Morning Brief: Israel votes

Top Story

Israelis head to the polls today for what looks to be a close-fought election. Binyamin Netanyahu’s conservative party had been leading in the polls, but Kadima, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, appears to have closed the gap in recent days. Turnout is higher than expected with more than a third of the electorate having voted by 2 p.m. Haaretz’s final projections still show a majority for a right-wing coalition.

Whoever wins is likely to face a fractured coalition government with little room to maneuver.

Americas

In a prime-time television address, U.S. President Barack Obama warned that without aggressive action, the U.S. economy could be facing a “lost decade.”

The Obama administration has backed the Bush administration’s position in a renditions case.

The Houston Chronicle reports that 230 U.S. citizens have been killed in Mexico’s drug violence since 2003.

Asia

U.S. South Asia envoy Richard Holbrooke arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan.

China’s monthly auto sales surpassed the United States’ for the first time.

The Red Cross began evacuating the wounded from Sri Lanka’s war zone.

Africa

South Africa set April 22 as the date for its presidential election.

At least 10,000 Somali refugees have crossed into neighboring Ethiopia this year according to the U.N.

A Ugandan offensive against the Lord’s Resistance Army has been catastrophic for civilians.

Europe

The comatose Italian woman at the center of a political right-to-die debate has died.

EU finance ministers are irritated by a French auto bailout plan.

EU peacekeepers have intensified their search for Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic.

Middle East

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a speech in which he welcomed dialogue with the United States.

Nicolas Sarkozy became the first ever French head of state to visit Iraq.