Cheney to meet PM, Abbas US Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to take Jerusalem to task for settlement construction.