* Olmert denies cease fire talks with Hamas taking place Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said emphatically after meeting with visiting Czech Prime Minister on Monday Mirek Topolanek that there was no agreement on a cease fire with Hamas.

* Rabbi Shapira: Strong Government to Replace the Hollow One “Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress will come up, and instead of a hollow government, a strong one shall grow,” said Rabbi Yaakov Shapira Sunday, in a paraphrase on a verse from Isaiah 55.

* Israeli minister says sack ElBaradei over Iran An Israeli cabinet minister called on Sunday for the dismissal of the head of the UN nuclear watchdog for not doing enough to curb Iranian atomic projects with bomb-making potential.

* Pakistani Opposition to Form New Gov’t President Pervez Musharraf is not about to quit, a senior ally said Monday, a day after opponents agreed to form a government and restore judges who had questioned the legality of the former army chief continuing in office.

* Serbian government calls for poll The Serbian government has urged President Boris Tadic to dissolve parliament and hold an early election.

* Israel Approves Home Building in West Bank The government of Israel said Sunday that it had approved the construction of hundreds of homes in a West Bank settlement north of Jerusalem, a move that could further complicate a peace effort already hobbled by violence.

* Turkish PM seeks to turn new page in Iraq relations Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he wants better relations with Iraq, a week after Ankara ended an army offensive against PKK rebels based in the north of the country.

* Opposition protests crackdown in Egypt The opposition Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated in two Egyptian cities Sunday, protesting arrests that have targeted the group’s leaders and potential candidates ahead of upcoming local elections, police and the movement said.

* Iranian group puts price on Barak’s head ‘Islamic Student Justice Seekers’ declare financial prizes to be awarded to those who kill Israeli defense minister, Mossad Director Meir Dagan, and Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin.

* Hamas says its fighters train in Iran Senior Hamas commander admits in interview to Sunday Times some 300 men have already been trained by Revolutionary Guards.

By: Associated Press – YNet News

The council of world leaders launched by former President Nelson Mandela is sending a three-person team to help ease tensions in the troubled Middle East

Read more….

* Egypt: Syria thwarting cease-fire talks Syria may be attempting to deflect international scrutiny of its actions in Lebanon by thwarting Egyptian attempts to moderate a cease-fire between Palestinian factions and Israel.

* Iran sanctions vote signals a global rift Some developing nations may be starting to sour on push by world powers to control lucrative nuclear technology.

* Police chief: This isn’t a 3rd intifada Police Chief Insp.-Gen. Dudi Cohen on Friday said that Thursday’s terror attack could not have been prevented.

* Jordan’s Abdullah warns failure of Israel-PA peace talks may boost Iran Jordan’s King Abdullah II has warned that the failure of the peace process between Palestinian and Israel will increase Iran’s ambitions.

* Carter, Annan to head peace mission to Mideast The council of world leaders launched by former President Nelson Mandela is sending a three-person team to help ease tensions in the troubled Middle East.

* Professor Blair: former British PM to take up Yale position Former British prime minister Tony Blair is to take up a post teaching at Yale.

* Iraqi Leader Tries to Mend Relationship With Turkey The president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, visited Turkey on Friday as part of a joint effort to mend relations strained by a Turkish ground offensive.

* Afghans protest over Danish cartoon Thousands of Afghans packed a sports stadium in the western Afghanistan city Herat Saturday to protest the reprinting of the same Danish cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed that sparked rage in the Muslim world.

* North Korea’s leader expresses hope for stronger friendship with Syria North Korean leader Kim Jong II hopes for stronger friendship with Syria.

* Google-Double Click merger raises privacy concerns A €2 billion takeover by US-based search engine giant Google, of online advertising firm Double Click, is likely to be approved.

By: Richard Owen – Times Online

n a ground breaking move Pope Benedict XVI has approved the setting up of a permanent Catholic-Muslim Forum – the first of its kind – which is to hold its inaugural summit meeting in the Vatican in November.

Read more….

* ‘The entire country is in need of mercy’ Thousands were at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem Friday morning to eulogize the eight victims of the terror attack the night before.

* Hamas claims responsibility for J’lem shooting attack Hamas on Friday announced it was responsible for Thursday’s shooting attack at the Mercaz Harav religious school in Jerusalem that killed eight people.

* UNSC fails to condemn J’lem shooting The UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement overnight Thursday on issuing an official condemnation over the deadly shooting attack.

* Strong euro sparks calls for boost of EU monetary institutions Days before an EU leaders’ economic summit, calls for measures to tackle the rising strength of the euro are intensifying.

* Attack will be seen in Messianic terms While defense establishment officials sitting in the Kiriya military headquarters in Tel-Aviv ponder the diplomatic-security implications of last night’s attack, a totally different analysis will be taking place this weekend.

* Talabani in Turkey for talks Jalal Talabani, Iraq’s president, has begun his first official visit to Turkey, aimed at bolstering ties between the two countries.

* Iraqi cleric: Some followers have split Powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr explained why he has been absent from the public eye and acknowledged that some close followers have split from his movement.

* Gaza: Thousands celebrate Jerusalem attack Gaza’s streets filled with joyous crowds of thousands on Thursday evening following the terror attack at a Jerusalem rabbinical seminary.

* Settlement construction declining New construction by Jews in Judea and Samaria has dropped more quickly than the national average.

* US Iraq envoy plans to step down The US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, has told the Washington Post newspaper that he intends to leave his post early next year, to retire.

* IDF soldier killed, another wounded by bomb near Kissufim A soldier in an IDF tracking unit was killed and another soldier was seriously wounded on Thursday by a bomb near Kissufim in the central Gaza Strip.

* Gaza conditions ‘at 40-year low’ Gaza’s humanitarian situation is at its worst since Israel occupied the territory in 1967, say UK-based human rights and development groups.

* Abbas: Peace is our strategic choice Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday rejected Washington’s demand to return immediately and unconditionally to the negotiating table with Israel.

* Iran rejects new EU nuclear talks Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has refused to enter into any new talks with the European Union about Iran’s nuclear program.

* Moscow: new world capital for billionaires Moscow has overtaken New York City as home to the most billionaires.

* Kenya MPs urged to back agreement Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki has urged MPs to pass into law a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending weeks of post-election violence.

* Brussels sees 2008 as ‘decisive’ for the Balkans Brussels has said that this year could be “decisive” for the western Balkan countries and their EU path.

* Pope approves permanent Catholic-Muslim forum In a ground breaking move Pope Benedict XVI has approved the setting up of a permanent Catholic-Muslim Forum.

* Settlers, government close to ‘mini-deal’ Settlers and the Defense Ministry are on the brink of concluding a “mini-agreement” on West Bank outposts.

* EU alerts delegations to Dutch anti-Koran film The European Commission has sent out alerts to all of its diplomatic missions across the globe.

* Gov’t OKs Gaza ops ‘until rockets stop’ The government will act in an “ongoing and consistent” manner in order to put an end to rocket attacks and other terrorist activity from the Gaza Strip.

* MI: Iran arming Hezbollah with missiles sent via Turkey Iran is arming Hezbollah with missiles sent via Turkey, according to intelligence received in Israel.

* Bush: Plenty of time for deal this year With only 10 months left in his term and Israeli-Palestinian peace at a standstill over renewed violence, US President George W. Bush said Tuesday there is “plenty of time” to get a Mideast peace deal before he leaves office.

* Eitam to Arab MKs: We’ll Banish You from Knesset and Israel “The day will come when we will banish you from this building and from the national home of the Jewish People,” MK Eitam told Arab MKs.

* Police stop Islamic work on Temple Mt. Police on Tuesday stopped Wakf Muslim trust officials from performing unauthorized construction work on the Temple Mount.

* Rice says Israel, Palestinians agree to resume talks US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday she received assurances from Israeli and Palestinian leaders that they would resume their negotiations.

* Europe targets US in signals of ‘concern’ over strong euro EU finance ministers and the head of the European Commission have voiced concern over the record strength of the euro against the US dollar.

* Abbas conditions resumption of talks on ceasefire Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday conditioned a resumption of peace talks with Israel.

* Iran: UN must investigate Israel’s nukes Iran has demanded that the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigate “how Israel became a nuclear superpower.”

* FACTBOX: Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev: his inner circle Russia’s president-elect, Dmitry Medvedev, has just over two months to assemble his administration team.

By: MIDDLE EAST TIMES

It may have been a coincidence that Saudi Arabia decided to end its highly-subsidized production of wheat in the same week that wheat prices in U.S. futures markets hit a whopping $24 a bushel. The price of wheat has doubled already this year, and risen from just $3 a bushel four years ago.

Read more….

* Livni: If necessary, Israel will reoccupy the Gaza Strip Israel has informed foreign diplomats that it would reoccupy Hamas-ruled Gaza if necessary.

* Rice tries to save Mid-East talks US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Egyptian officials, the first stage of a trip aimed at saving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* PM: Iran not just Israel’s problem Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday expressed his satisfaction with the United Nations Security Council’s decision to go forward with a third round of sanctions against Iran.

* China to raise military spending China says it plans to increase military spending by nearly 18% this year, to 417.8bn yuan ($59bn; £30bn).

* Oil Jumps to New Record on Dollar’s Fall The surging price of oil reached another milestone Monday, jumping to an inflation adjusted record high of $103.95.

* Sarkozy and Merkel find agreement on key EU issues French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his German counterpart, Angela Merkel, appear to have reached a deal on two key issues.

* Vatican-Muslim talks due in Italy Vatican and Muslim officials are due to meet in Rome to lay the foundations for landmark Catholic-Islamic talks later this year.

* EU woos western Balkans with initiatives for citizens The European Commission is on Wednesday expected to publish a series of proposals aimed at binding citizens of the western Balkan states to the EU.

* ‘Egypt, Jordan may rule Gaza, W. Bank’ Egypt and Jordan may have to temporarily take control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

* UN Chief: Israel says Hezbollah has 30,000 rockets in S. Lebanon Israel says Hezbollah is rearming and has an arsenal including 10,000 long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon.

* PM: Peace talks to go on, but so will hits on Hamas Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that despite the Palestinian Authority’s declared suspension of peace talks over the weekend, negotiations with the Palestinian Authority would continue.

* Oil Prices Spike on OPEC Speculation Oil, heating oil and gasoline prices spiked Tuesday as investors eyed the possibility that OPEC may cut production just ahead of the second quarter, when gasoline demand in the Northern Hemisphere usually becomes the central focus of the market.

* An Iranian in the Green Zone President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad travelled from Baghdad airport to the city centre in a black BMW with a heavily armed escort.

* Muted welcome for Russia leader Western leaders have congratulated Dmitry Medvedev on becoming Russia’s new president, but Western observers have highlighted flaws in the election.

* Nato fears over Dutch Islam film Nato’s secretary general says he fears the airing of a Dutch film criticising Islam will have repercussions for troops in Afghanistan.

* After oil, it’s food shortages It may have been a coincidence that Saudi Arabia decided to end its highly-subsidized production of wheat in the same week that wheat prices in U.S. futures markets hit a whopping $24 a bushel. The price of wheat has doubled already this year, and risen from just $3 a bushel four years ago.

* Ahmadinejad: Real holocaust is happening in Gaza Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that “the real holocaust is happening in the Palestinian territories,” Iranian television reported Monday.

* IDF prepares to unleash the ‘Tiger’ The IDF officially unveiled a new vehicle on Sunday designed to get infantry to and from the battlefield more efficiently.

* ‘Hamas using US weapons against IDF’ According to Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip, most of the gunmen who have been fighting the IDF over the past few days are members of Hamas’s armed wing, Izaddin Kassam.