* Abbas tells Mubarak: I doubt there’ll be peace by end ’08 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday voiced doubt that US President George W. Bush’s year-end goal for a peace agreement with Israel would be achievable.

* Bhutto’s widower wins presidency Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has won a sweeping victory in Pakistan’s presidential election.

* US to oversee Syria-Israel talks Israel-Syria peace talks, which were reanimated several months ago with Turkish mediation after being frozen since the premiership of Likud’s Binyamin Netanyahu, will continue.

* McCain-Palin Ticket Chills Arabs, Muslims With the U.S. presidential elections just two months away, many Arabs and Muslims are increasingly worried that a victory for another conservative Republican administration will exacerbate the tensions.

* Barak warns against testing might of IDF Defense Minister and Labor chairman Ehud Barak said Friday that Israel was closely monitoring Hizbullah’s efforts to rearm.

* EU ministers map out Georgia peace mission The final shape of an EU security mission to Georgia and broader EU-Russia relations will top the agenda of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in France this weekend.

* Sudan army ‘attacks Darfur towns’ Sudanese government troops have launched attacks on two towns in Darfur.

* Israel bolsters Palestinian Authority’s arsenal Some 900 assault rifles were transferred to the Palestinian Authority in late August with Israel’s approval.

* Israel allows weapons transfer to Palestinians An Israeli security official says Israel allowed Palestinian security forces to receive a shipment of around 1,000 rifles.

* Peres: I oppose strike against Iran “I do not support military action against Iran, but the world must become a united front and impose harsh economic sanctions on Iran.