The World's Patrick Cox looks back at an odd moment in the Bush Presidency. It's when Mr. Bush appeared to compare himself to Graham Greene's fictional character Alden Pyle from "The Quiet American."

Our daily geography puzzler.

Today's Geo Answer is the Netherlands. A Europe-wide cold snap has given thousands of Dutch citizens the chance to enjoy a national past-time...ice skating. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Daniela Rosche, who went out skating for the first time in a long time this weekend in Amsterdam.

Switzerland doesn't have much of a musical tradition. The World's Marco Werman tells us how a Swiss jazz pianist is trying to create a modern one with a global posse of spoken-word artists.

Today on The World: Violence and casualties escalate in Gaza as Israeli troops push further into Gaza City; also, as the whole US auto industry struggles, so do many Latino immigrant autoworkers and their families; and Bollywood tries to break into Hollywood's home market with a new movie release this week.

Israeli ground forces pushed deep into Gaza City today, launching a massive assault on the city. Anchor Lisa Mullins finds out more about the situation inside the city from the BBC's Hammada Abuqammar, who's in Gaza.

Gaza conflict

The World's Quil Lawrence has the latest on the truce talks underway in Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian mediators there are trying to hammer out a cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel and end the bloodshed in Gaza.

Linda Gradstein reports on the tense working relationship between Israel's top three officials, the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and the Foreign Minister.

Hungarian poet Istvan Laszlo Geher offers a short reflection on the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama.

As the economic forecast grows more grim in Spain, one industry is looking for a boost in business...pawnshops. The World's Gerry Hadden explains from Barcelona.