Israeli Right Regrouping As Begin Returns To Likud
Former Likud member Benny Begin, son of the late Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, announced on Sunday that he is returning to the party, a move that should bolster chairman Benjamin Netanyahu as he confidently heads for new elections this winter. Begin left the Israeli cabinet in 1997 and then the Knesset in 1999 to protest Netanyahu’s decision to sign onto the Oslo Accords by concluding the Hebron and then Wye agreements.

In A "Panic," Russians Trading Rubles For Dollars
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proudly says he keeps his personal savings in rubles. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin calls buying dollars a "dubious business." And the mass-circulation daily "Izvestiya" warns readers -- inaccurately -- that the United States is planning to remove $50 and $100 banknotes from circulation, making the greenback's future unstable.

EU Appears Ready To Return To Talks With Russia, If Not To "Business As Usual"
The European Union appears poised to resume talks with Russia on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement it suspended to protest Moscow's recent military action in Georgia. Leading EU officials in Brussels have long touted a climbdown in the standoff with Russia as the only rational choice for the bloc.

Elections
George W. Bush
This Tuesday is Election Day. After months of spirited debate and vigorous campaigning, the time has come for Americans to make important decisions about our Nation's future. I encourage all Americans to go to the polls and vote. Election season brings out the spirit of competition between our political parties, and that competition is an essential part of a healthy democracy.

How McCain, Obama Compare On Foreign Policy
On November 4, Americans will elect a new president: either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain. What can the world expect from Washington when one or the other of these men is inaugurated on January 20, 2009? RFE/RL asked two veteran observers of U.S. politics and foreign affairs for their views.

Are Theological Tensions Distancing Taliban From Al-Qaeda?
Is this end of a beautiful friendship? The Taliban and Al-Qaeda have enjoyed a long alliance in Afghanistan. Their relationship, based on a seemingly shared brand of severe and militant Islam, even survived the U.S.-led toppling of the Taliban in 2001, which came after leader Mullah Omar famously refused to turn over to the Americans his Al-Qaeda ally, Osama bin Laden.

Forgetting about $4 a Gallon?
Jon Kyl
Gasoline prices are down from their all-time highs this summer. Just a few months ago, oil peaked at $147 a barrel; now it is less than half that price. These lower prices are good for consumers, but we should remember that today’s prices can be short term as the result of lower demand due to the current economic turmoil. The root causes of the high prices have yet to be addressed.

Spending the Economy into Oblivion
Ron Paul
With news this week that Congress is poised to consider a new stimulus package, I am forced to again ask a question that seems silly in Washington: How will we pay for this? While a few Members of Congress have raised the issue, it certainly was not the primary concern of the House Budget Committee when they interviewed Ben Bernanke on Monday.

Financial Challenges
George W. Bush
Americans from all walks of life are continuing to feel the effects of the financial crisis. In recent weeks, concerns about the availability of credit, the safety of financial assets, and the volatility of the stock market have made many families understandably anxious about their economic future. The Federal government has taken bold action to stabilize our economy.

Kremlin "Soft Power" Keeping Internet In Check
Sergei Kuznetsov, who founded one of Russia's first blogs in the early 1990s, was recently approached with an offer from a company affiliated with the Kremlin. The company, whose name he did not reveal, presented a budget of millions of rubles to be used exclusively for public relations in the world of Russian blogs.

Official Iranian Glee Over "Failure Of Global Capitalism" Ignores Painful Realities
With much of the world grappling with government bailouts and other fallout from financial turmoil, leaders in Iran have hailed the ongoing crisis as the end of capitalism, saying the West is "being punished by God with a recession." They also insist that Iran's "independent economy" will be unscathed by the worldwide crisis.