Syrian Army is gearing up for an all-out offensive to clear the Salaheddin district in the country’s commercial hub of Aleppo of insurgents. Reports say heavy clashes are underway between Syrian government forces and insurgents on the outskirts of the flashpoint city, but the government says it is in full control of Damascus. Fighting is also underway in the Sukkari, Hamdaniyeh, and Ansari districts... 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu The British ambassador to Tel Aviv says international support for Israel among those in the political mainstream is eroding, driven by settlement expansion in the West Bank and continued restrictions on Gaza. In an unusually forthright interview for Israel’s Channel 10 news, Matthew Gould said he has detected a shift among the middle ground of British... 

Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has been sacked, state TV reported. His current whereabouts are unknown, and there are conflicting reports as to whether he has fled the country. Hijab, Syria’s former Minister of Agriculture, was appointed Prime Minister in June following parliamentary elections in the country. The ex-Prime Minister is currently in Jordan, where he fled with his family, Reuters... 

Iran successfully test-fires the 4th generation of the Fateh missile. Iran has successfully test-fired the fourth generation of the indigenously-made Fateh 110 precision missile, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says. “The 4th generation of the Fateh 110 precision missile with a range of more than 300 kilometers (190 miles) was successfully test-fired by the Defense Ministry’s... 

A grave Ministry of Defense bulletin flashed to Russian Naval and Marine Forces approaching their Mediterranean base in the Syrian port of Tartus is warning that Iran’s successful test-firing of their fourth generation indigenously-made Fateh 110 precision missile earlier today confirms that this Middle Eastern nation on the brink of total war with the West has achieved the ability to detonate at... 

Rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters capture a policeman who the FSA allege is a “Shabiha” or pro-regime militiaman, on July 31, 2012, as the rebels overran a police station in Aleppo A horrifying amateur video from Syria emerged online, showing an apparent mass execution of Assad supporters in Aleppo at the hands of rebels from the Free Syria Army. The footage shows several bloodied men stripped... 

Iran prepared for strike on nuclear facilities in September or October. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told top Iranian military chiefs to expect “war within weeks,” at a recent war council meeting, according to Israeli news outlet DebkaFile. “While retaliation had been exhaustively drilled in regular military exercises in the past year, Khamenei ordered the biggest fortification... 

Members of an armed gang in Syria A report says Turkey has supplied the foreign-sponsored armed groups in Syria with surface-to-air missiles. According to a July 31 report by the NBC News, nearly two dozen missiles have been delivered to the rebels in Syria by Turkey. The report, however, did not provide details on the exact type of the missiles, also known as MANPADs (man-portable air-defense systems). Over... 

Rebels from the Syrian opposition clash with the Syrian army forces in the restive northern city of Aleppo on July 25, 2012. Syrian troops have stormed armed groups’ command center in the northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 150 terrorists fighting against the government. According to reports coming from Syria, the army attacked a rebel-held school in Aleppo’s Salahuddin district, which was... 

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf meets with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud at Royal Palace. A report has unveiled that Saudi officials are trying to strike “a secret deal” with Pakistan to buy nuclear weapons from the Asian country. Citing the recent meeting between King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in Jeddah, United Press International... 

Israeli Knesset member Michael Ben-Ari tears up the bible before dumping it in the trash. A member of the Israeli parliament has torn up a copy of the New Testament and thrown it in the trash reported the Washington Post. An edition of the Bible had been distributed to all members of the Knesset by Victor Kalish, the head of a Christian publishing society. According to Israel’s NRG news website,... 

Syria’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Jihad Makdissi speaks during a news conference in Damascus July 23, 2012. Syria says it will only use its chemical and biological arsenal against “external aggression,” and never against own population. The US has warned the Arab country against using the arsenal under any circumstances. ­Torn by a 16-month civil conflict, Syria will not use the weapons... 

Millions of Muslim believers gather in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) yearly to celebrate the monthlong Ramadan holiday Saudi authorities are warning non-Muslim expatriates against eating, drinking or smoking in public during Ramadan, the monthlong sunrise-to-sunset fast or face expulsion. The Interior Ministry of the oil-rich kingdom is calling on non-Muslims to “show consideration for feelings of Muslims”... 

A Syrian Scud missile launcher Israel says it will launch a military operation against Syria if Damascus transfers missiles or chemical weapons to the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah. “I have instructed the military to increase its intelligence preparations and prepare what is needed so that … (if necessary) … we will be able to consider carrying out an operation,” the... 

Many Israelis say the volume of African migration has become socially overwhelming, even though most live in areas also populated by other migrants, including Filipinos, Chinese and Nepalese workers. Israel has initiated the first stage of a controversial “emergency plan” aimed at interning and deporting an estimated 60,000 African immigrants. Officials believe the presence of the Africans poses...