* Pakistan’s Musharraf steps down Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.

* Russia ‘starts Georgia pull-out’ Russia has started to withdraw troops from Georgia, Moscow’s general staff says, following a pledge by President Dmitry Medvedev.

* Iranian claims of jet range dismissed Iran’s claim of having increased the range of its fighter jets, allowing them to fly as far as Israel and back without refueling, did not signify any new operational abilities, an arms expert said.

* Russia’s new nuclear challenge to Europe Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads for the first time since the cold war, senior military sources warned.

* Is King Abdullah warming to Hamas? Jordanian King Abdullah has permitted Hamas’s Damascus-based leader Khaled Mashaal to visit the country.

* Iran ready to put Muslim countries’ satellites in orbit Iran said it was ready to help fellow Muslim states launch satellites into orbit after it successfully put a dummy satellite into orbit – a move that may increase Western suspicions over its atomic ambitions.

* Israel’s Dog in the fight in the Georgian War Israel was considering to suspend all further military shipments to embattled Georgia, fearing possible retaliation with Russia which is on good terms with two of the Jewish state’s arch enemies in the region, Syria and Iran.

* Russia and China send a message: History’s back A journalist who started her career covering Russia and Ukraine, proclaimed that a new “Age of Authoritarianism” was upon us.

* Ethiopian Jews call for continued immigration An estimated 5,000 Ethiopian Israelis demonstrated outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against the government’s decision to end aliya from the country as 8,700 Falash Mura remain in rundown camps in northern Ethiopia.

* Pope urges fight against racism Pope Benedict XVI has urged Christians to help society combat intolerance to foreigners amid a row over criticism of the government by Roman Catholics.