An Israeli minister said on Friday he was to travel to Turkey, in the first such visit since Israel's military offensive in Gaza at the turn of the year strained ties with Turkey.

In a landmark decision, Israel's supreme court has thrown out a law allowing privately-run prisons, arguing that running jails for profit would be a "grave" violation of inmates' human rights.

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Israel is seeking to check Iranian diplomatic and trade advances in South America, a region where it has enjoyed sympathy and support since its founding, but a fuller picture of shifting alliances must also take into account recent advances by China and Russia, analysts said Thursday.

The ancient hymns brought tears to the eyes of Solomon Ayeli, as well as memories of his native Ethiopia which he left two decades ago for Israel -- a country he loves but where he often feels rejected.

The Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has urged Israel to stop building more settlements on Palestinian territories.

Palestinian aspirations to establish a capital in East Jerusalem are unwavering, in defiance of this week's announcement by Israel that it was expanding Jewish neighbourhoods in the eastern half of the city.

There is a real danger that if Iran had nuclear weapons capability it could transfer that to other groups. But the particular threat that Israel is talking up -- that of a conventional nuclear strike from Iran -- is overblown.

Israel's wealthiest woman, Shari Arison, is on a vision-driven mission to lead the world to universal peace and inner harmony while her companies seek to bring about higher consciousness.

Ten Minnesota legislators, who paid their own way to take a fact-finding tour of Israel, have returned and say it provided a global perspective and insights into the troubled region.

Following various reports of progress in efforts to secure the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman warned Friday against believing "disinformation." "We're reading a lot of things in the media, some are true, but others are disinformation," Brigadier General Avi Benayahu was quoted by local daily The Jerusalem Post as saying. Fox News reported ...