* Gazans pull kids from Hamas camp Some Palestinian parents in the Gaza Strip are up in arms over Hamas summer camps which are being used to train children on the use of weapons and other military equipment.

* Russia issues new missile threat Russia has raised the idea of basing new missile forces in Kaliningrad, close to Poland and Lithuania.

* Sarkozy meets with Middle East leaders in Paris New French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his government were holding a flurry of meetings Wednesday on the Middle East, hosting King Abdullah II of Jordan and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

* Fatah and Hamas Searching for Ways to Collaborate Again Despite the complete Hamas takeover of Gaza and the Fatah suppression of Hamas in Judea and Samaria, the two Palestinian Authority terrorist organizations may be moving towards a renewed cooperation.

* EU plans tougher security checks on all entrants Millions of air passengers could be tracked across Europe under security proposals unveiled in Brussels yesterday.

* Euro skirts with record high, pound hits 26-year peak The euro climbed close to its record high against the dollar on Tuesday while the pound hit a 26-year peak against the US currency on worries over the US housing market and interest-rate differentials, dealers said.

* Syria says ready for unconditional talks with Israel Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem said Tuesday that Damascus is ready to resume unconditional peace talks with Israel, at a press conference with his Danish counterpart, Per Stig Moeller.

* No timetable set for African unity African nations failed to reach a firm timetable on steps towards a so-called United States of Africa after leaders were deeply divided over the issue at a three-day summit in Ghana.

* Rightists plan new illegal outposts Settlers prepare to establish five new illegal outposts in West Bank in response to decision to exclude Eitam hill from Gush Etzion.

* Iran heaps scorn on U.S. claim of Hezbollah in Iraq An Iranian official slammed what he called “ridiculous and false claims” from U.S. officials about the “arrest of a foreign citizen in Iraq and his relation with Iran.”

By: Yahoo News

Doctors could soon be storing essential medical information under the skin of their patients, the American Medical Association says.

Read more….

By: Johnathan Adiri – The Jerusalem Post

Amid the looming Turkish failure to preserve the secular nature of its democracy, the growing Russian regional energy dominance and recent agreements to extend a natural gas pipeline from Iran to India, it seems like global diplomacy is becoming more dictated by increased demand for cheap and efficient energy.

Read more….

By: – The Jerusalem Post

Saudi Arabia and Jordan cautioned Wednesday that a bloody conflict between Hamas and Fatah could hamper the creation of an independent Palestinian state and gives Israel an excuse not to make peace.

Read more….

* US links Iran to attack in Iraq The US military in Iraq has accused Iran of orchestrating an attack that killed five US soldiers and of using Lebanese militants to train insurgents.

* ‘Iran uses Hizbullah as ‘proxy’ to organize Iraq insurgents’ The United States said Monday that Hizbullah was operating as an Iranian proxy in Iraq to arm Shi’ite militants.

* Putin offers alternative missile defense plan Vladimir Putin, fiercely opposed to U.S. plans for missile defense in Europe.

* Sneh: IDF lacks resources to fight Iran Calling for greater and tougher sanctions against Teheran, outgoing Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh Monday criticized the way Israel was preparing for the Iranian nuclear threat.

* Summit debates future of Africa African Union leaders are to discuss the idea of a pan-African government, on the second day of their summit.

* Israel scraps Mughrabi Gate bridge plan In a dramatic about-face, controversial plans to construct a major new bridge to the Mughrabi Gate adjacent to Jerusalem’s Western Wall directly through an archeological garden abutting the Temple Mount have been nixed.

* Iraqi cabinet backs draft oil law The Iraqi government has approved an amended draft law on how to share the country’s oil wealth, officials say.

* We must restore IDF’s deterrence, says Barak “We must once again restore the IDF’s deterrence, because there is no other way,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

* PA launches clampdown on Hamas ‘sleeper cells’ In an effort to quash Hamas in the West Bank, Fatah security forces recently arrested dozens of members of the Islamic group.

* Barroso warns member states against unravelling treaty deal The European Commission and the newly minted Portuguese EU presidency has dismissed Poland’s attempts to reopen a key part of a new agreement on a future union treaty.

Putin’s intentions unclear on US visit Relations are rocky between President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

* Portugal takes over EU presidency European commissioners are meeting members of the Portuguese government for the first working session of the country’s European Union presidency.

* Hamas’s plans for Temple Mount foiled Hamas’s attempts to take over control of the Temple Mount as well as spread its ideology and recruit new members in Jerusalem have been foiled by the Shin Bet.

* Jordan’s king rejects confederation with Palestinians Jordan’s King Abdullah II flatly rejected a confederation with the Palestinians.

* Kurds woo investors as Iraq knocks at the door The streets of the regional capital of Arbil are throbbing, not with the shock waves of car bombs, but the roaring of bulldozers.

* Hamas ‘Mickey Mouse’ killed off A Palestinian TV station has killed off a controversial Mickey Mouse lookalike that critics said was spreading anti-US and anti-Israeli messages to children.

* Babies not as innocent as they pretend Whether lying about raiding the biscuit tin or denying they broke a toy, all children try to mislead their parents at some time.

* Small Portugal saddled with EU treaty and Turkey issues Portugal took over the EU’s hotseat yesterday (1 July) with the rush already on to secure a new treaty for the bloc.

* Exclusive: Navy may deploy in Dead Sea While the Dead Sea is empty of living creatures except for the occasional floating bather.

* Alarmist global warming claims melt under scientific scrutiny In his new book, The Assault on Reason, Al Gore pleads, “We must stop tolerating the rejection and distortion of science.

* Hamas: Int’l force in Gaza Strip will be met with ‘shells and rockets’ The armed wing of Hamas rejected Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s call for the deployment of international troops in the Gaza Strip.

* Pope to revive ‘anti-Semitic’ Mass The Vatican is expected to publish this week a document authorizing the use of a controversial Latin Mass.

* Any Kennebunkport in a storm The menu has been decided, security and secret service agents are in town and small Russian flags are already on sale. Vladimir Putin is about to get what has become known as the Kennebunkport treatment.

* Sarkozy promises Abbas $20 million Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas appealed for an international force for Gaza so the divided Palestinians can hold new elections.

* U.S., allies to Iran: No new sanctions if enrichment stops The United States and fellow permanent U.N. Security Council members have told Iran they will hold off on new sanctions if it stops expanding its uranium enrichment.

* Syrian paper: Blair can’t be peace envoy A state-run Syrian newspaper on Saturday lambasted Tony’s Blair’s appointment as a special Middle East envoy.

* EU ‘faces backlash from Turkey’ The European Union is risking an Islamic backlash in Turkey, according to the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn.

* Haniyeh tours Arafat’s house in Gaza The deposed Hamas PA prime minister toured the house of former Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat on Saturday.

* Car bombs come to London Police were last night hunting a suspected al-Qaida-inspired terrorist cell after the discovery of two “Iraqi style” car bombs.

* Gilad: Syria producing more missiles Syria is producing more missiles and preparing its army for possible armed conflict in other ways.

* Abbas urges immediate resumption of peace talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Israel Friday afternoon to resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

* Lebanese troops fire on refugees Lebanese troops have fired at Palestinian civilians demanding to return to their homes at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp.

* Israel sees hope in Iranian unrest Defense officials expressed satisfaction Thursday with reports emerging from Teheran claiming that Iranians had set fire to a dozen gas stations.

* Saudi king avoids meeting Abbas Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has snubbed the Palestinian president.

* Abbas determined to isolate Hamas The Palestinian Authority is determined to isolate Hamas in the aftermath of its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip.

* Mubarak: Olmert should ‘forget about’ talks with Saudi officials Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak has said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should “forget about” holding talks with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.

* Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report First lady Laura Bush on Thursday in Lusaka, Zambia, began the third day of her four-nation tour of Africa by visiting an HIV/AIDS treatment center.

* PM: Full Kassam protection impossible Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that he had no intention of providing maximal protection to all residents of Gaza periphery communities.

* Police avert car bomb ‘carnage’ A car bomb planted in central London would have caused “carnage” if it had exploded.

* ‘Space hotel’ test craft launched An experimental spacecraft designed to test the viability of a hotel in space has been successfully sent into orbit.

* Bush creates Muslim envoy post Amid growing criticism that his administration hasn’t focused enough on engagement in the Middle East, US President George W. Bush on Wednesday announced that he would appoint an envoy.

* Gaza gas talks with Israel, UK firm quietly ongoing At least one commercially-exploitable gas field, Gaza Marine, is located within a Palestinian maritime.

* Blair plans Middle East visit in July Tony Blair said in an interview published Thursday that he will begin his new job as special Middle East envoy immediately.

* Senior Russian diplomat says Russia to keep Hamas contacts Russia intends to keep up its contacts with Hamas, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

* Aliya from North America increasing The Aliyah Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel anticipates a five to 10 percent increase in aliya from North America by the end of 2007.

* Iraqi security forces ‘not ready’ At least 20 people have been killed in a car bombing at a Baghdad bus stop.

* Analysis: Keeping Hamas Away from the West Bank Wednesday’s killing in Gaza indicates that even following the optimistic statements expressed in Sharm only two days ago, the transition to a new reality is still very far.

* Hamas critical of Blair envoy role Hamas has condemned the appointment of Tony Blair as Middle East envoy after stepping down as Britain’s prime minister.

* Blair will have limited role as Middle East envoy – Merkel German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today that Tony Blair’s mandate as the new Middle East envoy would be limited.

* Russia lays claim to the North Pole – and all its gas, oil, and diamonds Russian leader Vladimir Putin has made an astonishing bid to grab a vast chunk of the Arctic.

* Jordan, Saudi Arabia warn against Palestinian infighting Saudi Arabia and Jordan cautioned Wednesday that a bloody conflict between Hamas and Fatah could hamper the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

* Ahern confirms Middle East role for Blair Tony Blair has already accepted a job as a Middle East envoy.

* Poll: Most Palestinians favor Iran nukes Iran’s potential acquisition of nuclear arms is favored by majorities in only Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Palestinian territories.

* Brown is UK’s new prime minister Labour leader Gordon Brown is the UK’s new prime minister after being asked to form a government by the Queen.

* Bolton: I’m ‘very worried’ for Israel Sanctions and diplomacy have failed and it may be too late for internal opposition to oust the Islamist regime.

* Turkish army backs Iraq incursion An armed incursion into northern Iraq is needed to crush Kurdish rebels based there.

* Saudi king arrives in Jordan on first visit in more than 25 years Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah arrived Wednesday in Jordan for talks on ways to restart Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking.

* Abbas orders fighters to disarm The Palestinian president has ordered all armed groups that are not part of government security forces, including those linked to his own Fatah movement, to disarm immediately.

* Analysis: Russia’s aggressive energy policy is bad news for Israel Amid the looming Turkish failure to preserve the secular nature of its democracy, it seems like global diplomacy is becoming more dictated by increased demand for cheap and efficient energy.

* Doctors back plan to store medical info under your skin Doctors could soon be storing essential medical information under the skin of their patients, the American Medical Association says.