* Iraqis to Pay China $100 Million for Weapons for Police Iraq has ordered $100 million worth of light military equipment from China for its police force.

* Abbas sees six-month timeframe for peace talks Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s government said on Thursday formal negotiations to create a Palestinian state could be completed six months after a U.S.-sponsored Middle East conference.

* Abbas ‘disappointed’ by Olmert’s stance ahead of Mideast parley Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is disappointed by the stance taken by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ahead of the upcoming US-sponsored Middle East conference.

* Ex-US officials: Divide Jerusalem Five former State Department and Pentagon officials are proposing Israeli and Palestinian capitals in Jerusalem and excluding Arab refugees from returning to Israel as part of an Middle East accord.

* Hizbullah getting stronger in Lebanon When 30,000 UN troops and Lebanese army soldiers were deployed across southern Lebanon at the end of last year’s Israel-Hizbullah war, Hizbullah’s presence shrank in the villages and hills.

* EU treaty talks leave several political loose ends Although the legal experts have given their blessing to the EU’s new draft treaty, there are plenty of political issues that may have to be dealt with by EU leaders.

* Senators slam lack of Arab support for ME conference Close to 80 senators – including all those running for president -signed a letter calling for greater Arab support for the peace process.

* Russia marks 50 years of Sputnik Ceremonies are being held in Russia to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the space age – the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik.

* Most Americans want tougher action on Iran About 80 percent of Americans believe Iran’s contested nuclear program is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

* Korean leaders issue peace call The leaders of North and South Korea have signed a joint declaration calling for a permanent peace deal on the Korean Peninsula.

By: Ann Goldberg – The Jerusalem Post

When Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi moved his Sanhedrin ecclesiastical court from Beit She’arim to nearby Zippori (Sepphoris), quite a few eyebrows were raised. In Beit She’arim he had his yeshiva and was surrounded by religious Jews of his own ilk. In Zippori – the capital of the Galilee – lived many secular Jews who had little or no interest in Judaism. Zippori was also home to a large number of Romans, and many Jews were enjoying their newly-adopted pagan lifestyle.

Read more….

* ‘Summit failure may ignite new intifada’ A failure in the upcoming US-sponsored Middle East peace conference would have more dangerous repercussions than the botched Camp David summit in 2000, Fatah officials warned.

* Iraq’s Kurdish region approves four new oil deals Iraq’s Kurdish regional government (KRG) has approved four new oil and gas deals that will attract around $500 million of investment in exploration.

* PM, Abbas meet despite report of possible Abbas-Hamas talks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his succa Wednesday afternoon.

* Russia warns of arms war in space: report Russia’s military space commander vowed to retaliate with an arms race if any country started putting weapon systems into orbit.

* Jerusalem March draws 80,000 A wave of blue and white, accompanied by colorful flags from across the globe, swept through Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon, as tens of thousands of Jews and Christians walked side by side in the annual Feast of Tabernacles Jerusalem March.

* EU lawyers agree on treaty text Legal experts from the 27 countries of the European Union have agreed on a draft reform treaty.

* How the capital of the Galilee housed the Sanhedrin When Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi moved his Sanhedrin ecclesiastical court from Beit She’arim to nearby Zippori (Sepphoris), quite a few eyebrows were raised.

* Iraq blast wounds Polish ambassador Poland’s ambassador to Iraq has been wounded in an apparent assassination attempt after a roadside bomb exploded in central Baghdad, killing two people.

* Pentagon observes Muslim holy month Navy imam Chaplain Abuhena M. Saifulislam lifted his voice to God as he called to prayer more than 100 Department of Defense employees Monday at a celebration of Ramadan at the Pentagon.

* Korean leaders close summit talks The leaders of North and South Korea have closed summit talks in Pyongyang.

* Censorship lifted on September 6 IAF strike inside Syria Israel on Tuesday began to lift its strict veil of secrecy on an air strike in Syria last month, allowing the media to report on the raid without attributing such reports to foreign sources.

* Korean leaders in historic talks North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-il has welcomed South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to Pyongyang for a historic summit.

* Report: Russia sent technicians to Syria Russia has sent technicians to upgrade Syria’s air defense system.

* Putin eyes prime minister’s job Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised the possibility of becoming a future prime minister by agreeing to enter the December parliamentary polls.

* Iran threatens to attack 170 US targets Iran threatened Monday to attack some 170 American targets in the Middle East and around the world if it is attacked by Israel or the US.

* US ‘biggest global arms dealer’ The US has reaffirmed its domination of global weapons trading, cornering nearly 42 per cent of the arms market.

* ‘USAF preparing Arab allies for Iran’ The United States Air Force (USAF) is working with military leaders from Persian Gulf states to train and prepare Arab air forces for a possible war with Iran.

* Syria Says No to Summit – Unless Golan is on the Agenda Preparations for the US-sponsored Middle East summit in Washington six weeks from now are underway.

* World church urges pullout from Iraq Christianity’s largest ecumenical movement said Monday that the US and its allies must settle their dispute over Iran’s nuclear program through negotiation.

* Slovenian EU presidency to push for further Balkan integration Slovenia has sent a letter to EU leaders and the European commission calling for “brave decisions” regarding the region.

* U.S. said mulling ‘surgical’ strikes on Revolutionary Guards in Iran The New Yorker magazine reported Monday that the U.S. defense chiefs have drawn up new plans for a possible attack on Iran, shifting the focus from a broad bombing assault on suspected nuclear facilities, to “surgical” strikes on Revolutionary Guard bases in Tehran and elsewhere.

* Bolton: Attack Iran, ‘remove’ its leader Former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Tory delegates in Britain Sunday that efforts by the UK and the EU to negotiate with Iran had failed and that he saw no alternative to a pre-emptive strike on suspected nuclear facilities in the country.

* Livni to tell UN: Iran nuclear issue will not resolve itself In her address to the United Nations on Monday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to lambaste international inaction on Iran’s nuclear program, charging that some countries are acting as if they expect the problem to solve itself.

* The Morning After: IDF, Police Evacuate 5 Activists’ Outposts After a chilly night in the hills of Judea and Samaria, dozens of activists awoke to find themselves being evicted from the sites where they hope to build five new Jewish communities in the near future.

* Survey: 72 percent of Israelis support using nuclear weapons Some 72 percent of Israelis support the use of nuclear weapons in specific circumstances, a Canadian survey revealed on Monday.

* Assad sets conference conditions Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said his government will not attend a Middle East peace conference unless Syria’s concerns are addressed.

* Israel begins prisoner release Israel has begun to release dozens of Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, after hours of delays.

* Pro-Western parties ahead in Ukraine elections Pro-western candidate Yulia Tymoshenko is heading for a narrow victory in Ukraine’s elections, but Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych is behind by only a small margin amid risk of political turmoil that could impact the country’s EU and Russia relations.

* Brussels hosts forum to boost EU-Russian dialogue Brussels will host a forum October 1-2 designed to foster dialogue between the EU and Russia, and stress the role of Europe’s ethnic Russian community, an organizing committee member said Monday.

* Outrage at Darfur troop killings A rebel attack that killed at least 10 African Union troops at one of their army bases in Sudan’s Darfur region has sparked international condemnation.

* Syria doesn’t want war with Israel ‘in distant or near future’ Syrian Vice President Farouk Shara said on Saturday that his country did not want war with Israel “in the distant or near future.”

* Israel holding off on full-scale Gaza assault Israel is not considering an imminent invasion of the Gaza Strip but the option is still on the table.

* PA official: Abbas, Olmert likely to hold meeting on Tuesday Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will likely meet Tuesday.

* Turkey-Iraq agree security pact Iraq and Turkey have signed a security agreement aimed at curbing the activities of the Turkish Kurdish separatist group, the PKK.

* Iran to label CIA, US Army terror groups Iran’s parliament on Saturday approved a nonbinding resolution to label the CIA and the US Army “terrorist organizations.”

* UN: We have criticized Israel unfairly The United Nations Human Rights Council has not managed to deal fairly with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

* Key nations to delay new Iran sanctions Six key nations agreed Friday to delay a new UN resolution that would toughen sanctions against Iran until November to see if Teheran answers questions about its suspect nuclear program.

* Serbia to ‘offer Kosovo autonomy’ Serbia is prepared to offer its secessionist province of Kosovo the “largest autonomy in the world” in upcoming talks on the future of the independence-seeking region.

* ‘Deal possible 6 months after ME parley’ Israel and the Palestinians may sign a peace agreement within six months of the international Mideast peace conference scheduled for November.

* ‘Jewish groups most at risk of attack’ More than $24 million went out Friday to mostly Jewish not-for-profit organizations in major cities across the country.

* ‘200 suicide bombers await the Merkava’ 200 female suicide bombers are awaiting the Merkava tanks.

* Serbia’s neighbors see no silver lining for Kosovo Balkan states bordering Serbia saw scant hope of a breakthrough in New York talks between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians.

* Jibril: Israel will attack Syria soon Israel has already made a decision to attack Syria and was just mulling over where to land its first strike.

* Hizbullah: If Israel attacks Syria, we’ll respond “If Israel dares to make an adventurous move against Syria, it will pay a heavy price,” a member of Hizbulla’s political council warned.

* Turkey and Iraq sign security deal Turkey and Iraq have signed an accord in Ankara to deal with separatist Kurdish fighters who have been attacking Turkey from bases in Iraq, but it does not allow for Turkish troops to enter Iraq.

* Hamas looking to make peace with Fatah – report Hamas has formulated a new plan for reconciliation with rival Fatah following the crisis in the Palestinian Authority since the Islamist group’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last June.

* Vatican urges Muslims to reject violence, work for peace The Vatican urged Muslims on Friday to reject violence, work with Christians for peace and to teach their young to love and respect all people.

* Iran Strengthens Ties With South America Iran and Venezuela cemented an alliance aimed at countering the United States.

* Somalis face worsening plight Tens of thousands of Somalis, who have fled the violence-wracked capital Mogadishu, are facing yet another humanitarian crisis.

* Personal data protection under threat in EU treaty draft Negotiations on the new EU treaty have thrown up sensitive questions about how citizens’ personal data should be kept and accessed in the future.

* “Sweet” Feast of Tabernacles For the upcoming Feast of Tabernacles, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianki welcomed children of all ages to a Candy Sukkah (tent) set up in Safra Square, downtown Jerusalem.

* Gaza: 11 Palestinians killed in IDF ops Eleven Palestinians were reported killed as violence in the Gaza Strip heated up Thursday following a barrage of Kassam rockets and mortar shells.

* Iraqi Sunni leader meets Sistani Iraqi vice-president and Sunni leader Tariq al-Hashemi has held talks with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most senior Shia cleric.

* Abdullah, Mubarak appeal to PA factions Jordan and Egypt urged the Palestinians on Wednesday to cast aside their differences to make way for peace and statehood.

* Turkey, Iraq in ‘Kurd rebel deal’ Turkey and Iraq have agreed on a deal to allow Turkish forces to cross into Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels.

* Saudi FM calls summit ‘encouraging’ Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister described as “encouraging” his talks with US officials about a proposed Mideast peace meeting.

* Warner takes Hollywood to Abu Dhabi Warner Brothers, Time Warner’s film and TV division, has launched an “unprecedented” multibillion-dollar partnership to develop a media and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi virtually from scratch.

* Russia promises retaliation if weapons deployed in space Russia is ready to take appropriate measures if weapons are deployed in space, the commander of the Russian Space Forces said Thursday.

* Saudis worried Iran nuclear issue headed to ‘confrontation’ Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said here Wednesday that Iran’s standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program is heading toward a “confrontation.”

* Rabbis set up alternate kashrut authority for produce in ‘shmita’ year Religious-Zionist rabbis announced Tuesday that they have established an alternate kashrut authority to provide certification for produce in several cities during the shmita, or sabbatical, year.

* Barak: Gaza operation near “We will use all our diplomatic means to weaken the Hamas leadership and its effectiveness, but the truth must be told, we are nearing an extensive operation in Gaza.

* Dollar falls to another euro low The dollar has fallen to yet another all-time low against the euro, after further weak US economic data.

* Report: 2 rockets aimed at J’lem seized in Beit Jala Palestinian security forces uncovered on Wednesday two rockets ready to be launched in the town of Beit Jala near Jerusalem.

* Ahmadinejad unveils world without Israel Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to unveil a vision of a world without Israel.

* Russia: When Politics Becomes A Family Affair The prime minister is the defense minister’s father-in-law. The energy minister is the health minister’s husband. The justice minister’s son is married to the deputy Kremlin chief of staff’s daughter.

* ‘A nuclear Iran could lead to war’ French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday the international standoff over Iran’s nuclear program will only be resolved with a combination of “firmness and dialogue.”

* Qatar: Iraq conflict too big for US The Emir of Qatar has said Iraq can no longer remain the responsibility of just one country and called for a strengthening of the United Nations’ role there.

* Arab leaders: ME parley ‘waste of time’ Less than two months before the US-sponsored Middle East peace conference is expected to convene, most of the Arab countries have yet to confirm their participation.

* US Anglicans reject gay bishops Leaders of the Episcopal Church in the United States have agreed to halt the selection of gay priests as bishops to prevent a split in the Anglican Church.

* Turkey cut out of new euro coins map Member states have modified the original version of a new euro coin design – already in circulation – by cutting Turkey off the map aimed at representing larger Europe.

* Syrian newspaper: U.S. must alter policy for Mideast summit to succeed The United States ought to revise its policy in the region if it wants the upcoming Mideast peace conference to succeed.

* World leaders set to address UN The United Nations’ annual general assembly is due to begin its formal session, with speeches by the US and Iran keenly awaited.

* Bush backs creation of Palestinian state US President George W. Bush reaffirmed his support for a Palestinian state at a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in New York City.

* FM Livni: ‘Israel is Committed to Establishing Palestine’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni declared Israel’s support for the creation of an Arab state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

* Ahmadinejad grilled in Columbia Q&A Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University on Monday, evaded the question of whether he would seek the destruction of the State of Israel.

* Bush to Abbas: Statehood for Palestinians in reach U.S. President George W. Bush met Monday with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad in New York.

* U.S. and EU are ready to recognize Kosovo independence The United States and the European Union will recognize Kosovo if the Balkan province declares independence from Serbia in early December when last-ditch negotiations end.

* Dichter shuts down Husseini Foundation dinner in E. J’lem Public Security Minister Avi Dichter ordered police last week to prevent the Faisal Husseini Foundation from East Jerusalem from holding its annual fund raiser in the city.

* Turkey parliament may vote on new constitution next year A draft constitution for Turkey, which has fueled tensions between the Islamist-rooted government and secularist forces, is likely to be submitted to parliament early next year.

* NATO and EU relations simmer over soldiers NATO is feeling the pinch as the UN and EU both dip into the same resources to fulfil defence obligations leaving the military alliance thin on soldiers.