Lebanon considers Arab League plan Mustafa Osman Ismail, a Sudanese Arab League envoy, is due to hold talks with Lebanese leaders based on a proposal to resolve Lebanon’s political crisis.

Iran Holocaust conference opens A two-day conference which says it will examine whether the Holocaust actually happened has opened in Iran.

Mourners storm Gaza parliament Mourners firing automatic weapons have stormed into the compound of parliament during a funeral procession.

Haniyeh: This generation will liberate Palestine Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh Sunday.

Iraqi leader criticises US report Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has criticised some of the main findings of a high-level US report calling for a change of strategy in Iraq.

Jimmy Carter Fires Back at Longtime Aide Over Book Former President Jimmy Carter faced new criticism Friday over his controversial book on Palestinian lands.

Gulf summit opens with warning of regional explosion Saudi King Abdullah opened the annual summit of Gulf leaders with a warning that the Arab world was on the brink of exploding.

Israel Agrees to Reopen Mt. Zion Talks with Vatican PM Olmert will meet in the Vatican this week with Pope Benedict.

GCC members ponder nuclear project Gulf Arab states have announced that they are considering a shared nuclear program for peaceful purposes.

EU argues over Turkey’s penalty EU foreign ministers are locked in argument over how to penalize Turkey for barring Cypriot ships and planes from its ports and airports.

Haniyeh vows to never recognize Israel Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed on Friday that his Hamas-led government would never recognize Israel and would continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem.

Initiative: Middle East peace conference without Israel Insight magazine reports recent American government proposal to hold peace conference without Israeli presence.

Hezbollah calls for more protests The leader of the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, said that the opposition will not back down in its mass protests to bring down the Western-backed government.

Bush, Blair want to ‘unlock peace door’ “Extremists do not want a Palestinian state,” said US President George W. Bush during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday.

Bush says U.S. ‘will prevail’ in Iraq President Bush, standing alongside chief Iraq war ally Tony Blair of Britain, asserted Thursday that the coalition forces “will prevail” in Iraq.

UN appeals for Palestinian funds The United Nations has launched an appeal to raise $450m in humanitarian relief funds for the Palestinian territories next year.

Annan to press world on ‘horror’ of Sudan Outgoing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will ask Friday how the international community can allow the “horror” in Sudan’s Darfur region to continue.

Islamist warning for Somali force The Islamists who control much of southern Somalia have warned they will fight any peacekeepers sent there, after the UN approved a peace force.

Saudis Reportedly Funding Iraqi Sunnis Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

Turkish surprise move confuses EU diplomacy Turkey’s last-ditch offer to open one port and one airport to Cypriot traffic appears only to have complicated EU efforts to find a common stance on the fate of Ankara’s membership talks.

Olmert rejects Syria talks Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, has said he has no intention of opening peace talks with Syria.

Iraq to dominate Bush-Blair talks US President George W Bush is due to meet Tony Blair at the White House for talks expected to focus on the findings of a major review of US policy in Iraq.

Baker Report Demands Israel Give Away Golan Heights Only a number of days after the UN passed a resolution calling Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem illegal, former US Secretary of State James Baker says Israel must leave the Golan Heights.

Arabs Say Report Shows Bush’s Failure Many Arabs on Thursday interpreted an American advisory panel’s bleak assessment of President Bush’s Iraq policies as proof of Washington’s failure in the Middle East.

Key to Iraq: Solving Israeli-Arab conflict The bipartisan Iraq Study Group on Wednesday called for direct talks between Israel and Syria.

EU constitution talks likely to sideline Brussels EU member states are likely to deal with reviving the EU constitution alone.

Islamic Courts snubs UN resolution The Union of Islamic Courts executive council in Somalia has rejected a UN resolution that authorises a regional force to support the interim Somali government.

Carter Book Criticized A longtime aide to Jimmy Carter has resigned from the Carter Center think tank, calling the former president’s new book on Israel and the Arabs one-sided and filled with errors.

Iraqi Politicians Play Down U.S. Report Iraqi citizens said Thursday that a U.S. advisory’s group recommendation that Washington move toward military disengagement offered little hope of an improvement in their lives anytime soon.

Member of the Sanhedrin arrested, released Rabbi Ariel is a member of the seven-man leadership council of the recently-formed “Sanhedrin” in Jerusalem.

Caroline Glick, THE JERUSALEM POST

The world has gone mad. As Lebanon teeters on the brink of Iranian and Syrian instigated collapse, senior American and British political officials urge President George W. Bush to hand Iraq over to Iran and Syria.

As the Palestinians push forward with their Iranian-sponsored, Arab supported jihad, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert responds by announcing his intention to release thousands of terrorists from prison and throw thousands of Israelis out of their homes while giving their lands to Hamas.

Read more…

Iraq report ‘is no magic formula’ A report on US policy in Iraq says there is no “magic formula” to solve the crisis, the White House has said.

Lebanon army chief urges compromise Anti-government demonstrators have buried a Shia man killed in street clashes in southern Beirut.

Iran to complete nuclear R&D by March Iran will complete its nuclear research and development work by March.

Peretz: Gates remark bears examining Israel must examine the meaning of the statement made by US Defense Secretary-designate Robert Gates the previous night on the Iranian threat.

Iran to rule: Was there a Holocaust? Iran will host an international conference next week on the Holocaust, with the central question being whether or not it actually took place.

Row erupts over Israeli textbooks Israel’s education minister has said school textbooks should show Israel’s pre-1967 borders.

PM Olmert backs Tamir proposal to add Green Line to textbooks Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday he has spoken with Education Minister Yuli Tamir regarding her proposal to include the pre-1967 boundary.

Finland ratifies EU constitution Finland ratified the EU constitution on Tuesday adding one more country to the list of member states.

Palestinian pastors join Evangelical umbrella organization A group of Palestinian pastors who live in the Palestinian Authority have joined a Canadian-based Evangelical alliance.

Pope Expresses Admiration for Muslims Pope Benedict XVI expressed his admiration for Muslims and Islam on Wednesday, and called for freedom of religion and faith that rejects all forms of violence.

Iraq Calls for Regional Conference Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Tuesday that Iraq will call for a regional conference on ending the rampant violence in his country.

‘US won’t order preemptive Iran strike’ Predicting Iran will obtain nuclear weapons by the end of the decade, the defense establishment’s new and updated assessment for 2007 does not foresee the United States undertaking a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear installations.

Shia leader stresses Iraq’s role One of Iraq’s most powerful Shia leaders has said he is opposed to any foreign move to solve Iraq’s problems that bypasses the Baghdad government.

Our World: Olmert’s Saudi friends The world has gone mad. As Lebanon teeters on the brink of Iranian and Syrian instigated collapse.

Beirut funeral stokes tension Lebanon’s Hezbollah-led opposition is holding a funeral in Beirut for a protester killed in a shooting that has heightened political and sectarian tension.

Rice to return to shore up cease-fire US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will return to the region soon for additional talks with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

US diplomat calls for Iran action A senior US diplomat has hit out at Iran and called on members of the UN Security Council to agree on economic sanctions against Tehran.

Cyprus issue hits Turkey-EU talks The European Union presidency has backed a proposal to partially suspend EU membership talks with Turkey.

US plans permanent base on Moon US space agency Nasa has said it plans to start work on a permanently-occupied base on the Moon after astronauts begin flying back there in 2020.

Somalia slips ever closer to war Somalia’s government on Tuesday ruled out peace talks with the country’s powerful Islamic movement.

Bush to hold further talks on Iraq George Bush, the US president, is to hold talks with one of Iraq’s most influential Shia politicians on ways to reduce the violence in Iraq.

Syria smuggling missiles to Hizbullah Long-range missiles, as well as truckloads of advanced anti-tank missiles originating in Iran and Syria, have been smuggled to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu: Gaza turning into second Lebanon After short period of silence, opposition chairman criticizes ceasefire with Palestinians.

Analysis: 2007 – The Year of War 2007 will be the year of war, both in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip, and possibly even against Syria.

Annan: Iraq worse than under Saddam Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, has said Iraq is in the grips of a civil war and many people are worse off now than under Saddam Hussein.

Saudis working to curb Iran’s influence Worried by Iran’s deepening involvement in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia has been working quietly to curtail the Shi’ite nation’s influence.

Erdogan Objects to US Military Presence in N. Iraq Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan objected to recommendations in a U.S. administration report referring to partial deployment of U.S. troops from central Iraq to the country’s north.

Chavez: New ‘defeat for the devil’ Anti-American socialist Hugo Chavez said his claimed victory in the Venezuelan presidential election was “another defeat for the devil”.

Report: Olmert to discuss peace bid with Saudis Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is set to meet soon with high-ranking Saudi officials and explore the possibility for negotiations between Israel and a group of moderate Arab countries over the future of the Middle East.

Palestinian PM Haniyeh meets Syrian President in Damascus Syrian President Bashar Assad held talks Monday with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on developments in the Palestinian territories and efforts to form a national unity government.

Ahmadinejad to Haniyeh: Israel close to disappearing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh held talks in Doha, Qatar on Friday.

Al-Qaeda threatens Jordan’s King Abdullah Iraq’s al-Qaeda publishes statement calling on supporters in Jordan to watch our for king, warns he will encounter the same fate as his great-grandfather, who was assassinated

International forum opens in Jordan on Arab reforms Foreign ministers from the G8 industrialized nations, Arab, European, and Muslim countries Friday opened a conference on the shores of the Dead Sea to promote reforms in the region

Lebanon protest enters second day Supporters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah-led opposition are camping out in central Beirut on the second day of protests to demand the resignation of the country’s Western-backed government.

Bush and top Iraqi Shia to meet US President George W Bush is to meet the most powerful Iraqi Shia politician in Washington on Monday, officials say.

Ahmadinejad wants US out of Iraq Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has again called on the US to get out of Iraq.

Israel slammed at UN General Assembly The General Assembly approved six pro-Palestinian resolutions over US and Israeli objections, showing the world body’s solidarity with Palestinian demands for an independent homeland.

Hamas-led government urged to quit The executive committee of the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organisation has called on the Hamas-led government to resign so a new government can be formed.

Pope leaves Turkey after momentous visit Pope Benedict XVI left Turkey Friday after a momentous visit in which he reached out to Muslims and Orthodox Christians while standing firm on key issues such as papal authority and Europe’s Christian roots.

Mubarak: Lebanon protests could turn it into ‘battlefield’ Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Saturday he feared continued street demonstrations, especially if they became sectarian, could turn Lebanon into a battlefield.

Huge Beirut rally demands change Tens of thousands of supporters of the Hezbollah movement and its pro-Syrian allies have gathered in Beirut to protest against Lebanon’s government.

Annan urges wider anti-Aids battle Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, has called on people to hold their leaders accountable and to keep the momentum strong in the fight against Aids.

Ukraine pro-West ministers ousted Ukraine’s parliament on Friday voted to dismiss the foreign and interior ministers, allies of pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko.

Olmert vs. Security Chiefs on Ceasefire Extension Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wants to extend the partial ceasefire with Gaza terrorist groups to Judea and Samaria. Security officials are warning against the move.

Al-Maliki Faces Revolt Within Government Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faced a widening revolt within his divided government as two senior Sunni politicians joined prominent Shiite lawmakers and Cabinet members in criticizing his policies.

Pope hailed ‘for praying towards Mecca’ Pope Benedict wound up a fence-mending visit to Turkey on Friday amid praise from the local press for visiting Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and praying towards Mecca “like Muslims”.

Patience Key to Solving Mideast Problems Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice threw herself at two intractable Mideast problems – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iraq – during a brief trip to the region, and encountered the reality that the U.S. has few options other than patience.

Cyprus threatens to block EU deal on Turkey talks Cyprus has threatened to block an EU agreement on the fate of Turkey’s membership talks if the union does not impose a new deadline on Ankara to normalise relations with Nicosia.

Shekel Becomes Safe Haven for Dollars Four years ago, a dollar cost five shekels and everyone hoarded greenbacks.

EU diplomat: Olmert refused European force to oversee ceasefire In meeting with EU diplomats, Olmert warns of terrorist attack which could endanger ceasefire, European sources commit to strengthening Palestinian presidential guard through fund transfer in cooperation with Israel.

Bush vows to ‘complete Iraq job’ US President George W Bush has pledged to keep American troops in Iraq until “the job is complete”.

Lebanon opposition plans protest Hezbollah-led opposition groups have called for mass protests to begin on Friday in central Beirut with the aim of bringing down the current government.

Rice has peace talks in West Bank US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is trying to build on recent Middle East peace overtures by holding talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

Ethiopia authorises military action Ethiopia’s parliament has authorized military action in the event of an attack on the country by Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts.

Source: Iraq panel to advise gradual U.S. pullback Following an intense assessment of U.S. policies in the war in Iraq, the Iraq Study Group will recommend that a “gradual but meaningful” reduction of U.S. troops begin “relatively early in the New Year.”

Abbas: Talks on unity gov’t at dead end Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the efforts to establish a unity government in the Palestinian Authority have reached a deadlock.

Pope: ‘Scandal’ of Christian rifts Pope Benedict XVI called divisions among Christians a “scandal to the world” and recalled the faith’s deep roots in Europe in a joint ceremony Thursday.

Dozens of children in mass graves, Saddam trial told Iraqi troops shot kneeling mothers and young children in the head and dumped them into mass graves by the score, a forensic expert told ousted dictator Saddam Hussein’s genocide trial Thursday.

Spy death: Radiation at 12 sites; jets probed Traces of radiation have been found at a dozen sites in Britain and five jets were being investigated for possible contamination as authorities widened their investigation into the poisoning of a former Russian spy.

‘Hundreds killed’ in Sudan battle At least 300 people were killed in clashes between Sudan’s army and former rebels in the south earlier this week, aid workers say.