* Lebanese militants call ceasefire Islamist militants besieged by the Lebanese army inside a Palestinian refugee camp have called a ceasefire to try to end a third day of fighting.

* Iran’s secret plan for summer offensive to force US out of Iraq Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces.

* Israeli strikes on Hamas in Gaza Israel has carried out more air strikes in the northern Gaza Strip.

* Calls to Re-settle Gush Katif With every crash of a Kassam rocket in the Negev, increasingly more voices are calling for a return to Gaza – for different reasons.

* Chinese villagers riot over stricter population-control An intensive campaign to enforce strict population-control measures prompted violent clashes between the police and local residents in southwestern China in recent days.

* Hamas Extending the Conflict to Judea and Samaria The Hamas terrorist organization has made it clear that the barrage of Kassam rocket attacks launched at western Negev communities from Gaza is only the beginning.

* Iraq makes plans for quick U.S. pullout Iraq’s military is drawing up plans to cope with any quick U.S. military pullout.

* Jewish, Christian women gather in Jerusalem Hundreds of Jewish and Christian women met in Jerusalem this week to “promote the status of women based on biblical values.”

* Spy poisoning: UK seeks ex-KGB agent British prosecutors are to ask Russia to extradite businessman and former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi to face murder charges.

* Analysis: UAE aspires to be as modern as it is rich The United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) vice-president and prime minister have shed some light on what seems to be his vision for Dubai.

* Hamas: Israel will be wiped off the map Voices from within Hamas called out loudly for Israel’s destruction on Monday, following an IAF attack on a Hamas lawmaker’s home Sunday night.

* Lebanon clashes ‘kill civilians’ New clashes between troops and Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon have killed at least eight civilians.

* U.S. policy turnabout may enable Israel to enter talks with Syria Washington has given Israel the green light to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad’s call for peace talks.

* Poland triumphant after icy EU-Russia summit Polish politicians and analysts are celebrating EU solidarity after Berlin and Brussels took Warsaw’s line at the EU-Russia summit.

* Report: Iran to buy Russian air defense system via Syria Syria has agreed to supply Iran with at least 10 out of 50 air defense systems that Damascus is in the process of buying from Russia.

* Chief Rabbinate Finalizes Ban on Christian Women’s Conference The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, after hearing more testimony, reiterated its ban on Jewish participation in the Christian-sponsored conferences in Jerusalem this week.

* Turks rally for secularism Tens of thousands of Turks have rallied in the northern city of Samsun in the latest of a series of weekly pro-secular demonstrations against the government ahead of elections.

* New Knesset Task Force on Jewish Life in Judea and Samaria The explosive issues that arise in connection with Jewish life in Judea and Samaria have inspired the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to create a special task force.

* G8 ministers put Africa in focus G8 finance ministers have warned against giving African countries cheap loans that they will struggle to repay.

* Arab Broadcasts from America: For or Against Democracy? The director of an U.S. government-funded all-Arabic television network is sitting in the hot seat for broadcasting programs he says are designed to compete with Arabic TV stations.

By: Hillel Fendel – Arutz Sheva

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, after hearing more testimony, reiterated its ban on Jewish participation in the Christian-sponsored conferences in Jerusalem this week

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* Palestinians agree Gaza ceasefire The rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah have agreed another ceasefire as they attempt to end an upsurge in fighting in the Gaza Strip.

* IAF targets Hamas installations in Gaza The IAF carried out several targeted attacks on Hamas installations throughout the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning and Friday night, destroying several weapons-making facilities and killing at least three people.

* Blair’s tribute to troops in Iraq Tony Blair made an emotional tribute to British troops during his seventh and probably final visit to Iraq as PM.

* ‘Gaza clashes could hurt aid to PA’ The bloodshed in Gaza threatens to keep badly needed economic aid from the Palestinians who already suffer from rising unemployment and a lack of basic services.

* India on alert after mosque attack Hundreds of police in riot gear have deployed throughout the mostly deserted streets of Hyderabad after a bomb blast at a mosque.

* Contentious EU – Russia Summit Ends Amid Disagreements Russian and European Union leaders clashed over human rights issues Friday at a contentious summit where police prevented opposition protests from taking place.

* Iran says US should quit Iraq to curb ‘terror’ Iran said on Saturday the United States should withdraw its troops from Iraq because their presence is causing “terrorist” activity in the war-torn country.

* New Concerns on Russia Media Freedom More than a half-dozen journalists with the Russian News Service, which produces reports that reach millions of radio listeners, resigned to protest the new pro-Kremlin management’s policy that at least 50 percent of coverage must be positive.

* EU barters with Serbia as Kosovo tensions mount The EU has rewarded the new moderate government in Serbia with prospects of restarting EU integration talks.

* ‘A country cannot be wiped off the map’ Mohammad Larijani, an Iranian politician and scientist whose brother Ali is his country’s top nuclear envoy, said that Iran was not bent on wiping Israel out.

* Gaza hit by fresh Israeli strikes Israel has launched new air strikes on targets near Gaza City including Hamas buildings killing at least five people, four of them fighters loyal to Hamas.

* Top IDF officer: Goal of Gaza ops is to ‘make Hamas pay’ Defense Minister Amir Peretz held a security meeting on Friday afternoon with IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi.

* Brussels warns Russia on EU unity European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has told Russia that any problems it has with an individual EU state are problems with the whole bloc.

* ‘Hamas planned to assassinate Abbas’ Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas canceled a planned visit to the Gaza Strip on Thursday for fear that Hamas militiamen might attack his convoy.

* Turkey angered by Sarkozy ‘Mediterranean Union’ idea Turkey has strongly criticised a proposal, floated by France’s new president Nicolas Sarkozy, to set up a “Mediterranean Union” as an alternative to the country’s bid for full EU membership.

* Ban on J’lem Christian event upheld The Chief Rabbinate upheld a ban Thursday on Jewish participation in a Christian women’s conference in Jerusalem next week that was organized by the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus, due to concern that some of the organizations involved are active in missionary work.

* Hamas Increasing Terror Capabilities; Al Qaeda Joining Fray The Hamas terror organization has been increasing the number and efficiency of attacks on Israel.

* Wolfowitz to resign as World Bank chief Embattled World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz agreed to resign after weeks of controversy over his handling of a pay package for his girlfriend, a bank employee.

* Arab world in despair over Gaza Arab governments appeared at a loss Thursday over how to stop the stunning wave of bloodshed in Gaza.

* Global net censorship ‘growing’ The level of state-led censorship of the net is growing around the world, a study of so-called internet filtering by the Open Net Initiative suggests.

By: Etgar Lefkovtis – The Jerusalem Post

The Chief Rabbinate upheld a ban Thursday on Jewish participation in a Christian women’s conference in Jerusalem next week that was organized by the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus.

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By: Etgar Lefkovits – The Jerusalem Post

In a highly unusual move, the Chief Rabbinate will consider on Thursday whether a long-planned Christian women’s conference in Jerusalem organized by the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus violates Jewish law.

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* Jordan’s king: More violence unless progress made in peace process Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Thursday he was very concerned by the wave of inter-Palestinian fighting in Gaza and warned that more violence will come unless progress is in the peace process.

* Hamas threatens suicide attacks following IAF strikes The IAF fired a missile at a vehicle traveling in the Shiekh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza.

* Russia accused of unleashing cyberwar to disable Estonia A three-week wave of massive cyber-attacks on the small Baltic country of Estonia, the first known incidence of such an assault on a state, is causing alarm across the western alliance.

* War-torn Iraq ‘facing collapse’ Iraq faces the distinct possibility of collapse and fragmentation, UK foreign policy think tank Chatham House says.

* Ruling due on Christian conference In a highly unusual move, the Chief Rabbinate will consider on Thursday whether a long-planned Christian women’s conference in Jerusalem organized by the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus violates Jewish law.

* Action urgent on EU, says Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy has called for urgent action to get the European Union out of its constitutional “paralysis”.

* ‘Iran could be year from nuke’ One year from now, Iran could possess the means of producing a nuclear bomb – that was the chilling message delivered by Ambassador Dore Gold during an interview with Ynetnews Tuesday.

* Greenpeace Builds Replica of Noah’s Ark Environmental activists are building a replica of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat—where the biblical vessel is said to have landed after the great flood—in an appeal for action on global warming.

* Russian Church ends 80-year split The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church after 80 years of schism sparked by the Bolshevik revolution.

* EU barters with Serbia as Kosovo tensions mount The EU has rewarded the new moderate government in Serbia with prospects of restarting EU integration talks.

* The 40th Anniversary of Jewish Rebirth In Israel, events are marked by their Hebrew calendar date, and this year, the anniversary of the Six Day War comes out on May 15th.

* The Liberation of the Temple Mount In the June, 1967 Six Day War, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel was a young soldier in the paratrooper brigade, led by Gen. Motta Gur, which liberated Jerusalem’s Old City.

* Israel Jerusalem policy condemned The international Red Cross has privately accused Israel of reshaping Jerusalem to further its own interests, in violation of international law.

* Artifacts From Time of Kings David and Solomon Revealed In honor of Jerusalem Day, which begins Tuesday night, archaeologists revealed a number of seals from the time of the Biblical Kings David and Solomonn.

* Fresh killings shatter Gaza truce Gunmen have killed at least 13 people in the latest factional violence in the Gaza Strip, ending a third attempt at a ceasefire in as many days.

* Muslim Religious Ban on Leaving Israel Yet another Islamic religious ruling forbidding Moslems from leaving the Holy Land has been issued, this time from the Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine.

* Evangelicals blast J’lem Day boycott A prominent Jerusalem-based evangelical organization slammed on Tuesday the decision of much of the international community to boycott celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.

* TV Evangelist Jerry Falwell Dies at 73 Spiritually, the Rev. Jerry Falwell seemed prepared for his passing. A little more than two weeks ago, the founder of the Moral Majority preached of man being indestructible until he has finished God’s work.

* ‘Soviets engineered Six Day War’ In a new book that “totally contradicts everything that has been accepted to this day” about the Six Day War, two Israeli authors claim that the conflict was deliberately engineered by the Soviet Union to create the conditions in which Israel’s nuclear program could be destroyed.

* Bolton: Attack Iran before it gets bomb Iran should be attacked – as a last resort – before it develops nuclear weapons, former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

By: David Horovitz – The Jerusalem Post

In a new book that “totally contradicts everything that has been accepted to this day” about the Six Day War, two Israeli authors claim that the conflict was deliberately engineered by the Soviet Union to create the conditions in which Israel’s nuclear program could be destroyed.

Read more….