1. ISRAEL CAPTURES 14 YEAR OLD WITH PIPE BOMBS…Israeli soldiers have arrested a 14-year-old boy who was caught in possession of three pipe bombs at a checkpoint. The military wing of the Fatah organization said it had persuaded the youngster to carry the devices. The boy was arrested at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus in the West Bank.
2. SHARON PROMISES INVESTMENT IN NORTH, SOUTH…Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his next plan is to invest immediately in three areas of the country – the fertile Galilee in the north, the southern Negev Desert and in the capital Jerusalem. His comments came as his Likud party was arranging a meeting of its central committee slated for September 25, during which the move to replace him could well be ratified. It is expected delegates will vote in favor of holding primaries, with a view to ousting Sharon. Many of the party’s senior members say Sharon has turned his back on Likud policies by implementing his Gaza-withdrawal plan.
3. REPORT: ISRAEL TO COMPLETE BARRIERS THIS YEAR…Israel will complete work on security barriers around the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem, before the year’s end, according to Israel Radio. In the case of Gaza, a second perimeter fence is being constructed around the existing one. Most of the work on the West Bank barrier is taking place to the south of Hebron. The country’s police force believes it is from this area that a suicide bomber made his way to Beer Sheva to carry out an attack on Sunday.
4. OPEC MULLS UPPING PRODUCTION…The organization of oil-producing countries is considering increasing production by half-a-million barrels a day. The proposal from OPEC’s hierarchy came as crude oil prices briefly rose above the $70-dollar level. Analysts explained the increase as being the result of the hurricane that hit Louisiana on Monday. However, The Media Line staff say that does not explain the increases over the last 12 months. The oil-rich Gulf states are still insisting that the level of supply is not the key determinant of the price of a barrel of oil.
5. IRANIAN JUDGES TO CARRY GUNS…Following a series of attacks against judges in Iran, members of the judiciary will be permitted to carry weapons, according to reports from the country. In the latest incident, a judge sitting on a corruption trial was shot in the eye. Earlier this year, another judge was shot dead by a passing motorcyclist. He had been presiding over cases involving senior politicians and human-rights activists.