Henrique Capriles, a youthful and energetic politician who has never lost an election, is the Venezuelan opposition's best hope in years of beating President Hugo Chavez.

In advance excerpts of foreign policy speech, presidential candidate to declare support for Palestinian state, action on Iran

IDF strikes Gaza terror targets including mosque after barrage of some 40 mortar shells, rockets fall on Eshkol region, no injuries reported; Hamas claim attack in response to IAF strike in Rafah targeting two terrorists

French President Francois Hollande vowed to beef up security as police Sunday pressed on with sweeping anti-terror raids that saw one man killed and 11 arrested over an attack on a Jewish store.

The French government introduced a new anti-terrorism bill designed to facilitate the prosecution of anyone attending terrorist training camps abroad.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be lobbying his cabinet to support early elections, as his coalition appeared increasingly unlikely to accept his proposed mass budget cuts for the coming year.

A Brussels synagogue was daubed with anti-Semitic graffiti reading “death to the Jews” and “bang” overnight on Tuesday, Belgian public radio station RTBF reported.

Group's head Tweets: “Zionists operated the concentration camps and helped murder millions of innocent Jews.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he believes ''the Arab Spring will be followed by a Persian Spring,'' as western sanctions sanctions against Iran are leading to domestic unrest.

Sec.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon ''alarmed by escalating tensions'' as Turkey authorizes military operations in Syria in response to shelling that killed five civilians; Russia proposes diluted UN text on Syria attack