Egypt: US assurances may boost direct peace talks
Obama sent Mubarak letter expressing commitment to exert efforts toward direct peace negotiations aimed at creating Palestinian state

Pastors generally silent on 'pot vote'
Over a period of almost a week, I tried repeatedly to contact a half-dozen large, well-known Southern California churches, seeking a statement. Unfortunately, out of the six large churches I contacted, only one senior pastor responded:

Russia signs law to expand KGB style power
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday signed into a law a bill expanding the powers of the successor to the Soviet-era KGB security service, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Philistine Temple Ruins Uncovered in Goliath's Hometown
The temple and a number of ritual items dating back to the 10th century BCE were discovered at Tel Tsafit (Tell es-Safit/Gath) by Professor Aren Maeir of BIU's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and his international team. The tel is located about halfway between Ashkelon and Jerusalem...

The case for impeachment: Obama's socialist takeover must be stopped
President Obama has engaged in numerous high crimes and misdemeanors. The Democratic majority in Congress is in peril as Americans reject his agenda. Yet more must be done: Mr. Obama should be impeached. ...He is undermining our constitutional system of checks and balances; subverting democratic procedures and the rule of law; presiding over a corrupt, gangster regime; and assaulting the very pillars of traditional capitalism.

Iran sets major exercise; Ahmadinejad sees war by November
Iran, warning of an imminent war, has been preparing for another major military exercise. The Iranian Air Force has scheduled a week-long exercise in the western part of the country near Iraq and the Gulf. Officials said the exercise would seek to enhance interoperability as well as night missions.

Controversy in Saudi Arabia over Fatwa Permitting Breastfeeding of Adults
Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Muhsin Al-’Obikan, an advisor at the Saudi Justice Ministry, recently issued a fatwa allowing the breastfeeding of adults. The fatwa is aimed at enabling an unrelated man and woman to be secluded in the same room, a situation which Islam considers forbidden gender mixing. The rationale behind the fatwa is that breastfeeding creates a bond of kinship between the man and woman, rendering the man her mahram,[1] thus making it acceptable for them to be together in seclusion.

Worst floods in a decade in China, 30,000 trapped
Floods caused by heavy rains in northeastern China stranded tens of thousands of residents without power Wednesday, as the worst flooding in more than a decade continued to besiege areas of the country. Floods this year have killed at least 823 people with 437 missing and have caused tens of billions of dollars in damage, the State Flood Control and Drought Prevention reported.

Proposal for one-state solution gains favor among Israelis and Palestinians
The idea of a single state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem is gaining renewed currency with a twist: this time around the proposition is supported not only by Palestinians but also by Israeli right-wingers. Analysts say debate in Israel as well as among Palestinians about a new approach to Middle East peace involving a one-state solution reflects a sense on both sides of the Arab-Israeli divide that US-sponsored efforts to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel are likely to fail.

Report: Israel aiding plot for bloodless coup in Gulf emirate
Israel is helping an exiled Arab sheikh to plot a bloodless coup in the Gulf emirate of Ras al-Khaimeh, the Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday. According to the Guardian report, Sheikh Khalid bin-Saqr al-Qasimi - the exiled crown prince of Ras al-Khaimeh - met with Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ron Prosor in March.

Netanyahu: Israel's government will fall if settlement freeze continues
Continuing the construction freeze in West Bank settlements after it expires on September 26 would be impossible politically and would bring down the coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Moratinos told Netanyahu that the European Union's position was that Israel should continue the freeze.

Syrian president to visit Lebanon
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is to visit Lebanon tomorrow along with Saudi King Abdullah amid fears of renewed conflict in the tiny Mediterranean country, a top government official said yesterday. "We have been informed that he is expected to travel to Beirut with the king," the official said. There was no immediate confirmation from the Syrian government.

Russia gives powers to FSB to prosecute 'thought crime'
The bill, criticised by rights groups, would allow the Federal Security Service (FSB) to issue official warnings to individuals whose actions are deemed to be creating the conditions for crime. Rights groups say the bill would essentially put the special service above the law and harks back to Soviet times when the much-feared FSB predecessor KGB used warnings to persecute dissidents.

Egypt: US assurances may boost direct peace talks
Egypt said Wednesday it has received US assurances that may help in restarting direct peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel. Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad did not disclose details of the US assurances, which come on the eve of a crucial Arab League meeting to determine the future of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

GE pays $23m after Iraq probe
General Electric has agreed to pay $23.5m to settle allegations from US regulators that its subsidiaries bribed Iraqi officials to win contracts under the United Nations Oil for Food Programme between 2000 and 2003. The settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission is the second in as many years for GE. Last year, the company agreed to pay $50m to resolve charges of accounting fraud relating to hedging activities in 2002 and 2003.

Under fire from civil liberties groups, the FBI is defending domestic surveillance guidelines that critics fear could unfairly target innocent Muslims
So much for transparency. Under a little-noticed provision of the recently passed financial-reform legislation, the Securities and Exchange Commission no longer has to comply with virtually all requests for information releases from the public, including those filed under the Freedom of Information Act.

FBI defends guidelines for domestic surveillance
Under fire from civil liberties groups, the FBI is defending domestic surveillance guidelines that critics fear could unfairly target innocent Muslims in terrorism and other criminal investigations. ...In a statement, the bureau said its procedures are designed to ensure that FBI probes don't zero in on anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or the exercise of any other constitutional right.

Japanese tanker damaged off Oman, cause unclear
A Japanese oil tanker damaged in an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping lanes, was being diverted to a port in the UAE on Wednesday. ..."A crew member saw light on the horizon just before the explosion, so (ship owner Mitsui O.S.K.) believes there is a possibility it was caused by an outside attack," Japan's ministry said in a statement. Oman's coastguard said there was no evidence of any attack on the tanker and instead cited an earthquake.

UN declares clean water a 'fundamental human right'
The UN has declared that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. About 1.5m children under five die each year from water and sanitation-related diseases. The resolution was passed with 122 nations in favour, none against and 41 abstentions. Abstaining countries said the resolution could undermine a process in the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva to build a consensus on water rights.

South African unions threaten to strike 'in seven days'
South African public sector workers have told the government they will go on strike in seven days if their pay demands are not met. The coalition of unions, representing as many as 900,000 people, has said it will walk out indefinitely. The unions turned down an above-inflation offer last week.

Budget review recommends up to 60,000 public jobs cut
Up to 60,000 people working in the public sector in Scotland could lose their jobs, according to an independent review commissioned by ministers. The panel which considered options for future expenditure recommended a fall in public sector employment of between 5.7% and 10% by 2014-15. It called for reductions to be made as far as possible by natural wastage.

Arizona to appeal against blocks on immigration law
People in Arizona give their views of the federal block on state immigration law Arizona's governor says she will appeal against a federal court's decision to block parts of an anti-immigration law hours before it comes into effect. The court issued a temporary injunction against a requirement that police check the immigration status of suspects they had stopped while enforcing other laws.

Norway tops up funding scheme for south-eastern EU states
Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein on Wednesday (28 July) agreed to donate €1.79 billion to the EU's poorer southern and eastern members in the coming five years for green projects, labour rights, research and human resources, a top-up of 22 percent compared to the previous period.

New EU police investigation co-operation alarms civil liberties watchdogs
Long a refusenik in the realm of European co-operation on justice and home affairs, the UK has decided to opt in to a proposal that will simplify requests by police in other EU member states to investigate suspects in criminal cases. The British government is calling the move a new "invaluable tool" in the fight against transborder crime, but civil liberties watchdogs say that the move will force police to investigate individuals for acts that are not considered crimes in their home country.

US seeking fuel-swap meeting with Iran
The US is looking to arrange high-level talks with Iran on a potential nuclear fuel swap deal proposed last year but never acted on by Teheran. “We hope to have the same kind of meeting coming up in the coming weeks that we had last October,” US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters Wednesday, referring to a meeting the permanent UN Security Council members – the US, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany, had with Iran in Geneva.

Abbas seeks Arab backing to nix talks
...Despite pressure from the US and the EU, Abbas has signaled in recent days that he does not intend to enter direct talks until Israel stops all settlement construction, as well as construction in east Jerusalem, and commits itself to the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967, lines. He is expected to seek Arab League support for these positions.