* Syria: Air defenses fired at Israeli aircraft over our airspace Syrian air defenses opened fire on IAF aircraft that violated Syrian airspace overnight.

* Jakarta seals Russian arms deal Russia has closed a significant military deal with Indonesia, selling Jakarta a package of weapons including helicopters, tanks and submarines worth more than $1bn.

* Barak: IDF nearing large Gaza operation Defense Minister Ehud Barak confirmed Wednesday that Israel was nearing a large incursion into the Gaza Strip in response to Kassam rocket fire.

* UK and France say Kosovo a test of EU foreign policy Securing agreement on the final status of Kosovo, Serbia’s breakaway province, is a key test of the European Union’s foreign and security policy.

* UN Chief ‘Shocked’ by Darfur Camp U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “shocked and humbled” by a visit to a Darfur refugee camp, where thousands cheered him.

* Lieberman: ‘Land for Peace’ Will Lead to Certain Failure Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party have taken the unique step of releasing a “party platform” in between national elections.

* Blair developing plan for Israeli-Palestinian steps Middle East envoy Tony Blair is developing a plan that would spell out practical steps that Israeli, Palestinian and business leaders would gradually take to try to boost peace prospects.

* A chronology of Israel-Syria relations since 1947 Syria said Thursday that it had fired on an Israel Air Force jet that violated its territory and warned it retained the right to respond.

* France considers ways to tackle globalization France should work for a “much more offensive policy of protection, solidarity and regulation” at an EU level in order to better face globalization.

* Norwegian, UK jets scramble to monitor 8 Russian bombers Norwegian and British fighters scrambled twice Thursday to monitor eight Russian bombers that neared the Nordic country’s territory in the latest show of air power by the Kremlin.