1. FERRY SINKS, DOZENS KILLED…Dozens of people have drowned off the coast of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. The mix of Arabs and foreigners were on a dinner cruise when the boat capsized and sank. The ship’s owners have reportedly admitted the vessel was overcrowded. American naval forces in the region aided the rescue effort. The passengers included Britons, South Africans, Filipinos and Egyptians.
2. SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS FOUR…Israeli security forces have confirmed four people were killed when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a car in which he had hitched a ride. The incident occurred on Thursday night just outside Qedumim, an Israeli enclave in the West Bank. Eyewitnesses say the bomber had dressed as a religious Jew. The dead included an elderly couple, who had stopped to offer the terrorist a ride.
3. QADIMA GAINS SEAT WITH FINAL TALLY…Three Israeli political parties have gained a seat each and three others have had one removed with the final results of the Israeli national election. The changes came with the counting of the final few thousand votes. The party most likely to head the next government, Qadima, has climbed to 29, the Likud is up to 12 and Meretz to five. Those losing out are Shas to 12, Yisrael Beiteinu to 11 and the United Arab List and Arab National Movement down to three. While the changes will not have too much effect on the new coalition, they will influence state funding available to each party.