The Short List

• The Tunisian interim government briefly shut down the most popular private television station.  Many believe this violates pledges to allow freedom of expression.


• The World Economic Forum gets underway in Davos, Switzerland today, but the conference faces some soul searching and anemic expectations.


• Pakistani spy, Sultan Amir Tarar, died while under militant captivity 10 months after being kidnapped in northwest Pakistan.  Tarar was an important gunrunner for the CIA during the Soviet invasion of Aghanistan, and became a Pakistan's point man with the Taliban.


• Ireland's Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, has been forced to call elections within a month as the Green Party withdraws from the coalition government.  The prior timeline had elections scheduled for March.


• For China, central planning in the coal markets has become tricky.