By: Ilene R. Prusher – The Christian Science Monitor
Jordan is quietly discussing closer ties – even some form of official union – with the Palestinian West Bank.
* Jordan: Stop Temple Mount digging A Jordanian official called on Israel Wednesday to stop archaeological excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem.
* Poll: Israelis Finished With Withdrawals A poll carried out by the Knesset channel found a majority of Israelis want no more withdrawals from parts of the Land of Israel.
* Israel to ready public for ‘all-out war’ With Iran racing toward nuclear power and IDF preparations for the possibility of a conflict with Syria and Hizbullah in high gear, the Home Front Command plans to launch a publicity campaign.
* UN approves Hariri murder court The UN Security Council has approved the creation of an international court to try suspects in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
* Top official: Israel mulling renewing Syria peace talks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is exploring the possibility of renewing peace talks with Syria.
* Iran links Iraq and nuclear issue A senior Iranian official has said that direct Iran-US talks about security in Iraq will have an impact on the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
* ‘Arms race’ warning over US shield US plans to erect a missile defence system in former Soviet-bloc countries is reigniting a Cold War-style arms race.
* Russians Bidding for Control in Downtown Jerusalem If current negotiations with the Russians succeed, a large complex in central Jerusalem will be handed over to control of the Russian government.
* Turkey troops head to Iraq border Turkey has sent large contingents of soldiers, tanks, guns and armored personnel carriers to reinforce its border with Iraq.
* Public Figures Express Regret For Disengagement The Yesha Council of Judea, Samaria and Gaza communities has published a collection of statements by public figures who supported or helped implement the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza.
* Turkey-Iraq border tension grows Tension is rising on Turkey’s border with Iraq amid speculation Ankara may be about to launch an incursion to tackle Kurdish rebels.
* Mashaal: Rocket attacks will continue Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal declared on Tuesday that the rocket attacks against Israel would continue.
* Houses raided after Iraq kidnap US and Iraqi troops have raided houses and buildings in Baghdad’s Sadr City, close to where five Britons were kidnapped on Tuesday.
* Russia Says New ICBM Can Beat Any System Russia tested new missiles Tuesday that a Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system.
* Iran links Iraq and nuclear issue A senior Iranian official has said that direct Iran-US talks about security in Iraq will have an impact on the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programm.
* Qaeda warns of attacks ‘worse than 9/11’ An American member of Al-Qaeda warned in an Internet video that US President George W. Bush should withdraw all his troops from Muslim land or face attacks worse than September 11.
* Ministers push for stepped-up Gaza campaign The security cabinet voted Wednesday in favor of stepping up Israel’s military pressure on terror groups responsible for the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.
* France gives stay of execution on Turkey EU hopes France has confirmed that it will agree to press ahead with Turkey’s EU membership talks for now.
* Leaders to meet as Gaza deaths rise Two suspected Palestinian fighters have been killed in fresh Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip.
* Lebanese army files terrorism charges against militants A Lebanese military magistrate filed terrorism charges Wednesday against 20 suspected members of the militant Fatah Islam group.
* Bush toughens sanctions on Sudan US President George W Bush has announced fresh sanctions against Sudan over the four-year Darfur conflict.
* Syrians vote to endorse Assad for second term Posters plastered on walls of the capital and songs blaring from cars and loudspeakers proclaimed “We love you” as Syrians voted in a referendum to endorse President Bashar Assad – the only candidate – for a second term.
* Russia tests long-range missile Russia has test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, Russian military officials say.
* China to catch up with US economy: world poll China is on course to catch up with the United States and join the front ranks of world economic powers, but that is little cause for concern even among Americans.
* Blair in Libya for Gaddafi talks Tony Blair has arrived in Libya at the start of a week-long tour of Africa seen as highlighting what he believes to have been foreign policy successes.
* Arabs Fear U.S-Iran Talks Cut Them Out Arab officials and commentators said Tuesday they feared the budding dialogue between Washington and Iran could cut them out of the debate over the future of Iraq.
* Israel party votes to oust leader Israel faces further political uncertainty after the Labour party, a key coalition member, voted to replace its much-criticised leader.
* High Court Bans New Muslim Burial Site Next to Temple Mount The High Court of Justice has upheld a decision by Public Security Minister Avi Dichter to ban Muslim burials on the grounds immediately southeast of the Temple Mount.
* Abbas to meet Israeli PM as Gaza violence persists Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert next week for the first time in nearly two months.
* Merkel promises ‘fair’ solution on EU constitution German chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is determined to find a way out of the EU’s institutional impasse.
* US warns Iran over arming Iraqis The US has called on Iran to stop arming militants in Iraq following the first bilateral public talks between the two countries in almost 30 years.
* Israel’s Labour Party in key vote Labour party members in Israel are voting in a leadership election that could determine the government’s fate and shape the future of politics.
* PM warns of ‘long-term conflict’ Israel needs to prepare for a lengthy campaign in Gaza to stop the Kassam fire, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet Sunday, hinting that neither internal Palestinian agreements nor an end to the rocket barrages would necessarily bring a halt to the IDF’s operations there.
* Palestinian leaders seek end to Lebanon refugee camp fighting Palestinian leaders on Monday sought to end a bloody standoff between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants holed up in a refugee camp which has been the battleground for Lebanon’s worst fighting since the civil war.
* ‘Hamas will be ready for us’ Explosive tunnels, snipers, road bombs, all will be waiting should IDF decide to enter Gaza, says Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin.
* China’s stock market hits record Chinese shares have continued rising at a breakneck pace, pushing Shanghai’s main stock index through the 4,000 mark for the first time.
* Gay activists slam Russia over incidents at Moscow demo European gay and lesbian activists Monday urged the European Union to address human rights violations in Russia after being attacked during an unauthorized gay rally in Moscow, allegedly with the tacit support of the local police.
* U.S. jets violate Turkish airspace Two U.S. warplanes briefly violated Turkish airspace near Iraq last week, the military General Staff said on its Web site.
* Ministers push for ban on Jerusalem gay parade Ministerial committee wants Knesset to pass bill giving Jerusalem city council power to ban gay pride parade in city.
* Ultra-orthodox newspaper opens new front in Haredi war on computers An op-ed in the ultra-Orthodox newspaper Hamodia yesterday urged readers to avoid computers, which it called the devil in disguise.
* Israel renews strikes across Gaza Israel has carried out fresh strikes against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, killing four Palestinians.
* Sadr’s Mahdi army in Iraq clashes British and US forces in Iraq have clashed with armed supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, a major Shia religious leader.
* Military pumps up China’s influence, Pentagon says China’s modernizing military will make it a more muscular player in world events, a U.S. Defense Department report says.
* PA Chair proposes truce with Israel in Gaza first, then in W. Bank Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Friday presented the various Palestinian factions with a proposal for a month-long cease-fire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
* Standoff continues in Lebanon A tense standoff between the Lebanese military and Fatah al-Islam at a Palestinian refugee camp has continued into its fourth day, as the US flew further aid to the Lebanese army.
* ‘Noah’s Ark’ of 5,000 rare animals found floating off the coast of China Endangered, hunted, smuggled and now abandoned, 5,000 of the world’s rarest animals have been found drifting in a deserted boat near the coast of China.
* Ya’alon: Disengagement cause of Lebanon war Former IDF chief of staff sees clear connection between pullout from Gaza, second Lebanon war.
* Nasrallah warns Lebanese gov’t against storming Palestinian refugee camp Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday warned the Lebanese government against storming a Palestinian refugee camp where Islamic militants are holed up and criticized U.S. weapons aid to the military in the standoff.
* Thousands stage new pro-secular rally in Turkey Thousands of Turks rallied in the western city of Denizli Saturday in the latest of a series of pro-secular demonstrations against the Islamist-rooted government sparked by political turmoil.
* Eurozone outracing US on economic growth The eurozone will in 2007 take over from the US as the driver of world economic growth, according to Paris-based think tank the OECD, with a strong performance by Germany giving Europe the edge.
* Military aid reaches Lebanese army Two military transport planes landed at the Beirut airport on Friday, bringing foreign military aid to help the Lebanese army fight Islamic militants.
* Iraqi cleric back in public eye Moqtada Sadr, the radical Iraqi Shia cleric, has appeared in public in Iraq for the first time in months.
* ‘Iran issue approaching confrontation’ “We see a deteriorating situation, a move toward confrontation” with Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei warned.
* Turkey’s battle plan could threaten northern Iraq he war drums are getting louder in Turkey, and they can be heard next door in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, and across the globe in Washington as well.
* Syrian overtures stir interest in J’lem The absence of a Palestinian partner, a US “wink,” and an increasingly radicalized region are prompting a number of policy makers in Jerusalem to show new interest.
* Israel will be uprooted should it attack Lebanon, Ahmadinejad says Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday warned Israel it would be uprooted if the Jewish state attacked Lebanon in the coming summer.
* Syrians march to support renewal of Assad’s mandate Hundreds of thousands of Syrians thronged the main square of the capital on Thursday to support a second seven-year term for President Bashar Assad.
* Attack of the cyber terrorists At first it would be no more than a nuisance. No burning skyscrapers, no underground explosions, just a million electronic irritations up and down the land.
* Hamas: Islam Will Rule the World, Destroy Israel and the Jews The Hamas terrorist organization is conducting a simultaneous battle against Israel and its coalition partner, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction.
* Settlers call for ‘Operation Defensive Shield’ in Gaza “Israel must take its fate in its own hands. There is no other option but to launch a ground offensive in the northern Gaza Strip to reoccupy it.”
* Fighting resumes at Lebanon camp There has been renewed fighting between Lebanese army troops and Islamist militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon since Sunday.
* Lebanon warns militants: Surrender or else Lebanon’s defense minister issued an ultimatum Wednesday to Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp to surrender or face a military onslaught.
* Officials: Hamas ready to halt rockets Israel’s threat to target senior Hamas leaders in response to the Kassam rocket attacks from Gaza has prompted the group to agree to a unilateral cease-fire with Israel.
* Sarkozy rejects Turkish EU place New French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he will stand firm in his opposition to Turkey being allowed to join the European Union.
* Israel: Iran not at ‘industrial level’ Iran’s uranium enrichment program has undergone notable advances, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday.
* World Powers Weigh Options Against Iran Experts from the United States and five other powers leading efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear program plan to meet within the week following a U.N. report.
* IDF arrests Hamas education minister The IDF conducted a massive arrest sweep of senior Hamas leaders in the West Bank overnight Wednesday.
* I’ve profound respect for Islam, Pope tells envoys Pope Benedict told Muslim envoys on Monday that Christian and Muslim believers must reject violence.
* Netherlands keen to curb EU powers in new treaty Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende has set out his country’s position on the new EU treaty.
* Analysis: Hamas’ Mickey Mouse ‘Farfur’ is not funny Talking of his huge empire, Walt Disney reportedly once said, “I hope that we never lose sight of one thing: That it was all started by a mouse.”
* US Navy shows force off Iranian coast The US Navy staged its latest show of military force off the Iranian coastline on Wednesday.
* Palestinian leaders in Gaza talks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has held talks in Gaza with Ismail Haniya, the prime minister.
* Gaza: IAF hits two ammunition depots overnight Tuesday A Kassam rocket landed in an open western Negev field Wednesday morning, causing no casualties or damage to property.
* Exodus from Lebanon camp continues Thousands of Palestinian refugees have fled the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon after a ceasefire between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army created a safe route out.
* Bush declassifies Bin Laden intelligence US President George W. Bush on Wednesday will point to US intelligence asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist unit to hit targets outside Iraq.
* Noah’s Ark rebuilt to show climate change threat Noah’s Ark, built to save humanity and the animal kingdom in the face of a great flood, is being reconstructed in model form on Mount Ararat.
* 25% of Muslim teens: Suicide attacks ok One in four younger US Muslims say suicide bombings to defend their religion are acceptable at least in some circumstances.
* Festival of Shavuoth The Festival of Shavuoth, although a one-day festival, really began with the conclusion of the first day of Passover, some fifty days earlier.
* All eyes on Sarkozy during first Brussels visit French president Nicolas Sarkozy is to travel to Brussels today to discuss France’s vision for a new treaty for the bloc.
* China warning over Darfur sanctions International sanctions against Sudan over the conflict in Darfur would only raise the level of confrontation and prolong the suffering of refugees.
By: Natasha Bukhari – Middle East Times
With the announcement this week of a foundation aimed at the promotion of education in the Arab world, the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) vice-president and prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has shed some light on what seems to be his vision for Dubai.