Amid continuing nervousness across the Middle East, Israeli defence ministry officials were forced to confirm the launch of a sparrow missile over the Mediterranean at 9.15am (6.15 GMT) after Russia revealed that its radar systems had detected it. The launch's disclosure initially provoked panic in Moscow that a Western-backed strike on Syrian targets had begun, before the US, Britain and France issued denials and Israel acknowledged it had conducted a test.

"The Israel missile defence organisation (IMDO) and the US missile defence agency (MDA) completed a successful flight test new version of the sparrow target missile," a defence ministry statement said. "This is the first flight out test of this new version of the sparrow, and was conducted at Israeli test range over the Mediterranean sea."

Confirmation came only after Moscow had announced that its early warning system at Armavir in southern Russia had tracked two missiles being fired from the central Mediterranean in the general direction of Syria.

ITAR TASS reports that Russia’s Black and Baltic Sea Fleets’ Ropucha-class landing ships Novocherkassk (150 marines on board) and Minsk (225 marines) have sailed off for the Mediterranean Sea. What was not reported is that the destination of the two marine carrying ships is the sensitive area around Syria already staked out by the US navy. It is implied.

From the Russian press agency: “The Russian Navy continues stage-by-stage rotation of warships and support ships of the standing naval force in the Mediterranean,” the spokesman said. “Having passed through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, the big landing ships will reach the designated area in the Mediterranean Sea on September 5 or 6 to start their mission under the command of the remote zone headquartered onboard the big anti-submarine ship of the Russian Pacific Fleet Admiral Panteleyev.”

Currently, one of the key tasks of the Russian standing naval force in the Mediterranean is “comprehensive monitoring over the air, underwater and surface situation in the zone of its deployment,” the Russian defence ministry said, adding that the rotation of Russian warships in the Mediterranean Sea would continue till mid-September.

Yet now Libya has almost entirely stopped producing oil as the government loses control of much of the country to militia fighters.

Mutinying security men have taken over oil ports on the Mediterranean and are seeking to sell crude oil on the black market. Ali Zeidan, Libya’s Prime Minister, has threatened to “bomb from the air and the sea” any oil tanker trying to pick up the illicit oil from the oil terminal guards, who are mostly former rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi and have been on strike over low pay and alleged government corruption since July.

As world attention focused on the coup in Egypt and the poison gas attack in Syria over the past two months, Libya has plunged unnoticed into its worst political and economic crisis since the defeat of Gaddafi two years ago. Government authority is disintegrating in all parts of the country putting in doubt claims by American, British and French politicians that Nato’s military action in Libya in 2011 was an outstanding example of a successful foreign military intervention which should be repeated in Syria.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have little love for each other but both are pressing their mutual friend in the White House to hit President Bashar al-Assad hard. And both do so with one eye fixed firmly not on Syria but on their common adversary - Iran.

Israel's response to Obama's surprise move to delay or even possibly cancel air strikes made clear that connection: looking soft on Assad after accusing him of killing hundreds of people with chemical weapons may embolden his backers in Tehran to develop nuclear arms, Israeli officials said. And if they do, Israel may strike Iran alone, unsure Washington can be trusted.

Neither US ally is picking a fight with Obama in public. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the nation was "serene and self-confident"; Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal simply renewed a call to the "international community" to halt Assad's violence in Syria.

But the Saudi monarchy, though lacking Israel's readiness to attack Iran, can share the Jewish state's concern that neither may now look with confidence to Washington to curb what Riyadh sees as a drive by its Persian rival to dominate the Arab world.

A senior military source confirmed to the Lebanese newspaper that the meeting had, indeed, taken place, but said that it had not been held inside the Dahiya – a neighborhood controlled by Hezbollah – but outside it. The senior source said that the Iranian official is a military officer and that the meeting was devoted to the military and logistical readiness of Hezbollah for a confrontation with Israel, which, he added, is just “a stone's throw away” from Lebanon.

The source added that less than 48 hours after the meeting, 10,000 Hezbollah guerrillas and unspecified “special forces” began extensive military exercises in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. He said that 10,000 men took part in the exercises, which were the largest of the kind ever conducted in that area. He posited that strengthening Hezbollah in the region is also intended to enable the continued flow of weapons from Damascus to the organization, and especially advanced weaponry.

The report could be an effort at disinformation and is probably meant to intimidate Israel and hint that Hezbollah – an Iranian proxy force – would fire its missiles at the Jewish state if it attacks Iran.

The EU trade’s body said 154 new tariffs and restrictive measures have been pushed through over the past year while “virtually none” has been abolished. This violates a promise by the G20 bloc of leading powers to dismantle barriers before they become embedded in the global system. “It is a striking phenomenon. Looming protectionism is now more than ever a significant threat to global growth,” said trade EU commissioner Karel de Gucht. “It is high time the G20 pledge be adhered to in full,” he added, exhorting the G20 to act at the St Petersburg summit this week, an event certain to be dominated by Syria.

Protectionism is the dog that did not bark during the global crisis of 2008-2009, but trade abuses have been building up ever since. They have spread rapidly over the past year as the credit cycle turns in Asia and Latin America, and once-booming economies exhaust the low-hanging fruit of catch-up growth. The worry is that emerging markets - now half global output - are turning their backs on free trade as political pressure mounts.

The Syrian president issued a dire warning that any Western military intervention could lead to "regional war" and would harm "the interests of France". "Whoever accuses must provide proof. We have challenged the United States and France to provide the slightest proof. (US President Barack) Obama and (French president François) Hollande have been incapable (of doing so) even to their own people," Assad told French newspaper Le Figaro in an exclusive interview.

He questioned the "logic" of claims that his forces carried out the August 21 attack outside Damascus, which the US said killed 1,429 people. "Supposing our army wishes to use weapons of mass destruction. Is it possible that it would do so in a zone where it is located and where (our) soldiers were wounded by these arms, as United Nations inspectors have noted during visits to hospitals where they were treated? Where is the logic?" he asked.

Describing the Middle East as a "powder keg" whose "fuse is getting shorter", he warned it would "explode" if Western forces struck Syria. "Nobody knows what will happen (after such strikes). Everyone will lose control of the situation when the powder keg explodes. Chaos and extremism will spread. The risk of a regional war exists," he warned.

Defending his record despite a series of scandals on his watch, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, 78, also appeared to suggest that any blame for errors should shared by Pope Benedict XVI, who appointed him as secretary of state, effectively his number two, in 2006. The backlash followed the surprise announcement on Saturday that Pope Francis had named Archbishop Pietro Parolin, 58, currently nuncio in Venezuela, as Cardinal Bertone’s replacement, with a handover due next month.

Cardinal Bertone's tenure culminated with the leaking by Benedict's butler of papal correspondence. Among the documents, it was alleged Cardinal Bertone ran a Vatican riven by petty rivalries, corruption and mismanagement. But speaking on the sidelines of a mass being celebrated on Sunday in Sicily, Cardinal Bertone chose to fight back.

“On balance I consider these seven years to have been positive," he said. “Naturally there were problems, particularly in the last two years, they have made many accusations against me... A mix of crows and vipers." He said while it may seem like the secretary of state "decides and controls everything", he insisted that was not the case.

“There were matters that got out of control because they were problems which were sealed within the management of certain people who did not contact the secretary of state.. I always gave everything but certainly I had my shortcomings and if I could relive certain moments now I would act differently. But that does not mean that I did not try to serve the church.”

The interest rate was lowered to 2.5% from 4.5%. Russia extended the loan in 2011 for 4.5 years. Cyprus assured its territory won’t be used to launch military strikes against Syria, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said, according to a transcript of his comments posted on the government’s press-office website and Kasoulides commented that “Cyprus wants to live up to its responsibility as a shelter if needed for nationals of friendly countries who evacuate from the Middle East” .

By assuring that NATO forces, primarily those from Great Britain, cannot have easy access to launch punitive strikes on Syria for what many believe is a false flag chemical attack on civilians, Russia flexed its growing financial muscles in a conflict that is pushing the US towards a leadership crisis in their attempts to conduct foreign affairs.

US military action will be put to a vote in Congress, which ends its summer recess on September 9, giving President Bashar al-Assad time to prepare the ground for any assault and try to rally international support against the use of force.

In a letter to UN chief Ban Ki-moon and President of the Security Council Maria Cristina Perceval, Syrian UN envoy Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari called on “the UN Secretary General to shoulder his responsibilities for preventing any aggression on Syria and pushing forward reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria”, state news agency SANA said on Monday.

According to the statewide firefighting agency Cal Fire, 348 square miles have been scorched. At least 111 structures have been destroyed, but no one has been killed or seriously injured in the blaze, which is the largest wildfire burning in the country.

By last measure, the fire that has burned an area the size of Dallas was 40 percent contained with the help of more than 5,000 firefighters from state, federal and local agencies. Authorities said fresh firefighters were being brought in to replace tired crews, but that officials did not plan to reduce the number of personnel assigned to the fire.

The Labor Day weekend is historically a boon for Yosemite National Park as patrons flood the park before the school year begins and colder weather settles in. But the smoke has hampered the getaway vibe.

The letter of Scott Regall to Barak Obama has exploded on the scene with its opening words:

“We strongly urge you to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of US military force in Syria. Your responsibility to do so is prescribed in the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

While the Founders wisely gave the Office of the President the authority to act in emergencies, they foresaw the need to ensure public debate – and the active engagement of Congress – prior to committing US military assets. Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.”

If that were all that the letter said, it would be momentous enough. But the statement goes further and labels Obama’s cruel war on Libya as “unconstitutional,” because it was done without so much as a nod to Congress. In the end no lawyer and no court, not even the Supreme Court, can overrule Congress when it decides what to do when it considers a serious presidential action as “unconstitutional.”

In Libya Obama usurped the powers of Congress. If Congress takes the next step and determines that such an action rises to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” then it is an impeachable offense.

"May the cry for peace enter the hearts of everyone so that they may all lay down their weapons," the pope told thousands of pilgrims at the Vatican on Sunday. The pope announced that the prayers would be led by a five-hour vigil in St Peter's Square, telling the international community it should make "every effort" for peace.

His call came as the United States and France were making plans for possible air strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime over its alleged use of chemical weapons. "My heart is profoundly wounded in these days by what is happening in Syria and I am anxious about the prospect of dramatic developments," the pope said.

"I condemn with particular force the use of chemical weapons. I still have in my mind and heart the terrible images of the past days. There is judgment from God and from history on our actions that no one can escape. Weapons and violence do not lead to peace, war leads to more war," he said.

John Kerry was a frequent visitor of Assad's over the last few years. Perhaps no one in US politics knows him better than Kerry who was complimentary of Assad as short as 2 years ago when he referred to him as a "very generous man".

It's hard to believe the notion that Assad would be so foolish. The strategic idiocy in launching chemical attacks, not on the rebel fighters but on civilian loyalists near Damascus, knowing full well that it would invite Western intervention makes very little sense.

We are supposed to believe that Assad, who speaks perfect English, is stupid and evil. Not likely. In fact, Assad was actually a strong ally in fighting Al Qaeda until America teamed up with Al Qaeda to destroy him and his country.

The Social Democrat (SPD) candidate says it is time for Germany to show solidarity and help its EU partners. Solidarity is also high on the agenda of the Greens - the SPD's election ally and most likely coalition partner if jointly they do well enough to overtake Mrs Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).

In a big interview with German ARD television, Mr Steinbrueck reminded voters that the seeds for Germany's "economic miracle" after World War II were sown by the US Marshall Plan - generous aid to rebuild its devastated economy. "Germany is in a liability union - Germany will have to pay for the stability of Europe and the eurozone," he said.

In contrast, Mrs Merkel has resisted calls for pooling eurozone debt - for assuming joint liability. She says the most heavily indebted countries must first restore budget discipline before any talk of joint "eurobonds". Mr Steinbrueck accuses Mrs Merkel of aggravating record unemployment in countries like Greece and Italy through her insistence on austerity.