Syria denied a published report that it is building up its troops along the Israeli border.Israeli Radio reported that Syrian Parliament member Mohammed Habash told Al Arabiya television that the country has not changed its troops along the border, denying a report from the Haaretz news service.

MP Mikhail Margelov, the chairman of the Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament) International Affairs Committee, met with the Iranian chairman of the Iran-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group, MP Kazem Jalali, here on Tuesday.

Labor leadership candidate Ophir Paz-Pines launched his campaign on Wednesday by accusing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of being corrupt, Defense Minister Amir Peretz of causing damage and his party of being “addicted to power.”