Iraq to seek extension of US presence Iraq is to ask the UN Security Council to renew the mandate governing the presence of US-led forces in the country for another year.

Israel preparing extensive Gaza operation:MP Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned that the army was preparing an extensive operation in the Gaza Strip.

MKs warn of one-million-strong anti-gay protest A meeting of the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee to discuss the planned gay pride parade in Jerusalem ended with participants exchanging insults.

Al-Qaeda takes its fight to the internet The American government is failing to counter Islamists’ online propaganda that could propel militancy into the next generation, experts say.

Iranian FM gives Assad letter from Ahmadinejad Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki reportedly met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, and the two called for an end to the “occupation” of Iraq.

Survivor says Saddam brought ‘Doomsday’ to village Iraq’s ousted leader Saddam Hussein heard his genocide accusers Monday describe how “Doomsday” came to their bombed villages.

World discusses internet future The future of the net is the ambitious topic under discussion at the first global Internet Governance Forum, being held in Athens over the next five days.

Islamic courts refuse peace talks The Islamic Courts Union, which controls much of southern Somalia, has refused to meet the interim government for peace talks unless Ethiopian troops leave the country.

Holy war against pride parade Haredim keep threatening to strike the gay parade scheduled to take place in Jerusalem in two weeks.

Somali Islamists say Ethiopia has ‘declared war’ Somalia’s powerful Islamist movement Monday accused neighboring Ethiopia of “declaring war” on them.

Angry Iraq leader hits back as allies try to stay confident A fresh rift opened between the Iraqi Prime Minister and his US backers yesterday when he bridled at American diplomatic and military tactics.

Israel thwarting Hamas effort to set up West Bank security force The conflict between Israel and Hamas is likely to escalate soon in light of the Israel Defense Forces’ decision to try to thwart the establishment of a Hamas security service in the West Bank

Russia opposes draft UN resolution on Iran International attempts to forge a united front in the nuclear standoff with Iran today suffered a setback as Russia declared its opposition to current UN proposals.

Solana: Israel must raze outposts, push road map Israel must evacuate all illegal West Bank outposts and do its part to advance the internationally-backed road map for peace.

EU members join to fight terror Ministers from the six largest European Union countries have agreed to set up a joint operation to tackle terrorism and people-smuggling.

Why Johnny is reading Islamist propoganda Islam is being taught in the nation’s public schools as a religion to be embraced because “organized Islamists have gained control of textbook content.

Muhammad cartoon lawsuit dismissed A top Pakistani Islamic group criticized Thursday’s dismissal by a Danish court of a defamation lawsuit against a newspaper that published cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.

Somalia’s Islamists take key town Fighters loyal to Somalia’s Islamic courts have taken control of a key trading town from the transitional government without bloodshed.

Haredim mull sabotaging gay parade The haredi sector is organizing mass protests to sabotage the gay pride parade which will be held in Jerusalem on November 10.

Israeli PM keeps shaky coalition intact Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert kept his shaky coalition intact Wednesday, convincing main partner, the dovish Labor, to remain in the cabinet despite the inclusion of an ultra-nationalist party.

The challenges of writing Palestinian history reflect the larger challenges facing the Palestinians’ quest for statehood

By Rashid Khalidi

AS I WRITE, with rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah unable to agree on the fundamental basis for a new coalition government, and with the devastating effects of the Israeli and international boycott provoked by Hamas’s victory in last January’s elections, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip appears to be tottering. Whether it survives or not, the prospect of the independent state that the Palestinians have never had, and that many expected to emerge from this Authority, seems as distant as ever.

Please note: These stories are located outside of Prophecy Today’s website. Prophecy Today is not responsible for their content and does not necessarily agree with the views expressed therein. These articles are provided for your information.

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‘US withdrawal from Iraq would be disastrous for Israel’ As talk of an American withdrawal from Iraq heats up, some local experts say the removal of a strong US military presence there could be disastrous for Israel.

Ethiopia is ‘technically at war’ thiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that his country is “technically” at war with Somalia’s Islamic courts.

Report: Syria ups military alert level The Syrian Defense Minister has raised the army’s alert level following IDF training exercises in the Golan Heights on Monday.

Iraqi PM vows to tackle militias Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has pledged to tackle illegal militias, which are widely blamed for the growing sectarian violence in the country.

Putin: I will stay an influence President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Wednesday that he would not try to run again for the presidency but said he would retain influence over Russia even after leaving office in 2008 as required by the constitution.

Germany in radical shake-up of military Germany will on Wednesday adopt the most radical restructuring of its military since 1945.

Iran activates new cascade of enrichment centrifuges Iran has expanded its controversial nuclear work by starting a second cascade of centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Creating Palestinian History Professor Rashid Khalidi raises a very pertinent question in his article “Unwritten History”, recently published in the Boston Globe.

Solana to visit J’lem first on ME tour The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, embarked on a six-day mission to the Middle East Wednesday.

Terrorists: Major attacks against Israel on their way Several senior terror leaders in Gaza told WorldNetDaily that terror groups allied with Hamas in the Gaza Strip are planning a series of large-scale attacks against Israeli positions near Gaza “within the coming days.”

By: Ksenia Svetlova

From the veranda of the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, the call for the Maghreb (evening) prayer permeates the warm Jerusalem fall air. A thousand different voices repeat the ancient formula from all across the town, although the loudest call without a doubt comes from Al-Aksa’s four minarets.

Soon, if the plan announced last week by Jordanian King Abdullah II becomes a reality, a fifth minaret will be added. The Hashemite monarch’s announcement last week seems to have detonated a small bomb in both Arab and Jewish worlds, causing contradictory reactions and not a little antagonism.

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Khalilzad: Success in Iraq still possible The US ambassador to Iraq has urged Iraqi leaders to work harder to achieve political and security goals.

Olmert pins hopes on Lieberman to stop Iran Prime minister wants Israel Our Home chairman to coordinate work of Israeli agencies monitoring Tehran’s nuclear drive.

N Korea ‘has no plan yet’ for second test China said Tuesday North Korea had no immediate plans to conduct a second nuclear test.

Iran condemns US Gulf exercises Iran has criticised planned US military exercises in the Gulf as provocative.

Abbas orders 20,000 Fatah security men to deploy in Gaza Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has ordered the deployment of more than 20,000 security forces para-militaries and police throughout the Strip as soon as the holiday ends at the end of the week.

Taliban threatens to attack Europe The Taliban Monday vowed to intensify raids against foreign troops in Afghanistan and also said that it would attack civilians in Europe.

Settlements grow on Arab land, despite promises made to U.S. A secret, two year investigation by the defense establishment shows that there has been rampant illegal construction in dozens of settlements and in many cases involving privately owned Palestinian properties.

The World We Know Is Ending It’s the end of the world!! Head for the hills!!! No, wait. Don’t head for the hills-they’re full of Islamist terrorist camps.

Peretz: Gaza operations will continue Israel will continue operating in the Gaza Strip in order to stop terror organizations from further arming themselves.

Global ecosystems ‘face collapse’ Current global consumption levels could result in a large-scale ecosystem collapse by the middle of the century, environmental group WWF has warned.

Olmert: The world must not ‘bury its head in the sand’ on Iran Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appealed to the international community on Monday to ostracize Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying the world must not “bury its head in the sand” while he calls for Israel’s destruction.

Israel considers retaking Gaza border Several Israeli cabinet ministers have called for a military operation to retake control of Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.

Reports: China not optimistic about N. Korea disarmament China is not optimistic that North Korea will end its nuclear program or re-enter disarmament talks soon.

Ethiopia to fight if Somali Islamists attack govt Horn of Africa power Ethiopia warned on Monday it would intervene if Somali Islamists attacked the interim government amid a standoff over a key town that has heightened fears of all-out war.

Spiraling out of control From the veranda of the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, the call for the Maghreb (evening) prayer permeates the warm Jerusalem fall air.

Deputy PM: West can’t cut and run Iraq is vital to the world’s future and the West cannot cut and run despite growing anxiety over the relentless bloodshed there.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia boost efforts to resolve PA crisis Qatar and Saudi Arabia have stepped up their efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Palestinian Authority.

PA Educational Campaign to Detach Jews from Jerusalem Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reports on a PA campaign to teach its youngsters that Jews have no historical connection to Jerusalem or the Holy Land.

Former Syrian VP: ‘Assad regime is on brink of collapse’ An exiled former Syrian vice president said Sunday that President Bashar Assad’s regime is on the brink of collapse.

Non-Muslims fear expansion of Islam, says Mecca imam Fear of the spread of Islam in non-Muslim countries motivates attacks on Muslims in the West.

Palestinian FM: Israel is an abomination that will disappear Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas said Friday that Israel is an abomination in the Middle East that will some day disappear.

Geologist: Earth has lots and lots of oil A University of Washington economic geologist says there is lots of crude oil left for human use.

Rice says North Korea seeks to escalate crisis Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cast doubt on Saturday on reports North Korea had pledged to stop nuclear tests, saying it seemed bent instead on escalating the crisis.

Israel must prepare for Iran to push the button Iranian president said earlier there is no reason for Israel “the greatest insult to human dignity” to exist and it would soon disappear.

Egypt’s Mubarak blames Muslims for faith’s bad image Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak questioned on Thursday whether Muslims had done enough to change the West’s “wrong perceptions” about Islam, which he said was under “ferocious attack”.

Bush consults top Iraq generals US President George W Bush is holding a video conference with his senior generals in Iraq to discuss the escalating violence there.

UK a prime target for al-Qaida cells Al-Qaida has become much more sophisticated and organized and the UK is the terror organization’s prime target according to British counter-terrorism experts.

Calm returns to southern Iraqi city Calm has returned to the southern Iraqi city of Amara after two days of violent clashes between government security forces and Shia fighters

Four killed at Baghdad mosque Four people were killed when a bomber blew himself up outside Baghdad’s Baratha mosque, one of the city’s most important Shia sites and a frequent target of attacks.

Yesha Council Negotiations Bringing Internal Debate to Surface Reports of a secret meeting between the Yesha Council’s Ze’ev (“Zambish”) Hever and Defense Minister Amir Peretz have reawakened the debate within Judea and Samaria regarding the council’s actions.

Iran warns of revenge over Israel Iran’s president has warned that Muslims around the world will take revenge on states who supported Israel against the Palestinians.

Olmert: Palestinian moment of truth near Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on the way back from Moscow Thursday that the moment of truth for the Palestinians is closer than ever.

IDF officials: Full-scale Gaza op needed In order to fight comprehensively against the smuggling of weapons into the Palestinian territories, Israel needs to embark on a full-scale operation in the Gaza Strip.

Tens of thousands pray at Jerusalem mosque Tens of thousands of Muslims prayed at the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan amid a heavy Israeli police presence to prevent any disturbances.

Fatah gunmen fire on Ismail Haniyeh’s motorcade in Gaza Disgruntled relatives of a Fatah activist killed in recent fighting with Hamas fired at Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh’s motorcade as it drove through Gaza on Friday.

Darfur call by genocide survivors Genocide survivors are urging the European Union to do far more to help end the violence in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Hamas and Fatah agree to end clashes Fatah and Hamas officials have agreed to take steps to end violence between the two rival Palestinian movements which has raised fears of civil war.

Russian, European Leaders Hold Informal Summit Russian and European leaders are meeting in Finland Friday for an informal summit at a time when a number of issues – including energy and Russian-Georgian tensions – cloud relations between the two sides.

Shiite militia pushes for control of Iraqi city Iraqi authorities are deploying more troops and senior security officials to Amarah where at least 16 people have been killed and a notorious Shiite militia is said to have seized the restive southern city.

N Korea ‘not planning more tests’ North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il told a visiting Chinese envoy the North had no plans to conduct more nuclear tests.

China pressures N Korean leader A Chinese envoy has met North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, according to Chinese officials

Brussels to defend ‘core’ of EU constitution in treaty talks The European Commission is starting to take a position in the expected re-negotiations of the EU constitution.

PM raises energy issue in Moscow Israel imports 90 percent of the approximately 250,000 barrels of oil it uses daily from former Soviet Union countries via tankers.

Haredim: J’lem gay parade may lead to another war Thousands of ultra-Orthodox protested at Jerusalem’s Sabbath Square Wednesday against the holding of the 2006 Gay Pride Parade in the city.

Charles Darwin’s works go online The complete works of one of history’s greatest scientists, Charles Darwin, are being published online.

Analysis: Abbas’s growing predicament Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s efforts to replace the Hamas-led government suffered a major setback this week.

UK ‘number one al-Qaeda target’ Al-Qaeda has become more organised and sophisticated and has made Britain its top target.

Settlers vow tough struggle Yesha leaders are holding contacts for the peaceful evacuation of ten illegal outposts but extreme right wing activists have other plans.

Ethiopia says military in Somalia Ethiopia’s prime minister has for the first time admitted to having soldiers inside Somalia.

Beast in sediment is photo winner A picture that took nine years to obtain and was almost deleted at the last minute has won the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.