The Vatican is hoping to regain control of the Room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, one of the most sacred sites in Christianity.

It will, in exchange, hand over to the Jewish community the historic synagogue at Toledo in Spain, at present a Catholic church.

Times Online, Oct 13, 2005

The uneasy alliance between the Zionist state and America?s fundamentalist right has found a common goal. Starting early next year, Israel?s oldest English-language paper, the Jerusalem Post, will launch a Christian edition.

The Post, a widely respected paper until it was bought and the contents were changed from objective to right-wing subjective by its former owner Conrad Black, is now seeking to bolster its North American circulation by building on the tight relationship between the Israeli right and Christian evangelicals.

Barbara Ferguson, Arab News, Oct 23, 2005

The newly elected Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, submitted a petition to the High Court on Wednesday in which he and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy accused the government of Israel of making its recognition of the patriarch conditional on his signing of "questionable" real estate deals.

The petition claims that the Israeli government is applying pressure on Theophilos to approve deals that the Patriarchy had signed, by means of its former financial manager Nikolaus Papadimas, who had received power of attorney from the previous patriarch Ireneos I, to sell assets to foreign companies representing the right-wing settler organization Ateret Kohanim.

The petition demands that the government unconditionally recognize Theophilos, who was elected last August, as Ireneos was simultaneously ousted from his position.

By Arnon Regular, Haaretz, Oct 27, 2005

One hundred years ago, Alexandria was a cosmopolitan city that was home to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Over the past week, Alexandria has been home to an ugly hatred that spurred Muslim rioters to rampage through Christian neighbourhoods, attacking churches and shops. This in turn caused a Christian candidate in next month?s parliamentary elections to withdraw and left many Christians scared to leave their homes.

Four people died and a nun was stabbed in the worst religious violence in Egypt in five years.

Mona Eltahawy, Octover 27, 2005

Yazan Kahtan Haddadin, a student at The Amman Baptist School in Jordan, was recently recognized by Jordan?s Queen Rania as one of the most outstanding young scholars in the world for his academic achievements.

Brian Barlow, a Southern Baptist and a Bartow native, heads the international school where Haddadin received the award for his high score on an English test (IGCSE) administered by The British Council and University of Cambridge International Examinations.

The awards are an outcome of the long-established partnership between the British Council, the University of Cambridge International Examinations and the Ministry of Education in Jordan, according to a news release.

Flordia Baptist Witness, Oct 13, 2005

A holiday in Palestine is never going to be easy but, finds Andrew Mueller, the rewards for tourists and locals alike can be huge.

To get to the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I have to negotiate a military checkpoint. Opposite the church marking the site of the Nativity, a building flies a huge poster of a man infamous, in some circles, as a terrorist.

The Observer, Sunday, Oct 23, 2005

Thousands of police manned barricades around Christian churches in Egypt's second largest city Saturday, a day after Muslim rioters attacked churches and shops, leaving four people dead in the country's worst religious violence in five years.

The Daily Herlad, Oct 23, 2005