While the Israeli Army keeps the doors to Gaza firmly shut in the faces of enquiring journalists, the pro-Palestinian press has images of corpses on a loop, a Molotov cocktail of information. Read more...

In Italy it's tradition to fire into the air on New Year's Eve. A custom that left one man dead this year when a 25-year-old was accidentally shot in the head. A Naples journalist was reporting the celebrations on Sunday. The scene is quite comical. See the video...

One of our Israeli Observers, Joel Schalit, takes a look at the Gaza crisis from a wider perspective, paying particular attention to Iranian influences over Palestinian movements. Read more...

Israeli site Ynetnews, the English version of the major daily Yedioth Ahronoth, was hacked this morning by Pro-Palestinian cyberactivists. Is the Gaza conflict to be the centre of a hackers' war? Read more...

Russian TV watchers have just finished voting for their most treasured countryman. The icon to take the crown was medieval prince Alexander Nevsky. But that's not what everyone's talking about. It's the unlikely figure looming at number three that's stolen the show. Read more...

Team Observers has made a selection of the best videos, photos and Observers' accounts of 2008. Vote for your favourites.

Israel's war against Hamas is being drawn out on the internet as well as on the ground. The Israeli Army has just launched a YouTube channel to house videos of its aerial attacks - which happen to be perfectly targeted. A shocking measure?  Read more and see the videos...

While Hamas is throwing rockets by hand, the Israel military is unveiling high-tech weaponry like the new "Iron Fist", capable of exploding a missile before it has even reached its target. Will technology make all the difference in Gaza? Read more...

Thought of as one of the best in the world, the French healthcare system is under fire after two fatal incidents within a week. Former nurse and blogger William Rejault condemns the system's insufficiencies and calls on health minister Roselyne Bachelot to take the problem of staff shortages seriously. Read more...

The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched this weekend, has already killed over 300 Palestinians - some of them members of Hamas, others, civilians. Our Observers, from Gaza to Jerusalem, tell us about the escalating violence and question the legitimacy of the attack. Read more and see the amateur images...

In an original take on Britain's traditional Christmas speech from the Queen, Britain's Channel 4 decided to ask Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to convey a message instead. Presented as an "alternative view" by the channel and received as an example of freedom of speech by many, the UK government, on the other hand, has condemned the speech. Read more...

Imagine receiving threats all day long, through a loudspeaker. That's daily life for residents of a town in northeast China, where the authorities are trying everything to get rid of them. Read more and hear it for yourself...

American soldiers can now get closer to their Iraqi and Afghani neighbours before their feet hit the ground. With virtual teachers, soldiers learn the lingo and the local customs at the same time... in a virtual game. Read more...

With counterfeit brands all the rage in China, children might be surprised to unwrap "Adadas" or "IVIKE" trainers on Christmas day this year. Faced with tougher laws, fakers have given up on producing exact replicas and moved on to innovative ways to reproduce brand names. Read more...

The death of Guinean President Lansana Conté has left the country in a state of utter confusion. In power since 1984, the authoritarian ruler leaves behind a financially devastated country, despite its wealth of minerals. Our Observers there tell us about the atmosphere. Read more...