Morning Brief: Chavez: Prepare for war with Colombia

Middle East

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington for talks with President Obama. 
• Saudi Arabia says it has successfully routed Yemeni rebels from its territory.  
• Iraq's Parliament passed a crucial law needed to hold elections in January.

Americas

• Deadly floods have killed over 100 people and left thousands homeless in El Salvador. 
• After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark health reform bill, President Obama urged the Senate to "bring this effort to the finish line."
• The FBI is investigating whether Ft. Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hassan had ties to militants at a mosque in Virginia.

Asia

• Two suicide bombings hit Pakistan's Peshawar region in less than 24 hours. 
• A French envoy is meeting with North Korean leaders in Pyongyang.
• The Dalai Lama visited a disputed town on the China-India border, ignoring protests from Beijing. 

Africa

• Roy Bennett, a political ally of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, has gone on trial for terrorism in Zimbabwe. 
• Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged $10 billion in new loans to Africa over the next three years. 
• The Spanish government is refusing to negotiate with the Somali pirates holding 33 Spanish sailors hostage.  

Europe

• Russian energy giant Gazprom has seen a 50 percent drop in profits this year.
• Russian president Dmitry Medvedev says he believes a nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S. can be reached this year.  
• Italian police arrested an influential mafia boss in Naples.