EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton heralded the ‘privilege’ of Europe’s role in bringing about a democratic transition in Tunisia, as she committed European resources to help ‘consolidate deep democracy, freedom and human rights”, at a meeting with Tunisian President Hamadi Jebali in Brussels on Tuesday.

Islamist movement label ''politically biased'' Human Rights Watch report as ''purely political;'' deny torture of detainees.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat met with the heads of EU missions in Jerusalem to seek their help in drafting a resolution to the UN General Assembly in New York to admit Palestine as a non-member observer state, Israel daily The Jerusalem Post reported.

Israeli President Shimon Peres expressed hope on Wednesday that his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would vanish during the coming year, along with others whom he said threaten the Jewish State.

Strike is response to Syria mortar that kills 5 Turkish civilians; Erdogan: Turkey will never leave unanswered such kinds of provocation by Syrian regime; UN urges Syria to respect territorial integrity of neighbors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly planning to travel to Europe to shore up support for more harsher sanctions against Iran as EU Foreign Ministers are scheduled to meet later this month to consider such measures.

Secretary of state blames Iranian government, not sanctions, for financial troubles in wake of Tehran protests.

Statements from Russian deputy FM constitute one of Moscow's most specific warnings yet to the West and Gulf Arab leaders to keep out of the 18-month-old conflict; report: Assad tours Aleppo, orders city ''cleansed.''

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said the option of an Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities is ''still on the table''.

The city of Smolensk, Russia experienced this week the historic inaugurations of its new JCC “‘Beit Malkin” and new Synagogue “Beit Menachem”.