French anti-racist and Jewish organisations on Monday condemned what they called a wave of anti-Semitism sweeping over the micro-blogging site Twitter using the hashtag #unbonjuif.

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday urged Israel not to launch a military attack on Iran over its contested nuclear programme and said sanctions should be given time to work.

Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden Isaac Bachman was called to an emergency meeting at the Swedish foreign ministry in Stockholm on Monday to explain media reports Sunday claiming Sweden was to object to proposed further sanctions on Iran at a meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg.

“Sanctions play its part in absolutely making it clear by our economic and political moves what we think,” declared EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, at a press conference after EU Foreign Ministers agree on new tougher sanctions against Iran and Syria at their monthly meeting Monday in Luxembourg.

International efforts in the ongoing Syrian crisis should be directing at ending “oppression, stop all violence, deliver humanitarian aid for all those in need, prevent further regional instability and be prepared for the post-conflict period”, concluded a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Sunday told Brazil's foreign minister his country should boycott Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the future, Peres's office said.

Mr. Reuben Rivlin, the Israeli Knesset’s speaker, accompanied by knesset members Mr. Chaim Katz and Mr. Robert Elituv and many dignitaries – arrived last week for a formal visit to the Jewish Community of Petersburg, Russia.

Israel congratulated the European Union on Friday over being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and said it expected the EU to continue its peacemaking efforts in the Middle East.

Nobel c'tee praises 27-nation EU for rebuilding after WWII and for its role in spreading stability to former communist countries.

Report released by International Energy Agency estimates plummeting Iranian exports, spurning earlier predictions of an increase in Tehran's oil transactions; EU provisionally approves new sanctions against nuke program.