Mumbai toll climbs as hotel standoffs continue  —  MUMBAI, India (CNN) — Indian police are still battling to release hostages the morning after gunmen carried out brazen attacks across southern Mumbai, killing more than 100 people and taking hostages in multiple locations.

‘Eight Israelis held by terrorists in Mumbai Chabad House’  —  Indian commandos and police were evacuating civilians and cordoning off the area apparently in preparation to storm the Chabad House in Mumbai, India, where a rabbi, his wife and several other Israelis were being held hostage, according to IBN, an Indian news agency.

A Night Out In Mumbai (Updated)  —  This is turning out to be one crazy night.  A friend of mine had an opening of her art exhibition a few hours ago, so we ventured to South Bombay for that.  We attended the exhibition, sipped the litchee juice, nibbled on party snacks, and then six of us headed out for dinner.

Some Hostages Free After Indian Attacks  —  MUMBAI, India — Indian police commandos rescued some hostages on Thursday as standoffs continued against heavily armed militants who a day earlier had swept into Mumbai, India's commercial capital, in a shocking series of coordinated and bloody attacks.

Foreign Ministry: Israeli hostages in Mumbai may be dead  —  Senior officials at Israel's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the hostages held by terrorists at the Chabad headquarters in Mumbai may be dead, as the gunmen holed up at the center urged the Indian government to negotiate with them over the hostages' release.

Iraqi Lawmakers Extend Agreement With U.S. Military for 3 Years  —  The Iraqi Parliament on Thursday approved a security pact that charts the way for the U.S. military to end its presence in Iraq eight years after the invasion by a U.S.-led coalition led to the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Iraqi parliament OKs US troops for 3 more years  —  BAGHDAD - Iraq's parliament approved Thursday a security pact with the United States that lets American troops stay in the country for three more years — setting a clear timetable for a U.S. exit for the first time since the 2003 invasion.

Things To Be Thankful For In A Troubled World  —  The war in Iraq is looking more and more like peace.  Afghanistan, while reportedly in flux and seeing more violence, is not the conflagration some reports suggest it is.  There have been 17 American military deaths in Iraq so far this month …