* Indonesia quake deaths pass 1,000 At least 1,100 people have died in the earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, the UN humanitarian chief has said.

* US and Iran meet at nuclear talks Senior US and Iranian officials have met for rare bilateral talks during discussions between world powers and Iran on its nuclear program.

* Communist China marks 60th year China has been staging mass celebrations to mark 60 years since the Communist Party came to power.

* Maliki launches pan-Iraqi bloc Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has formed a new political bloc to contest January’s general election.

* President Blair ‘within weeks’ He will be nominated by EU leaders in Brussels if, as expected, Ireland backs the hated Lisbon Treaty in tomorrow’s referendum.

* Blunt debate on Dublin streets ahead of Lisbon vote David Weafer, a taxi driver for 19 years, is definitely voting No. “Brussels has turned into the Big Brother of Europe.”

* Gaza probe ‘fatal blow’ to peace Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu has urged UN members to “come to their senses” and reject the Goldstone report into Israel’s military conduct in Gaza.

* US commander spells out Afghan difficulties U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal called on Thursday for a dramatic change in tactics in the faltering war against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

* ‘US Jews back military strike on Iran’ A majority of American Jews support military action against Iran to prevent the Teheran regime from obtaining nuclear weapons.

* Israeli Arabs: State’s racism will lead to ‘explosion’ Tens of thousands arrived in Arraba on Thursday to attend the central rally marking the ninth anniversary of the events of October 2000.