By: Ezra HaLevi – Arutz Sheva
Israel, though lacking in natural water resources, is exporting its water technology across the globe, billing itself as the “Silicon Valley of water technology,” in the words of Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer.
By: Aluf Benn – Haaretz
The Palestinian Authority has demanded that Israel formally sanction a document in which it promises to permit Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem to continue to operate, the Shin Bet security service has told the government in recent days.
* Iran warns Europe against sanctions Hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday warned European countries not to follow the US lead in imposing unilateral sanctions against his country.
* Pressure increases on PKK rebels Turkey, Iraq and the US have all taken steps to combat the threat of Kurdish fighters based in northern Iraq and defuse the crisis in the region.
* UN Watch: UN must combat anti-Semitism While some “unprecedented” steps have been made by the United Nations in recent years to recognize and reject anti-Semitism, the world body has yet to “to fully live up to its promise.”
* Soaring oil climbs past $96 mark Oil prices have continued their unremitting climb, passing the $96 a barrel mark after figures showed a surprise fall in US crude reserves.
* EU politician: No peace without Syria Syria will not allow any serious peace agreement to be reached without playing a central role in the negotiations.
* Israel says Hezbollah can hit Tel Aviv Israel alleges that Hezbollah militants in Lebanon have rearmed with new long-range rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv.
* Kurds in Turkey Who Backed Erdogan Now Fear Civil War Kurds in southeast Turkey voted this summer in record numbers for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
* Israel the “Silicon Valley of Water Technology” Israel, though lacking in natural water resources, is exporting its water technology across the globe, billing itself as the “Silicon Valley of water technology.”
* Palestinians seek to renew institutional activities in E. J’lem The Palestinian Authority has demanded that Israel formally sanction a document in which it promises to permit Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem to continue to operate.
* Turkey falling behind on political reform, EU report says Almost one year after the EU partially froze Turkey’s membership talks, little reform progress has been made by Ankara.
* UN: Hizbullah has replenished missiles, Dan region in range Hizbullah has succeeded in rearming itself and has obtained missiles with a range of 250 km.
* Warning of Somali ‘catastrophe’ International aid agencies are warning of an “unfolding humanitarian catastrophe” in parts of Somalia.
* McCain links Iraq victory to ME peace “Unless America wins the war in Iraq, Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation will not move forward.”
* Israel threatens Gaza invasion Israel has escalated threats to invade the Gaza Strip.
* Baghdad-Tehran want Iraq meet to focus on security Iraq and Iran want an international conference on Iraq in Istanbul this week to focus on the nation’s security rather than tensions with Turkey.
* Israel mulls citizenship changes Israel’s interior minister has called for reforming the law that grants Jews around the world Israeli citizenship.
* EU treaty ‘same as constitution’ The new EU Reform Treaty is effectively the same as the constitution it was designed to replace.
* Russia schools ban “cult of death” Halloween Moscow schools have been ordered to ban students from celebrating the cult of the dead, better known as Halloween.
* U.S. renews pressure on Israel to remove W. Bank outposts The U.S. has renewed pressure on Israel to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank.
* Darfur force ‘may be’ operational early 2008 A bolstered United Nations-African Union (AU) force charged with bringing peace to Sudan’s ravaged Darfur region may be operational by early next year.
* Iran defiant ahead of nuclear talks with Russia Iran will not back down in a nuclear dispute with the West and is not interested in talks with the United States.
* ‘Hamas building bunkers near border’ Hamas is trying to establish a bunker system as well as fortified rocket-launching and surveillance positions along the security fence with the Gaza Strip.
* Muhammad Deif: We’ll strike in heart of Israel Senior Hamas member says commander of organization’s military wing ‘planning an attack against the Israeli occupation, and will not settle for the defensive fighting policy’.
* Diskin: Summit failure may lead to attacks A failure to make progress in the upcoming Annapolis peace parley could lead to increased violence in the region.
* IAEA findings on Iran dismissed France and the US have dismissed a finding by the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog Mohammed ElBaradei that there is no evidence of Iran building a bomb.
* Egypt to build nuclear power plants Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday announced plans to build several nuclear power plants,.
* PA trying to stop parley hosted by Syria The Palestinian Authority has dispatched three senior PA officials to Damascus in an attempt to persuade the Syrians not to host a conference called by Hamas and other radical Palestinian factions.
* Red carpet welcome for Saudi king King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has been welcomed ceremonially to Britain by the Queen, with a state banquet at Buckingham Palace later.
* Iraq Kurds reject Ankara ‘orders;’ Turkey pounds rebels Turkey called on the United States Tuesday to take “urgent” measures against Kurdish rebels based in Iraq.
* Iraqi dam ‘at risk of collapse’ The largest dam in Iraq is at risk of an imminent collapse that could unleash a 20m (65ft) wave of water on Mosul, a city of 1.7m people, the US has warned.
* IAEA chief lashes out over Israeli raid in Syria Mohamed ElBaradei accuses Jewish state of ‘taking the law into its own hands’, says ‘if countries have information that another country is working on a nuclear-related program, they should come to us’.
* Iraq warns Turkey over incursion Iraq’s foreign minister has warned of serious consequences if Turkey launches a ground assault against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.
* Livni pushes China to break with Iran Countries must unite in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons technology, even if that clashes with their own narrow economic interests, Israel’s foreign minister said Monday.
* Abbas: Hamas planning W. Bank takeover Hamas is planning to overthrow the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank with the help of external forces, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday.
* Holy dispute Dore Gold, former Israeli ambassador to the UN and Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president, has a stern warning for the religious faithful.
* Iraq’s vulnerable Christian minority gets promise of support Iraq’s prime minister pledged Saturday to protect and support the Christian minority that has been fleeing the chaos and sectarian violence in the country.
* Much of U.S. Could See a Water Shortage An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions.
* US hands over Karbala to Iraqis US forces have handed control of the mainly Shia province of Karbala in central Iraq to local authorities in a tightly-guarded ceremony.
* EU warns Israel not to impose ‘collective punishment’ in Gaza The European Union cautioned Israel on Monday against imposing “collective punishment” against the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by cutting of delivery of fuel supplies to the territory.
* Saudi king chides UK on terrorism Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has accused Britain of not doing enough to fight international terrorism, which he says could take 20 or 30 years to beat.
* PM: Israel won’t cause ‘crisis’ in Gaza Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday that he would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
* Zahar: Hamas not planning attack ahead of Annapolis summit Top Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, denied Saturday that his organization was planning a large attack against Israel in order to sabotage the upcoming Annapolis summit.
* Putin compares US shield to Cuba Russian President Vladimir Putin has compared US plans for a missile shield in Europe to the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s.
* Biofuels ‘crime against humanity’ A United Nations expert has condemned the growing use of crops to produce biofuels as a replacement for petrol as a crime against humanity.
* ‘Guard’ controls embassy in Baghdad Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is using Iran’s Embassy in Baghdad to coordinate covert operations in Iraq, an Iranian opposition group has claimed.
* Turkey rejects Iraq’s PKK offer Turkey has dismissed a range of proposals from Iraq on dealing with Kurdish rebels, saying they will take too long to work.
* Rice confers with Carter and Clinton US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sought the advice of former US presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
* Turkey anger at Europe over PKK Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised EU nations for not doing more to tackle activists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
* Oil Retreats From $92 on Profit-Taking Crude futures rose to record levels on Friday, supported by worries over political tensions in the Middle East.
* ‘Australia, others will punish Iran’ Australia says ‘many nations will follow the US’ in imposing sanctions on Tehran.
* PM, Abbas try to hammer out differences ahead of ME parley Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
* Majadle: I didn’t express gov’t’s view “I was not representing the government’s view. I have told you on more than one occasion that I am the different voice, the other voice in the government and this is an important thing in a democratic society,” Culture, Science and Sport Minister Ghaleb Majadle told Israel Radio Friday.
* Iran defiant at new US sanctions Iran has responded defiantly to new sanctions imposed by the US targeting Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and three state-owned banks.
* Syria air strike target ‘removed’ Newly-released satellite images of the presumed site of an Israeli air raid on Syria last month suggest that a large building has been completely removed.
* Disputes loom at EU-Russia talks The European Union has begun talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit the bloc hopes will remove some obstacles towards a co-operation pact.
* Turkey and Iraq in crisis talks With tensions running high, a high-powered Iraqi delegation is holding talks in Ankara in a fresh bid to avert any imminent Turkish strike.
* Oil spikes at $92 on supply fears Crude oil prices spiked above $92 a barrel Friday on tensions in the Middle East and renewed concerns about supply.
* ‘Gaza power cuts could lead to escalation’ Senior security source expresses fear that defense minister’s decision to limit power supplies to Strip will boost terror organization’s motivation to fire rockets.
* Abbas: ‘Israel and Hamas have been meeting’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the capital on Friday.
* US dollar touches a new euro low The US dollar tumbled to yet another new low against the euro, as speculation mounted that US interest rates would be cut again next week.
* ‘Western Wall was never part of temple’ The former mufti of Jerusalem, Ikrema Sabri, has made the claim that there never was a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount, and the Western Wall was really part of a mosque.
* Lebanon fires on IAF jets for first time since cease-fire Lebanese troops opened fire Thursday on IAF warplanes flying low over southern Lebanon, but no hits were reported, Lebanese officials said.
* Google Earth used to target Israel Palestinian militants are using Google Earth to help plan their attacks on the Israeli military and other targets, the Guardian has learned.
* US to announce new sanctions on Iran The Bush administration is ready to roll out a package of new sanctions against Iran aimed particularly at the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force, which US officials have accused of stirring up trouble in Iraq and elsewhere, according to published reports.
* Key discussions on Kurdish crisis A high-level Iraqi delegation is expected in Ankara for key talks aimed at stopping attacks by Kurdish fighters based in northern Iraq.
* China beats Germany to take world trade crown China has surged ahead of Germany for the first time to become the world’s top exporter, prompting ever louder demands from the United States and Europe to revalue the yuan.
* Cabinet Minister Announces Sanctions Against Gaza Defense Minister Ehud Barak is set to approve Thursday sanctions upon Palestinian Authority-controlled Gaza.
* Political Activist Banned From Judea and Samaria Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov, a political activist known for his outspoken views in favor of Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, was expelled for three months from his home in the town of Tapuach on Monday.
* Rice: Mideast peace plan in jeopardy US secretary of state tells House committee ‘without a serious political prospect for the Palestinians we will lose the window for a two-state solution’; blames Iran for fanning flames in the region.
* Commission challenges France on Turkish membership talks The European Commission has said membership negotiations with Turkey should be expanded in the coming weeks, challenging France’s stance that such a decision should wait until a “committee of wise men” has been set up to discuss the future of the European Union.
* Ayalon: Invite Hamas to Annapolis parley Minister-without-portfolio Ami Ayalon (Labor) is urging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to end Israel’s boycott of Hamas and invite representatives of the group to a US-sponsored peace parley scheduled to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, in late autumn.
* ‘Syria was preparing for Israeli attack’ Syria was preparing for a large-scale Israeli attack some two weeks ago, the Al-Khaleej newspaper, published in the United Arab Emirates, reported Wednesday.
* China launches first Moon orbiter China has launched its first lunar orbiter, on a planned year-long exploration mission to the Moon.
* Bin Laden calls for jihad against Darfur peacekeepers Al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden called for a holy war against a proposed peacekeeping force in Sudan’s war torn region of Darfur in a message that appeared on jihadi Web sites on Tuesday.
* EU urges Turkey to think twice before Iraq action The EU’s Portuguese presidency Wednesday urged Turkey to think twice before launching military action in northern Iraq, following deadly attacks on Turkish troops from Kurdish rebels in the region.
* Turkey ‘hits PKK targets in Iraq’ Turkish forces have carried out a number of limited sorties inside northern Iraq to attack Kurdish fighters during recent days, according to military sources.
* Report: ‘World at peak oil output’ The world has reached the point of maximum oil output and production levels will halve by 2030 — a situation that will eventually lead to war and disaster, a report claims.
* Israel works on plan to cut power supplies to Gaza Israeli officials prepared a plan on Wednesday to cut power supplies to the Gaza Strip in response to a surge in Palestinian cross-border rocket attacks.
* Bill Calling For Jew-Free Hevron Met With One to Evict Arabs The far-left Meretz party submitted a bill Wednesday calling for removing all Jews from Hevron, the city of the Biblical Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs.
* Arsonists torch Jerusalem church There were no injuries reported in the midnight blaze at the Baptist Church on Narkis Street, but the interior of the downtown Jerusalem church was lightly to moderately damaged by the fire, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.