Israeli Race Too Close To Tell - February 11, 2009 (Israeli National News)

Neither party emerged a clear winner in Tuesday's election, with Kadima winning only one mandate more than Likud – a slim majority that may well disappear after the votes are counted from soldiers, hospital shut-ins and members of the diplomatic corps abroad. Final election results won't be posted until February 18.

Netanyahu Rules Out Rotation With Livni - February 11, 2009 (Israel National News)

Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday during a meeting of the party's Knesset faction that the possibility of a rotation agreement between him and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni in the role of Prime Minister is not an option. Most analysts estimate that President Shimon Peres would entrust Netanyahu with the assignment of forming a government.

Economic Recovery Package Compromise Reached - February 11, 2009 (Fox News)

The House and Senate have reached an agreement to reconcile their two versions of a massive economic recovery package, settling on a bill with $789 billion in spending and tax cuts, lawmakers said Wednesday afternoon. The economic stimulus package had scant GOP support, but Reid thanked the three Republican senators who helped forge a compromise with Democrats. One of those Republicans, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said he would have preferred a tax-cut measure costing about half as much as the compromise.

Russia To Help Iran Get Nuclear in 2009 - February 05, 2009 (Reuters)

Russia plans to start up a nuclear reactor at Iran's Bushehr plant by the end of the year, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation said on Thursday.

The Treacherous Road Ahead for the New Israeli PM - February 10, 2009 (The Jerusalem Post)

The next Israeli Prime Minister has an astoundingly difficult job ahead. Iran's nuclear ambitions and Syria's missiles, the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and a flood of pressure from the opinionated world - these are all treacherous matters to deal with. But, the first challenging task for the new PM is to form a coalition within Israel's own government - a job for a person with an iron stomach.

Hatred Of Jews Okay in Germany - If It's From Muslims - February 09, 2009 (The Jerusalem Post)

Recent events demonstrate the relationship of German political culture today to anti-Semitism. On the one hand, one is not allowed to deny the Holocaust. If Arabs, other Muslims and their German friends scream 'Death to the Jews,' or 'Israel - children killer', that's fine. If two lonely guys stick an Israeli flag in a bedroom window on a street where such anti-Semites pass, the police react immediately and confiscate the flag.

War On The Korean Peninsula? - February 03, 2009 (Reuters)

North Korea appears to be preparing to test-launch its longest range ballistic missile, just days after Pyongyang warned that the Korean peninsula was on the brink of war. Analysts say the possibility that North Korea would start an all-out war with the South is low because Pyongyang knows its underfunded military is no match for the U.S.-backed modern military of its Southern neighbour. But the following scenarios could unfold...

Zimbabwe Cholera Cases Up To Almost 65,000: WHO - February 03, 2009 (AFP)

Some 64,701 people have caught the disease during the outbreak, which started in August, and 3,295 among them have died, the WHO said. The latest data indicated that 1,792 new cases and 66 deaths have been added since Monday, when WHO statistics showed 62,909 cases and 3,229 deaths.

The Shameless Parading of Terrorism - February 02, 2009 (The Wall Street Journal)

Remembering his son Daniel Pearl, the journalist who was beheaded by terrorists seven years ago this week, Judea Pearl writes, "But somehow, barbarism, often cloaked in the language of 'resistance,' has gained acceptance in the most elite circles of our society. The words 'war on terror' cannot be uttered today without fear of offense. Civilized society, so it seems, is so numbed by violence that it has lost its gift to be disgusted by evil."

Egypt Blocks Iranian Weapons Headed For Gaza - January 28, 2009 (The Australian)

An Iranian freighter carrying weaponry for Hamas has been blocked by Egypt from entering the Suez Canal, amid concerns that Tehran is trying to supply the Palestinian militant group with missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv. The ship is docked in the Red Sea outside the Suez Canal after Cairo refused to permit it to cross the waterway to the Mediterranean. 'This is a big test for the Egyptians. So far the Egyptians have prevented the ship from crossing the Suez and we hope it will stay that way.'

Australia Now Alone In Restricting Abortion Aid - January 27, 2009 (CNSNews)

President Obama's decision to rescind the 'Mexico City Policy' – which denies aid funds to non-governmental organizations that promote or perform abortions – is providing new impetus for activists in Australia who want their government to remove similar regulations in place there. The US policy shift will reportedly leave Australia alone among donor nations to implement abortion-related restrictions on overseas development aid.

Nearly 3000 Dead in Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak - January 27, 2009 (AP)

There has been a sharp rise in the number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe with the death toll nearing 3,000, the United Nations said Tuesday. The UN humanitarian office said 2,817 new cases were reported Monday, taking the cumulative number of infections since the outbreak began to 56,123.