* India may attack Pakistan Indian military has prepared operations against targets in Pakistan and awaits the signal to go forward.

* Cautious Tension in Gaza After Shaky Truce Ends Cautious tension prevailed in and around the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Friday as the fragile six-month truce between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Palestinian area, expired.

* Rice: Violence will hurt Palestinians US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday called on Hamas in Gaza not to attack Israel, and warned that acts of violence would not help the Palestinian cause.

* Rare first century half shekel coin found in Temple Mount dirt A rare half shekel coin, first minted in 66 or 67 C.E., was discovered by 14 year-old Omri Ya’ari as volunteers sifted through mounds of dirt from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

* Olmert: Peace with Syria is feasible Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who announced suddenly that he will go to Turkey for talks on Monday, said Thursday evening that “a peace treaty between Israel and Syria is feasible.

* Iran sends ship against pirates Iran has sent a warship to the Gulf of Aden to protect its merchant shipping from attacks by Somali pirates.

* Bush claims ‘progress’ in ME peace talks US President George W. Bush, poised to finish his presidency without the Middle East peace deal he once said was in reach, declared Friday that Israelis and Palestinians have made great strides toward settling decades of conflict.

* Is the internet going down? Interoute, the internet networks company, reports that three of the four internet sub-cables that run from Asia to North America have been damaged.

* Iraqi shoe thrower wins hearts in Iran The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush has won some hearts in neighboring Iran.

* Chanukah 2008 Chanukah (“dedication” in Hebrew) is celebrated this year from sunset Sunday, December 21st, until sunset Monday, December 29th.