British fear Gen. Petreaus' testimony this week will set stage for US attack on Iran

British officials gave warning yesterday that America's commander in Iraq will declare that Iran is waging war against the US-backed Baghdad government.

A strong statement from General David Petraeus about Iran's intervention in Iraq could set the stage for a US attack on Iranian military facilities, according to a Whitehall assessment. In closely watched testimony in Washington next week, Gen Petraeus will state that the Iranian threat has risen as Tehran has supplied and directed attacks by militia fighters against the Iraqi state and its US allies. The outbreak of Iraq's worst violence in 18 months last week with fighting in Basra and the daily bombardment of the Green Zone diplomatic enclave, demonstrated that although the Sunni Muslim insurgency is dramatically diminished, Shia forces remain in a strong position to destabilise the country.

Iran, Syria, Lebanon on military alert over US Gulf movements and Israel’s home defense drill

Syria on Alert 'Because Hizbullah Revenge Attack is Near'

Ellsworth AFB B-1 bomber catches fire in Qatar

Australian navy frigate deployed to Persian Gulf

U.S., Israel concerned N. Korean nuclear know-how reached Iran

Scott Ritter: Signs point to US planning attack on Iran

Are Israeli war games this week prelude to something big?

Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli Minister of Defence Ehud Barak announced on Sunday that Israel started the biggest military and civil drills in its history, that would include unconventional weapons, in what military analysts believe is a prelude for something "big". "The readiness of the interior front and preparing it for any possibility is a determining factor in winning any war. The current drills gain special importance since they are based on the outcomes of the war against Lebanon in 2006," Barak said at a Cabinet meeting. The drills, which started the moment Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, "the war has started", have been dubbed "turning point 2" by the government.

Ben-Eliezer: If Iran attacks, Israel will destroy it

Iran: Arabs must closely watch Israeli drill

Country begins biggest-ever drill

Hizbullah believes Israeli defense drill is preparation for war

Barak tries to calm Syrian nerves over Israeli drill

Olmert reassures Syria: Home front drill not a threat

Assad: We'll use any means in Lebanon

'Warning to Assad sparked tension'

Evangelist Hagee pledges $6 million to Israel

Bibi: Christian Zionists our top friends

Israel, U.S. plan to release details on Syria attack

Israel and the United States are coordinating the release of details on the air force strike in Syria last September, which foreign reports claim targeted a nuclear installation Syria was constructing with North Korean assistance. American officials may reveal details of the strike later this month during congressional hearings. Even though the defense establishment in Israel is opposed to any publication of details of the attack, the Prime Minister's Bureau and U.S. President George W. Bush's administration are of the opinion that it is now possible to reveal details because there is little chance of a conflagration as a result of a Syrian decision to avenge the attack.

Alarm bells in Europe over declining Dollar and surging Euro

Citigroup slumps as HSBC becomes world's largest company

HSBC bank admits losing personal data on 370,000 customers in post

IMF head calls for global action on turmoil

Darling calls for action on market turmoil

Fear of Iceland bail-out could signal new future for the IMF

ECB raises fears over warnings of crisis

China to allow investment into U.S. stocks, funds

Dallas Fed chief rejects Japan analogy

‘Food crisis could last until 2010’

Food crisis stalking nations

Shortage of food grains may cause unrest!

Food riots fear after rice price hits a high

Rice the new gold as price surges

Cameroon: Global Trends Exposes Weakness in Food Production

Kim Jong-il hails North Korea's "invincible" troops

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has hailed his troops as "invincible" during a military inspection, official media announced on Sunday amid a war of words and growing tensions with South Korea. Pyongyang in recent days has threatened to reduce the South to "ashes" and called its new conservative president, Lee Myung-Bak, a traitor, a United States sycophant and a political charlatan. On Sunday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim had been pleased by an inspection of his soldiers, finding that they had...

5,000 children a month added to DNA database

Earthquake reported south of San Antonio

A minor earthquake occurred about 95 miles south-southwest of Austin early this morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center. The quake was detected at 4:51 a.m. and registered 3.7 on the 10-point Richter Scale, used to measure the energy of earthquakes. The epicenter of the quake was pegged at 10 miles south of Poth in Wilson County.

Earthquake rattles north-central Oregon

First case of human-to-human transmission of bird flu confirmed in Pakistan

Pakistan's north-west and southern regions were hit by bird flu last year. Thousands of birds were culled to control the spread of the disease. Tests carried out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) have now shown that bird flu killed some members of a family in north-west Pakistan late last year. This is the first confirmation of people dying from bird flu in the country...