Jerusalem  - Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu called on British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Monday to stop Iran from obtaining an atom bomb, which he warned would "change the face of" the Middle East.

Miliband, who arrived in Israel Sunday for a two-day visit, met Netanyahu, a leading candidate to win Israeli elections on February 10, in Jerusalem Monday morning, Israel Radio reported.

Jerusalem - Israeli police questioned caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Friday for the 10th time in recent months on corruption suspicions.

Police arrived at Olmert's Jerusalem residence in the morning and probed him for 2.5 hours, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

He said fraud detectives questioned him on suspicions that he funneled some 7.67 million Israeli shekels (now about 2 million US dollars) to businesses run by a friend in his Likud party when he was trade and industry minister between 2003 and 2006.

Jerusalem - High-tech entrepreneur Nir Barkat, who billed himself as the "secular candidate," was elected mayor of Jerusalem, results from Tuesday's municipal elections, announced early Wednesday, showed.

Barkat won 52 per cent of the vote, compared to 43 per cent for ultra-Orthodox politician Meir Porush, following tallies from all 707 polling stations in the city.

Controversial Russian-born billionaire Arkady Gaydamak garnered only 3.6 per cent of the votes, in part because East Jerusalem Palestinians, whom he especially canvassed in his campaign, largely boycotted the election.

Jerusalem - High-tech entrepreneur Nir Barkat, who billed himself as the "secular candidate" was elected mayor of Jerusalem, results from Tuesday's municipal elections, announced early Wednesday, showed.

Barkat won 52 per cent of the vote, compared to 43 per cent for ultra-Orthodox politician Meir Porush, following tallies from all 707 polling stations in the city.

Controversial Russian-born billionaire Arkady Gaydamak garnered only 3.6 per cent of the votes, in part because East Jerusalem Palestinians, whom he especially canvassed in his campaign, largely boycotted the election.

Jerusalem - Israelis are choosing a new mayor of Jerusalem Tuesday. Several candidates are competing to replace Uri Lupolianski, who in 2003 became the city's first ultra-Orthodox mayor when elected to succeed Ehud Olmert, currently Israel's premier.

The leading ones are:

Nir Barkat, a 49-year-old high-tech entrepreneur, who made a fortune with his computer software company BRM. A secular Jew running as an independent, he lost narrowly to ultra-Orthodox Lupoliasnki in 2003 and as such has been heading the city council's "opposition."

Jerusalem  - Israelis were going to the polls Tuesday to elect new city councils and mayors for their hometowns.

Some 4.7 million Israelis are eligible to vote in the nationwide municipal elections.

Polls opened from 7 am (0500 GMT) in 159 villages, towns and cities, including Jerusalem, where voters will chose a replacement for current Mayor Uri Lupolianski, an ultra-Orthodox Jew of the United Torah Judaism faction.