Ariel Sharon

The situation in Sudan continues to spiral out of control. In Afghanistan, a family decided to try and make the 10-year-old girl a suicide bomber. And liberal Catholics may be disappointed the more they consider the political leanings of the current pope. In this edition of the Global Scan, everyone is taking sides.

Former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon has died after spending nearly eight years in a coma that followed a stroke. Sharon was highly controversial — both loved and hated. And few individuals in recent memory have had as much of an influence on the recent history of the Middle East.

You might think world leaders care a lot about the words they choose and how powerfully they deliver them. Guess again. Sometimes all that matters much less than deciding whether to speak English or not.

Ariel Sharon, Israel’s former prime minister, has been in a permanent vegetative state since he suffered a stroke in 2006. Recently new tests have revealed brain activity — leaving researchers surprised and raising a whole host of new ethical questions.

Israel’s electoral system for parliament has people voting for parties, not people. In order to get seats, a party needs to win at least two percent of the vote. Some 34 parties are running this year and some parties that are on the fringe of Israeli politics are on the verge of winning enough support to actually secure seats.