* Abbas made Palestinian state head The Palestinian Authority's central council has voted to appoint Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian state president.

* Hebron evacuation will be met with force greater than Amona A prominent settler leader said activists would resist attempts to evacuate Hebron's House of Contention with force much greater than ever used in the past.

* Barak: Hezbollah has 42,000 missiles Defense Minister Ehud Barak cautioned that Hezbollah had greatly improved its capabilities since the Second Lebanon War.

* Peace deal delayed due to political situation in Israel Bush, Olmert to meet in Washington Monday to discuss Iranian nuclear program.

* Iran "unhurt" by oil price fall Iran's President Ahmadinejad has said his country will not be damaged by falling oil prices.

* Iraq's Rocky Future The Status of Forces Agreement is a significant move toward the restoration of Iraq's sovereignty, but many hurdles remain.

* Syria confers highest medal on Kuntar Syrian President Bashar Assad has awarded murderer Samir Kuntar the country's highest medal for spending nearly three decades in an Israeli jail.

* Bethlehem: 900 PA troops for Christmas About 900 Palestinian Authority troops will be sent to Bethlehem to maintain order during Christmas celebrations.

* Most Consider The Web Most Reliable Source of News A Zogby Poll, commissioned by IFC, found 37.6% of those asked consider the Internets the most reliable source of news. 20.3% consider national TV news most reliable and 16% say radio is the most reliable source.

* Putin hopes for better ties with US under Obama Russia's leaders they hope the US will scrap its missile defense system in Europe and negotiate a nuclear arms control deal once President-elect Barack Obama takes office.