News notes, January 19, 2010

Headline of the Day, from Metro-London: "The world's second Islamic Solidarity Games have been cancelled following a dispute between two rival countries."

The Iranian government cheered the failure of the six-party talks to advocate new sanctions regarding its nuclear weapons' program. The meeting, faced with Chinese and Russian opposition to more sanctions, could only agree that the UN should consider additional sanctions since Iran refuses to make any deal. Another defeat for Obama's Iran's policy and his general emphasis on consensus.

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has come up with an alternative to his refusal to hold talks with Israel. He dangles the bait for the U.S. government: If Washington proposes an imposed settlement giving him everything he wants then he will come to the table. Much of the Western media continues to act as if both sides are refusing to talk while Israel in fact just made it clear it is willing to meet any time and discuss everything.