* Abbas: ‘Armed resistance not ruled out’ PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday said that he does not rule out returning to the path of armed “resistance” against Israel.

* Gates pressures Turkey on Iraq Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he told Turkish leaders on Thursday that Ankara should end its offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

* PM: Palestinians ‘testing our patience’ “The Palestinians are testing our patience to the limit and are pulling us to the limits of our tolerance,” Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

* Iran ‘number one world power’: Ahmadinejad President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared on Thursday that Iran was the world’s “number one” power.

* UN criticised over ‘Darfur silence’ The UN security council’s silence over the crisis in Darfur has been labelled as “shameful” by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

* Kenya rivals agree to share power Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga have signed an agreement to end the country’s post-election crisis.

* Cash-Rich, Publicity-Shy, Abu Dhabi Fund Draws Scrutiny Abu Dhabi has about 9 percent of the world’s oil and 0.02 percent of its population.

* Sadr anger over Iraq law setback The faction loyal to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has reacted angrily to the rejection by Iraq’s presidency council of a draft law on regional powers.

* Barak: Hamas will pay Over 60 Qassam rockets have landed in Sderot, Ashkelon and the western Negev over the past two days and the barrages continue.

* Sizing up Medvedev, the next Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, the man chosen to be the next Russian president, sat surrounded by soldiers.