* Ending Iran’s defiance American pressure at this time will not be taken lightly by Iranian regime.

* Abbas in Mecca: No option but to reach agreement The leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah vowed to reach an agreement to end weeks of infighting.

* US, Iraq troops push deep into Baghdad Sunni bastion Iraqi and US forces Wednesday pushed deep into one of Baghdad’s most notorious Sunni bastions.

* EU to beef up diplomatic corps in Central Asia EU states are keen to open four new EU embassies in Central Asia by 2008.

* Abbas: Dig near Al-Aqsa Mosque likely to endanger peace efforts Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said that Israeli excavation works near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem were likely to endanger regional peace efforts.

* Survey finds 300m China believers The number of religious believers in China could be three times higher than official estimates, according to a survey reported by state media.

* US to have Africa military command The US president has approved plans to create a US military command for Africa.

* Sudan Leader Frustrates Security Council Security Council members expressed frustration and skepticism Tuesday at Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s failure to give a green light to a joint United Nations-African Union force.

* Israel to request upgrade in EU standing Israel is trying to upgrade its standing in the European Union to be equal to that of Switzerland and Norway.

* Russia Lays Out Weapons Purchase Plans The Russian military will sharply increase the number of new intercontinental ballistic missiles to be deployed this year.

* Haniyeh calls on Arabs to defend Al Aksa Mosque Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday called on Israel’s Arabs to unite on the Temple Mount and defend the Al Aksa Mosque.

* Syria ‘can broker peace in Iraq’ Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said his country can play a major role in international efforts to end sectarian violence in Iraq.

* Gun sales triple in Lebanon Gun sales in Lebanon have increased threefold since the onset of the current political standoff between the Lebanese government and Hizbullah and the opposition.

* Palestinian PM ‘hopeful’ on talks The Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya has said he hopes a meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas will lead to a government of national unity being formed.

* Merkel criticizes Iran, Syria during Mideast trip German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday criticized Iran and Syria for their role in the Middle East.

* Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts? Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn’t exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth.

* Khamenei: Israel dividing Muslim world Iranian supreme leader tells Pakistani President Musharraf, ‘Zionist regime was created by West to divide Muslim world’.

* Ethiopian leaders urge end to Falashmura immigration to Israel Ethiopian rabbis and spiritual leaders (keisim) called on the government Monday to halt the Ethiopian Falashmura aliyah to Israel.

* Blood libel on Lebanon TV The traditional anti-Semitic blood libel in which Jews are accused of murder and using blood for religious purposes has once again found expression in the Arab world.

* Netherlands set to delay EU referendum decision The Netherlands is set to postpone a decision on whether to hold a second referendum on the European constitution.

* Germany’s Merkel in Saudi for Mideast talks German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Sunday on the second leg of a Middle East tour.

* Baghdad Security Operation to Start Soon Violence raked the capital Monday as the general who will lead Iraqi forces in the coming security crackdown in Baghdad took charge.

* Mashaal says Mecca talks must end infighting Following weekend of clashes between Hamas and Fatah that claimed lives of 27 people, witnesses say gunmen begin withdrawing from streets.

* Syria accused over Iraq attacks A senior Iraqi official has said half of all insurgent attacks in Baghdad are carried out by militants from Syria.

* World braced for huge surge in bird flu cases The number of cases of the deadly bird flu virus is increasing around the world as scientists struggle to combat the disease.

* Iran: Giant achievements coming soon “Giant achievements” by Iran will be unveiled by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in the coming days.

* Conference Aims to Help Child Soldiers An international conference aimed at preventing the recruitment of child soldiers around the world and returning them to normal society opened Monday.

* Rice ripped for avoiding terrorist label on Hamas A US Jewish group on Monday demanded US Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice immediately retract remarks she made during a press conference in Europe two weeks ago.

* City of David tunnel excavation proceeds without proper permit The excavation of a tunnel under Jerusalem’s City of David has gone on for months without a license from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

* EU welcomes, Serbia rejects UN Kosovo draft The EU has strongly urged Serbs and Kosovan Albanians to engage in talks on the basis of a UN proposal on the future of Kosovo.

* 15 dead, scores injured in Hamas-Fatah clashes Fighting between rival Palestinian forces continued to rage across the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing at least 15 people in violence that laid waste to a days-old cease-fire.

* German chancellor arrives in Egypt German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Cairo Saturday for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the start of a regional tour hoping to nudge along the faltering Middle East peace process.

* Baghdad market bomb ‘kills 102’ At least 102 people have been killed and 215 injured in a lorry bombing at a market place in central Baghdad, Iraqi security officials have said.

* US bid to revive peace process falters on Gaza streets 17 die in clashes between rival Palestinian factions – Rice tries to strengthen Abbas presidency

* ‘We have to do something’ U.N. report blames humans, spurs calls for action in the U.S.

* Non-Aligned Movement officials tour Iranian nuclear facility Diplomats from the Non-Aligned movement, Arab League and Group of 77 began touring Iran’s nuclear facility at Isfahan Saturday.

* China’s Hu tells Sudan it must solve Darfur issue Chinese President Hu Jintao told Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Friday Khartoum had to resolve the four-year-old conflict in Darfur, a source said after talks between the two leaders.

* Iranian FM: West’s psychological war on Iran failing Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki claims that in past month Tehran signed multiple deals with foreign countries despite sanctions imposed upon Iran; ‘This proves psychological war waged by West on Iran is failing’, Mottaki declares

* Clashes continue in Gaza Clashes have continued between the Hamas and Fatah factions in Gaza, injuring five people, despite a ceasefire agreed between the two groups late on Friday.

* Iranian general supervised Hamas arms, source says A Palestinian source has said that the Iranian general nabbed in Gaza by Palestinian security officers supervised the manufacturing weapons and explosives for Hamas.

* UN chief urges Mideast Quartet to ‘go beyond mere statements’ United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged his partners in the Middle East Quartet of peace negotiators to get serious.

* Ten die as Gaza truce collapses At least 10 people have been killed in fresh fighting between the rival Fatah and Hamas factions in Gaza after a three-day-old truce collapsed.

* Saudi diplomat slams Holocaust denial In stark contrast to Iran’s promotion of Holocaust denial, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US Turki Al-Faisal attended a Capitol Hill reception condemning anti-Semitism.

* Don’t mess with Israel, open letter to Iranians says Israeli citizens write letter reading, ‘Your current leadership will be held responsible for the destruction of the Iranian nation’.

* Kosovo ‘should split from Serbia’ Kosovo will be allowed to separate from Serbia and use its own national symbols under proposals to end its limbo status drawn up by the UN’s special envoy.

* Putin promises free elections Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has promised Russians a “free democratic choice” in presidential elections.

* Olmert: Israel won Lebanon war Aides say prime minister told Winograd Commission that despite failures, Israel achieved significant diplomatic and military successes.

* Rifts emerge over EU’s 50th birthday declaration Political divisions are emerging over the EU’s 50th birthday declaration.

* Darfur overshadows Hu’s Sudan visit Hu Jintao has arrived in Sudan on the first-ever visit by a Chinese president to the African country.

* Iran kicks off revolution fete with nuclear defiance Iran Thursday kicked off a series of anniversary festivities for the Islamic revolution by shrugging off UN sanctions over its nuclear program.

* Hamas: US trying to ‘colonize’ the PA Hamas on Wednesday accused the US of promoting civil war among the Palestinians by transferring $86 million to strengthen forces loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

* Putin hails Russia’s strong growth President Vladimir Putin hailed Russia’s strong economic growth at his annual news conference.

* Israel must prepare for space warfare Israel will be facing a possible threat to its vital space-based assets within the coming decade for which it has to start preparing immediately.

* U.S. slams Serb leader’s hard line on Kosovo The United States has criticized demands by Serbian caretaker prime minister Vojislav Kostunica.

* EU divisions on constitution grow Despite Germany’s efforts to conduct negotiations on the EU constitution discreetly.

* Burundi joins Somalia peace force Burundi has offered to contribute to the proposed African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, following an AU appeal for soldiers.

* Putin against direct presidential rule in Russian regions President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he sees no need for direct presidential rule in any of Russia’s regions.

* Neighboring Nations Invited to Iraq Iraq invited officials from Iran, Syria and other neighboring nations to Baghdad next month to discuss the security situation in the country.

* Israel Remembers Fallen Astronaut and War Hero Ilan Ramon The fourth anniversary of the death of Israel’s first (and only) astronaut, Ilan Ramon, is being marked by several events.

* Russia: Lift Hamas gov’t blockade Four days before the Quartet is scheduled to meet in Washington and discuss ways to “reenergize” the road map, a top Russian diplomat called on Tuesday for the lifting the international blockade of the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

* Militias on rise in Iraq The messianic Soldiers of Heaven militia that fought US and Iraqi troops in one of the fiercest battles of the war Sunday is among the more than two dozen extremist militias operating across Iraq.

* Lieberman pushes Israel to join EU While the Israeli has not formally asked for membership in the 27 member body of European states and the EU does not view it as a possibility at this time, Lieberman has still put it high on his agenda for security.

* Arrests over ‘terror kidnap plot’ Eight people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act in Birmingham in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap a member of the armed forces.

* UK baroness: Islamic extremism greatest threat to West Islamic extremism poses the greatest threat to the Western World, and endangers the very essence of democracy.

* Attack on Iran by end of Bush’s term? The British Times reported on Wednesday that Europe was concerned over the aggressive military stance recently voiced by Washington against Tehran.

* Africa: Oil, Global Influence Driving Hu Jintao’s Trip China’s energy-hungry economy and global influence are driving President Hu Jintao’s 12-day tour of Africa which kicks off this week.

* Egypt urges PA to form one army Egypt is trying to persuade the Palestinians to establish an army that would comprise members of all Palestinian factions.

* Ray guns and plastic ice: Pentagon looks to sci-fi weaponry Fleeing Iraqi insurgents downed by artificial ice sprayed on the road; an angry mob in Afghanistan dispersed by non-lethal ray gun blasts. This is the future of US weaponry.

* AIDS rising among S.Africa’s rich, best-educated South Africa’s AIDS epidemic, often regarded by health workers as a disease of the poor, is in fact spreading quickly among the country’s richest and best educated people.

* Nasrallah vows Lebanon will be cemetery of invaders Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed at a massive Shiite rally Tuesday to defeat what he said were US-Israeli plots to provoke civil war in Lebanon.

* Tense calm in Gaza following truce A cease-fire started taking hold in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

* Chad says world has “head in sand” on Darfur Chad President Idriss Deby accused Sudan on Tuesday of waging a genocidal “racial war” in Darfur.

* 40% of young UK Muslims want Shari’a Young British Muslims are more likely than their elders to support Shari’a law and admire al-Qaida.

* Bernard Lewis: Iran in apocalyptic mood Outdated Cold war concepts, such as mutually assured destruction (M.A.D) are irrelevant when it comes to Iran.

* Fear of US damaging EU-NATO relations, NATO chief says NATO and the EU are far from capable of tackling a world crisis jointly as their relationship is still “problematic”.

* Hu embarks on African tour The Chinese president has set off for a tour of eight African nations.

* ‘Hobbit’ human ‘is a new species’ The tiny skeletal remains of human “Hobbits” found on an Indonesian island belong to a completely new branch of our family tree, a study has found.

* France and NATO welcome Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo future France and NATO have explicitly welcomed UN diplomat Martti Ahtisaari’s roadmap for the future of Kosovo.

* Dubai in overdrive to build world’s largest airport Dubai already has the fastest growing airport in the Middle East, handling over 28 million passengers in 2006.

* Muslims ‘about to take over Europe’ Islam could soon be the dominant force in a Europe which, in the name of political correctness, has abdicated the battle for cultural and religious control.

* Darfur dominating Africa summit UN chief Ban Ki-moon has called for the urgent deployment of a joint force to halt violence in Sudan’s Darfur region.

* PA: Iran, Syria promoting civil war Palestinian Authority officials on Sunday accused Iran and Syria of pushing the Palestinians toward civil war.

* Saudis seek Palestinian dialogue Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has invited rival Palestinian leaders to a meeting in Mecca aimed at ending a recent wave of factional fighting.

* Chinese president sets off on key Africa tour Twice in the past three years, Chinese President Hu Jintao has been greeted warmly in Africa as the leader of a growing economic and political power.

* Najaf battle foiled attack on Shiite clerics, Iraqis say Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and other top Shiite religious figures were the apparent targets of an insurgent plot thwarted in an intense battle near the Shiite Muslim holy city of Najaf.

* Iranian Reveals Plan to Expand Role in Iraq Iran�s ambassador to Baghdad outlined an ambitious plan on Sunday to greatly expand its economic and military ties with Iraq.

* Moscow Mayor Calls Gay Pride Parade Satanic Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov said Monday he would never allow a gay parade to take place in Moscow despite pressure from the West.

* Marked rise in attacks on Jews in Europe over the past year Last year saw a substantial rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany, Austria and the Scandinavian countries.

* London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text The UK wants the EU’s 50th anniversary declaration to mark the union’s historic expansion to the East after the fall of communism.

Report: Russia tracking IDF movements Russia maintains listening posts along the Syrian border with Israel which it uses to follow IDF movements in the Golan Heights.

Lebanon Fears a Return to Civil War The government troops are focusing their efforts on the areas around the flashpoints in Tripoli, Beirut and Bint-Jbeil.

Iraq: US forces can kill Iranian agents In an effort to strike at Iran’s influence in the Middle East, US President George W. Bush has authorized US forces in Iraq to apprehend or kill Iranian agents operating in that country.

Putin guest at India Republic Day Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended a grand parade in India’s capital, Delhi, as the guest of honour on the country’s Republic Day.

Russia concerned over US missile defense plans Russia on Friday harshly criticized US plans to build missile defense sites in central Europe.

EU constitution ‘is still alive’ Ministers from 17 European Union countries are due to meet in the Spanish capital, Madrid, hoping to keep alive the idea of an EU constitution.

Iran Set to Try Space Launch Iran has converted its most powerful ballistic missile into a satellite launch vehicle.

Security Council Sees Hope for Mideast Security Council members are optimistic that a key meeting next month on the Israel-Palestinian conflict will help revive the stalled peace process.

Life under Hamas a rough ride A year ago, on a freezing, foggy night in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, party officials in the Palestinian election centre could not believe what they were hearing.

Jordan restores Temple Mount pulpit An ornate wooden pulpit on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount that was destroyed nearly four decades ago by a deranged Christian tourist has been completely restored.