* Abbas: PA won’t miss chance for peace The Palestinian leadership is not prepared to miss any opportunity and intends to exert every effort to resolve the dispute with Israel.

* Russia recognizes Georgian rebels President Dmitry Medvedev has declared that Russia formally recognises the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

* Obama through Muslim eyes How do Muslims see Barack Obama? They have three choices: either as he presents himself, as one who has “never been a Muslim” and has “always been a Christian”; or as a fellow Muslim; or as an apostate from Islam.

* U.N. Confirms: Hizbullah Importing Weapons From Syria A United Nations task force assigned to report on weapons smuggling in Lebanon said Monday that Hizbullah has been bringing arms across the Syrian-Lebanese border.

* Hamas smuggling continues ‘rapidly’ While Egyptian efforts to stop weapon smuggling into Gaza have increased in recent weeks, Hamas is still continuing the illegal operations at a rapid pace.

* Beijing swells dollar reserves through stealth China has resorted to stealth intervention in the currency markets to amass US dollars.

* Barak to Rice: Israel won’t accept nuclear Iran Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday evening.

* Peace Now: West Bank settlement construction nearly doubled this year More than 2,600 housing units are under construction in West Bank settlements.

* When Hamas and Jordan Talk Jordan is the great survivor in the Arab World, so when it starts shuffling its diplomatic cards, it means there is something going on worth watching.

* Iraqi leader insists on deadline for troop pullout Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dug in his heels Monday on the future of the US military in Iraq.