The FINANCIAL -- GAZA, Israeli troops are reported to have intensified their attacks on Palestinian positions overnight as they fought running battles with Islamic militants and pushed further into Gaza city, medics said on January 13.

The FINANCIAL -- CAIRO, A new case of avian flu has been confirmed in a young girl in Egypt, the deputy health minister said.

The FINANCIAL -- According to RIA Novosti, Israeli has not achieved the goals it set for itself during its ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said on January 12.

The FINANCIAL -- TEHRAN, Iran is willing to cooperate with the new U.S. administration if it shows an "appropriate" approach toward Tehran, a foreign minister spokesman told reporters on January 12.

The FINANCIAL -- According tot RIA Novosti, the Russia-NATO Council will hold an informal meeting on January 26 in Brussels, the Russian envoy to the military alliance said on January 12.