* Protests against Gaza op sweep Mideast Iran warned Israel on Friday not to launch a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip as protests against the Israeli bombardment of the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

* Gaza rockets put Israel’s nuclear plant in battle zone There were growing fears in Israel last night that Hamas missiles could threaten its top-secret nuclear facility at Dimona.

* Hamas calls for revenge as Israel hits Gaza again Palestinian Islamists vowed revenge on Israel on Friday for killing a senior Hamas leader and his family.

* EU sending two Middle East peace missions The new Czech EU presidency and France will next week send two overlapping peace missions to the Middle East, amid sensitivities on Prague’s capability to lead Europe.

* No tears for Hamas leader in Ramallah Nizar Rayyan, the Hamas military commander who was killed in Thursday’s air raid on his home in the Jabalya refugee camp.

* EU concerned as Russia cuts off Ukraine gas The EU and the US have voiced concern after Russia has cut gas supplies to Ukraine on 1 January due to a price dispute.

* IDF coordination chief: There is no humanitarian crisis Hamas terrorists are using civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip – including hospitals, mosques and areas next to offices of international aid groups – to conduct terrorist activity and fire rockets at Israel.

* Cuba marks 50 years of revolution Cuba has marked the 50th anniversary of the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, creating a communist state on the United States’ doorstep.

* ‘Lots of spokesmen, lots of footage making a difference’ American pro-Israel advocacy groups say the Israeli government has done a better job in reaching out and being responsive to the foreign press during the current Gaza fighting than in other recent conflicts.

* Countries in tug-of-war over Arctic resources One of the planet’s most fragile and pristine ecosystems sits atop a bounty of untapped fossil fuels.