In the news

"Update: No talks until Israel halts settlements, PLO says"

Direct talks with Israel will not resume unless it halts the building of Jewish settlements on occupied land, the Palestinian leadership said on Saturday.

U.S.-backed peace talks, launched a month ago in Washington, were plunged into crisis this week by the end of a 10-month Israeli moratorium on new settlement building in the West Bank. Israel has said it will not extend the freeze.

That seems pretty straightforward. You have to wonder what will happen next.

Palestinians say the growth of the settlements, on land Israel has occupied since 1967, will render impossible the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the stated goal of the peace talks.

More from the Jerusalem Post:

"PA decides to halt talks unless building freeze reinstated"

The following story is also in the news - somehow you have to wonder if Iran arrested a few random people for appearances sake. I doubt that those who are responsible for the worm are still in Iran, if they ever were to begin with. But Iran needs to do something now to save face:

"Iran arrests Stuxnet 'spies' who hit atomic work"

Iran's intelligence minister said on Saturday authorities had arrested several "nuclear spies" who were working to derail Tehran's nuclear programme through cyberspace.

Without saying how many people were arrested or when, Heydar Moslehi was quoted on state television's website as saying Iran had "prevented the enemies' destructive activity."

His remarks came against the backdrop of reports that the Stuxnet worm is mutating and wreaking havoc on computerised industrial equipment in Iran and had already infected 30,000 IP addresses.

Of course the day wouldn't be complete with out Ahmadinejad making the news:

"Ahmadinejad to visit 'Iran's border' with Israel"

Iranian President lays claim to Lebanon's southern border which he will visit during official tour; Lebanese official calls visit "a provocation."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to visit what he has reportedly called "Iran's border with Israel" during a trip to Lebanon later this month, referring to the Lebanese southern border.

Ahmadinejad is due to spend two days holding meetings and traveling the country over the course of an official tour beginning October 13th

Sometimes one can find humor in prophecy related news. The closing paragraphs are priceless:

His visit to the south would be a provocation, he doesn’t need to go there,” Fares Souaid, coordinator of the “March 14” alliance, said. He added that the Iranian president would be implying that Lebanon was under Iranian influence.

Well, that one isn't so much funny as it falls into the category of "stating the obvious". Southern Lebanon, is under the direct domination of Hezbollah, which is controlled by Iran. Hezbollah also holds power in the country, and their influence grows by the day.

This actually IS funny:

Last week, London-based paper Al-Quds al Arabi reported that Ahmadinejad plans to throw a rock at Israel to demonstrate his hatred on his planned trip to Lebanon.

One event the Iranian president is currently slated to attend is the inauguration of a garden in southern Lebanon, during which Ahmadinejad plans to throw the rock, according to Al-Quds.

You have to admit - thats pretty funny - the image of Ahmadinejad throwing a rock into Israel is hard not to laugh at. Perhaps it is Iran's equivalent of a U.S. President throwing the first pitch at the beginning of baseball season. Who knows?