By: Dore Gold – The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. and other Western powers are pushing for a new Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough, to help contain Iran and undercut the appeal of al Qaeda and radical Islam. A grand-scale Middle East peace conference is planned for this fall.

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* Erekat: Olmert promised to remove W. Bank roadblocks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reportedly promised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to release in the coming days a list of major West Bank roadblocks that will be removed.

* Bomb kills southern Iraq governor A powerful roadside bomb has killed the governor and police chief of the southern Iraqi province of Diwaniya.

* Iran mocks US: ‘Wise’ leaders needed US President George W. Bush’s policies have harmed Washington’s global image and the country needs “wise” leaders to regain its lost credibility.

* UN approves expanded Iraq mission The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a US-British resolution calling for a greater UN role in Iraq.

* Canada plans Arctic military base Canada has said it is to build a new military facility in the Arctic and renovate another in a move to assert sovereignty over the contested region.

* US, EU and Russian Envoys Meet Serbian Officials on Kosovo U.S., European Union and Russian mediators met Friday with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and other top officials in Belgrade.

* The Dangers of ‘Peace’-Making The U.S. and other Western powers are pushing for a new Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough.

* Israeli web site sparks terror alert Authorities were taking extra counterterrorism precautions in response to what they said was an unsubstantiated radiological threat to the city.

* Bush warns al-Maliki on Iran The US president has rebuked Iraq’s prime minister for speaking too favourably about Iran.

* ‘Abbas willing, truly seeks peace’ “[Palestinian Authority Chairman] Mahmoud Abbas is a man of peace. He is a liberal willing to negotiate, unlike [former PA chairman Yasser] Arafat.

* Iran calls for US to pull out of Iraq An end to violence in Iraq depends on the US withdrawing its troops.

* UN to vote on bigger Iraq mission The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on a resolution calling for a greater UN mandate in Iraq.

* Barak: No Difference Between Fatah and Hamas Labor Party Chairman and Prime Ministerial candidate Defense Minister Ehud Barak says peace with the PA is 3-5 years away.

* World shares fall on credit fears Markets have fallen sharply again in Friday trading, a day after markets in the US and Europe suffered heavy losses amid fears of a global credit crunch.

* China’s Iran stance worries US, Israel Stuart Levey, the US Treasury official spearheading efforts to hit Iran economically, met with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Tel Aviv.

* Turkey names new parliament speaker Turkey’s parliament has elected Koksal Toptan, a candidate from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), as its new speaker in a first round of voting after he secured backing from the main opposition party.

* Gay Nigerians face Sharia death Eighteen men have been remanded in prison following their arrest for alleged sodomy in northern Nigeria, the state-owned news agency, Nan, reports.

* China plans to survey ‘every inch’ of moon China plans to survey all of the moon’s surface before eventually bringing bits of the planet back to Earth.

* Last round talks on Kosovo question Belgrade and Pristina are entering a final round of diplomacy on the fate of Serbia’s breakaway province today.

* US opens new front in diplomatic war over Lebanon The Bush administration has quietly opened a new diplomatic front in its efforts to free Lebanon from Syrian influence.

* Musharraf rejects emergency rule Pakistan has stepped back from imposing emergency rule, after mounting speculation that President Pervez Musharraf was considering the move.

* UN warns Gaza faces economic disaster The Gaza Strip will soon become entirely dependent on foreign aid and face “disastrous consequences”.

* Missile interception system to be operational in 18 months Israel’s short-range rocket-based missile interception system will become operational in 18 months.

* Peres: Misunderstanding with Syria could lead to conflict President Shimon Peres reiterated concerns expressed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday that a misunderstanding with Syria could lead to armed conflict.

* Canada joins rush to claim the Arctic Canada raised the stakes in the battle to claim ownership of the Arctic by sending Stephen Harper, prime minister, on a three-day trek to the region.

* ‘Teheran counts on victory of Iraqis’ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that Teheran and Baghdad share a “heavy responsibility” in establishing peace and security in the region.

* Security tight for Iraq pilgrims A huge security operation is under way in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, ahead of a pilgrimage that is expected to draw more than a million Shia faithful.

* Saudis might take Bibles from tourists Despite a series of initiatives aimed at generating foreign tourism, the Saudi Arabian government continues to bar Jews and Christians from bringing items such as Bibles.

* Diplomats press for Kosovo deal A top diplomat trying to settle the future status of Kosovo says the Serbs and ethnic Albanians may be facing their last chance to reach a deal.

* Tribal council starts in Kabul A meeting of Afghan and Pakistani political and tribal leaders has opened in Kabul, but will not be attended by Pakistan’s president.

* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrives in Iran Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Iran on Wednesday for talks expected to focus on bilateral relations.

* US raid kills 30 Iraq ‘militants’ US-led forces have killed about 30 militants in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the US military has said.

* No Iraq-Turkey pact on separatists Turkey has failed to get a formal commitment from Iraq’s prime minister to crack down on Kurdish separatists.

* PM: War with Syria not expected A war is not expected to break out on the Syrian front and no other escalation of any kind is anticipated, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

* Dutch far-right MP calls for Koran ban The Dutch government swiftly condemned Wilders’ remarks as damaging for community relations in the Netherlands.

* Georgia calls on EU to condemn Russia over missile strike Accusing Russia of committing an “act of aggression” against Georgia by firing a guided missile into its territory, Tbilisi said the EU should not appease Moscow.

* Lost forest reveals new species An expedition to a remote forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo has uncovered six new animal species.

* Abbas: Hamas action in Gaza destructive Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip was “destructive” to the quest for a Palestinian state.

* China threatens ‘nuclear option’ of dollar sales The Chinese government has begun a concerted campaign of economic threats against the United States.

* More time spent on Web than newspapers: study U.S. consumers this year will spend more of their day surfing the Internet than reading newspapers or going to the movies or listening to recorded music.

* Government Forces Complete Expulsion of Hevron Families The expulsion of two families from their homes in the Shalhevet neighborhood, built on the site of the former Hevron marketplace, was completed late Tuesday morning.

* Georgia in Russian attack claim Russia has committed an “act of aggression” against Georgia by firing a guided missile at its territory, officials in Tbilisi say.

* Olmert Agrees to Speed up Talks to Establish PA State Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared Monday that Israel will work toward the establishment of a Palestinian Authority State.

* S Asia millions face flood hunger Millions of people across South Asia are still facing hunger after some of the worst floods in decades, amid fears of disease and fights over supplies.

* Peres’ aides confirm plan for PA state on land equal to 100% of West Bank Aides to President Shimon Peres confirmed Tuesday a Haaretz report that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is examining a new framework for peace.

* Chartered Flight Brings Another 210 North American Jews Home A chartered flight of 210 new immigrants from North America landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport Tuesday morning.

* Iraq power system ‘near collapse’ Iraq’s national power grid is on the brink of collapse, the country’s electricity ministry has warned.

* Iraqi Prime Minister Visits Turkey Kurdish guerrillas killed a Turkish lieutenant in the southeast on Tuesday, as the Iraqi prime minister arrived for a visit likely to be dominated by Turkish warnings.

* Russia’s Deep-Sea Flag-Planting at North Pole Strikes a Chill in Canada A dramatic submarine dive to plant the Russian flag on the seabed at the North Pole last week has rattled Canadian politics.

* Team finds largest exoplanet yet An international team of astronomers has discovered the largest known planet orbiting another star.

* PM hopes Abbas talks will bear fruit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he hopes his talks with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will move negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state forward.

* Hevron Stands Firm: Fool Us Twice, Not a Chance The Jewish community in Hevron says it has been lied to and tricked one too many times and will neither negotiate nor leave the Jewish-owned Hevron marketplace willingly.

* Hizbullah, Other Terrorists Targeting Traveling Israelis The Counter-Terrorism Bureau of the National Security Council (NSC) issued its biannual travel advisories this week. Among the NSC’s list of alerts are warnings that Hizbullah is intending to take hostages from among Israelis abroad.

* Syria wary of Israeli attack, says IDF Head of research in Military Intelligence says Syria keeps watchful eye on Israel, warns next Hamas-Fatah clash might sweep West Bank.

* Syrian minister: US, Israel a ‘snake’ Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal publicly attacked Israel and the United States on Sunday, comparing both countries to a snake “ready to attack at any minute, even if it knows it will die.”

* IDF to try troops who refuse to evacuate Hebron market OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni decided on Monday that 12 soldiers who refused to participate in the planned evacuation of the Hebron marketplace would be tried on disciplinary charges and will not serve in any combat position in the future.

* Elite IDF Unit Refuses Hevron Expulsion Orders Some 30 IDF soldiers refused to board the bus Monday morning after being told by officers that their orders to carry out operations in Judea and Samaria included the forcible eviction of two families from their homes in the former Hevron marketplace.

* Iran detains scores at “satanic” rock gig: media Iranian police detained more than 200 people and seized alcohol and drugs in a raid on a “satanic” underground rock concert, media in the conservative Islamic state reported on Saturday.

* Opposition wins key Lebanese poll An opposition candidate has defeated a government-backed rival in a tense by-election near Lebanon’s capital Beirut, the interior ministry says.

* 190,000 weapons ‘missing in Iraq’ The US military cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to the Iraqi security forces, an official US report says.

* ‘US seeks to drown Mideast in wars’ Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah criticized a US plan on Friday to increase military assistance to Arab countries.

* Turkish parliament being sworn in Turkey is swearing in a new parliament with attention focusing on 20 pro-Kurdish deputies, represented for the first time since 1991.

* Olmert to meet with Abbas in Jericho Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the quiet West Bank town of Jericho on Sunday.

* Lebanon braces for key elections Lebanon is stepping up security ahead of two by-elections, one a key test of support among the deeply divided Christian community.

* Ahmadinejad accuses US of seeking ME dominance Iran’s president criticized the US on Friday for its plan to increase weapons sales to several Arab countries and step up military aid to Israel.

* Miles below the North Pole, Russian mini-subs lay claim to Arctic wealth Russia symbolically staked its claim to billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the Arctic Ocean yesterday.

* Arafat aide calls on Chirac to reveal truth about Arafat’s death Former French President Jacques Chirac knows what killed Yasser Arafat and should make it public, an ex-Arafat aide said.

* New olim: We’ll accept Israel as it is Last week they landed in Israel on two large El-Al planes which carried them to the Holy Land.

* Russia confirms Hamas officials invited to Moscow for talks Russian Foreign Minsiter Sergei Lavrov said his country is holding talks with Hamas in order find solutions for the conflict in the Middle East.

* Lift off for Nasa’s Mars probe Nasa has launched a spacecraft on a nine-month journey to Mars, where it will dig below the surface for clues to the existence of past or present life.

By: Economist.com

Russia’s foray into the Arctic is an audacious geopolitical adventure, as popular at home as it is troubling for outsiders. At stake are the region’s natural riches, until now frozen both in law and in nature. But global warming is making them look more accessible.

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* ‘Swiss seize Iran nuke plant equipment’ Swiss customs authorities seized mechanical equipment weighing over two tons which they suspected was destined for an Iranian nuclear plant.

* A first step to save Darfur The UN Security Council has at last taken a meaningful step toward stopping the genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.

* India-US nuclear details released India and the United States have released details of how they intend to share civilian nuclear technology.

* Pro-Syria summer camp starts in Golan A pro-Syria summer camp for Druse children has started on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.

* Iraqi progress ‘disappoints’ US US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said he is disappointed by the lack of political progress in Iraq.

* Gold rush under the ice Russia’s foray into the Arctic is an audacious geopolitical adventure, as popular at home as it is troubling for outsiders.

* European group agrees Libya missiles deal The way in which Europe negotiated the release of six Bulgarians imprisoned in Libya came under fresh scrutiny on Friday morning.

* APEC Says Flexible Currencies Will Reduce Imbalances Currency “flexibility” is needed to reduce imbalances in the global economy, Asia-Pacific finance ministers said today.

* Army to crack down on draft dodgers In an effort to curb the growing number of youth who evade military service.

* Russia ‘amazed’ by Western mockery Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday he was “amazed” by Western mockery of Russia’s landmark expedition to the North Pole seabed this week.