* ‘Al Qaida behind Benazir Bhutto killing’ The CIA has concluded that members of Al-Qaida and allies of Pakistani tribal leader Baitullah Mehsud were responsible for last month’s assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

* Israel closes crossings with Gaza Israel has temporarily shut its crossings with Gaza, after a series of rocket attacks on nearby Israeli towns from the Hamas-run territory.

* Ahmadinejad: Israel wouldn’t dare attack Iran Israel would not dare attack Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday.

* Frattini admits threat of EU ‘home-grown terrorists’ EU security commissioner Franco Frattini has said he shares concerns recently expressed in Washington that Europe could become a platform for terrorist threats against the United States.

* Abbas threatens to quit if ‘escalation’ continues Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is considering resigning from his post if Israel continues its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

* IMF says Iraq economy to boom Iraq’s economy is expected to boom in the coming year, despite political and security problems.

* Ahmadinejad scorns US and Israel Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused US President George W Bush of “sowing the seeds of division” during his recent Middle East visit.

* Frontier Insurgency Spills Into a Pakistani City For centuries, fighting and lawlessness have been part of the fabric of this frontier city.

* Balkan boost for Russia gas plan Bulgaria has agreed to a gas pipeline deal with Russia that is expected to strengthen Moscow’s grip over energy supplies to Europe.

* Iran receives nuke fuel Iran received a third shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia on Friday for a power plant being constructed in the southern port of Bushehr.