Syria says talks progress

Syria said its indirect peace talks with Israel are making progress despite Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s impending resignation. “If the talks had not progressed, then they would have been stopped,” Buthaina Shaaban, an adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad, told reporters in reference to Turkish-mediated negotiations that were publicized in May. Asked whether Olmert’s decision to step down next month could disrupt the talks, Shaaban said, “We are not concerned with whether Olmert resigns or not. We are not a party to internal Israeli issues.” Syria was Israel to promise to return the Golan Heights before direct negotiations can be held. Israel, in turn, wants Syria to distance itself from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.

Soldiers charged

Two soldiers were indicted for shooting a bound Palestinian in the foot with a rubber bullet at point-blank range. A court-martial charged a lieutenant-colonel and a staff-sergeant with “conduct unbecoming” in connection with last month’s shooting in the West Bank village of Nilin. Military sources quoted the lieutenant-colonel as saying he ordered the sergeant to cock his weapon within earshot of the man to discourage him from breaking curfew. The soldier fired the rubber bullet after having apparently misunderstood the order.

Thugs beat woman

A group of men who police believe were hired by a haredi gang recently broke into a Jerusalem woman’s home and beat her because they deemed her immodest. The so-called Modesty Guard is suspected of being behind the incident. The gang has been known to unleash extortion, violence and surveillance on less religious Jews they deem sacrilegious. The incident may be one of a string of signs of rising haredi violence. Last year, five haredi Jews assaulted a woman and a soldier because they sat next to each other on a Jerusalem bus.

Music mooves cows

An Israeli dairy farmer is crediting classical music with increasing the milk production of his cows. Avraham Sindlis of Givat Haim Ihud has seen his kibbutz’s cowshed move up to 11th place in Israeli milk production from 102nd in the past two years. His secret? Playing Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss to the cows. “It’s pleasant for them, and for me, too, and it passes the day,” Sindlis told Yediot Achronot last week. “It may be hard to prove scientifically, but the quantities of milk speak for themselves.”