Lamenting Lebanon's failure to agree to US-mediated talks, Yuval Steinitz says unresolved dispute disruptive for both Jerusalem and Beirut. Lebanon could be facing internal pressure on matter from Hezbollah, he says.

Leading business analysis firm IVC–Meitar says 66 exit deals, which include initial public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, and buyouts, set a five-year record. Report finds 23 deals were made in amounts ranging from $100 million to $1 billion.

Substantive progress made on all four parts of a peace deal: counterterrorism assurances, troop withdrawal, participation in intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations, and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, envoy says.

Namir, who served as a member of the Knesset from 1974 until 1996, held the positions of environment minister and labor and social welfare minister. She later became Israel’s first ambassador to China and Mongolia.

Instead of 255 alert areas, Israel has now been divided into 1,700 areas – meaning that the disruption caused by projectile alerts will be more localized, preventing fear, angst and an unnecessary run to a bomb shelter.