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Need to know: Netanyahu says the much-discussed prisoner swap might not happen after all. Officials said Monday that Israel had dropped its objections to some 160 prisoners that Hamas wants included on the release roster. But, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "There is still no deal, and I do not know if there will be one." The proposed swap involves captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for hundreds of jailed Palestinians.

Want to know: It's a bit like a sibling rivalry gone wrong. Australia and New Zealand have gotten along, more or less, for years — mainly saving competition for the cricket pitch or the rugby field. But in times of economic need, one Australian has finally said out loud what many have secretly pondered before: keeping the Kiwis out. Kelvin Thomson, a member of parliament in Australia’s ruling Labor Party, recently proposed new limits on Australia’s long-standing, open-door migration policy toward its tiny eastern neighbor.

Dull but important: The South African economy has emerged from recession. Africa's biggest economy returned to growth between July and September and boasted an annualized, seasonally adjusted rate of 0.9 percent during the quarter, compared with the previous three months.

Just because: Morocco's deserts have been New Mexico, and they have been Iraq. Jerusalem and Egypt. Often seen, but much less frequently recognized, the expansive deserts of Morocco have starred in many a Hollywood blockbuster — among them, “Body of Lies,” “Kingdom of Heaven” and “The Mummy Returns.”

Wacky: A Simpsons episode that mocks the Sarkozys has gone viral in France. In the episode, entitled "The Devil Wears Nada," a typically bungling Homer Simpson and his colleague Carl Carlson visit Paris and bump into Bruni, a cigarette-smoking femme fatale in a stylish ball gown. After a brief exchange of pleasantries Bruni throws herself into Carl's arms and declares: "I want to make love, right now." Watch on Youtube for highlights: 

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