* Egypt urges Syria-based Hamas leadership to accept Gaza truce Egypt on Tuesday stepped up its pressure on the Syria-based Hamas leadership to accept a cease-fire in the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

* Olmert: We’ll end Gaza op if arms smuggling, rocket attacks cease Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that Israel would halt its military activities in Gaza under two conditions.

* Gaza fighting continues as diplomatic efforts falter The Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip continued on Tuesday (6 January), reaching Gaza city.

* ‘Iran pledged that Hezbollah won’t respond to Gaza op’ Lebanon’s parliament majority leader Saad Hariri on Monday claimed that Hezbollah would not respond to Israel’s devastating offensive against Hamas.

* Russian gas supplies to EU dive overnight Russian supplies of gas to the EU via Ukraine dived by 70 percent overnight from Monday (5 January) to Tuesday Ukraine says.

* Hamas puts Gazans in danger by drawing IDF into urban warfare Hamas has thus far avoided direct clashes with Israel Defense Forces troops, preferring instead to take refuge in densely populated civilian neighborhoods.

* Wailing Shiite pilgrims throng holy Iraq city Shiites in their hundreds of thousands crowded the streets of Karbala on Tuesday, many beating their own backs with metal chains.

* Singh accuses Pakistan on Mumbai November’s attack on Mumbai must have had support from some official agencies in Pakistan.

* Sarkozy urges Assad to press for truce French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Syria on Tuesday to exert pressure on its ally Hamas in order to help end the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

* Milky Way ‘bigger than thought’ Our galaxy is much bigger than once thought, according to research presented at a major astronomy meeting this week.