Sudan’s north-south faultline worries about war (AP)
AGOK, Sudan – Four months before Southern Sudan is scheduled to hold an independence referendum, tensions are already rising in this oil-rich region that sits on the expected future border, with allegations the central government is using violence and ethnic cleansing to sway the vote. Leaders in Sudan’s north and south are in a tug-of-war over the central Sudan region of Abyei, home to oil fields worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In conjunction with Southern Sudan’s independence referendum scheduled for Jan.
Full StoryUganda court charges 2 over deadly twin bombings (AP)
KAMPALA, Uganda – A Ugandan court has charged two additional suspects in connection with the July bomb blasts that killed 76 people. The charges Thursday bring the total number of suspects to 34. The two men were charged with 89 offenses which include 3 terrorism charges, 76 charges of murder and 10 attempted murder charges.
Full StoryGoogle, Skype targeted in India security crackdown (AP)
MUMBAI, India – India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications — not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion — to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users’ data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype. “People who operate communication services in India should (install a) server in India as well as make available access to law enforcement agencies,” Home Secretary G.K.
Full StoryUN to release Congo ‘genocide’ report in October (AP)
GENEVA – A report detailing hundreds of gruesome attacks against civilians in Congo over a 10-year period won’t be released until October, the U.N.’s top human rights official said Thursday, after Rwanda angrily protested the findings in a draft version. Drafts of the report — circulated to governments earlier this year and leaked to the media last week — accused Rwandan troops and rebel allies tied to the current Congolese president of slaughtering tens of thousands of Hutus in Congo in the 1990s. Rwanda has reacted angrily to the claim that this may have constituted genocide or crimes against humanity, and threatened to pull its troops from U.N.
Full StoryAfghan president says airstrike killed civilians (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan – NATO said an airstrike in northern Afghanistan on Thursday killed about a dozen insurgents, but President Hamid Karzai said the victims were campaign workers seeking votes in this month’s parliamentary elections. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, meanwhile, arrived in the Afghan capital for meetings with Karzai and NATO commander Gen.
Full StoryRussian Minister Urges Citizens To Smoke, Drink More
Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin is urging his country’s citizens to smoke more cigarettes and drink more alcohol, as indulging those habits can apparently do wonders for the local economy. Kudrin’s unconventional advice comes just as Russia prepares to raise excise duty on both tobacco and alcohol sales — and higher consumption of both commodities could help lift tax revenues for spending on social services. “People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state,” Kudrin said , as quoted by the Interfax news agency.
Full StoryVuvuzelas BANNED From Euro 2012, Champions League
NYON, Switzerland — UEFA has banned fans from bringing vuvuzelas into stadiums for European Championship and Champions League matches. UEFA said Wednesday it wanted to protect the culture and tradition of fans singing at European soccer matches from the “negative effect” of the South African plastic trumpets made famous – and notorious – at the World Cup. “UEFA feels that the instrument’s widespread use would not be appropriate in Europe,” the organization said in a statement.
Full StoryMatt Miller’s Iraq Mistake: Pundit Struggles With Past Support For Invasion, War
Washington Post : When I look over those columns today, from the distance of nearly eight years, they seem reasonable and serious. Except, of course, that their premise was utterly wrong. Read the whole story: Washington Post Get HuffPost World On Twitter , Facebook , and Google Buzz ! Know something we don’t?
Full StoryGareth Williams, Dead British Spy, Was Found ‘Padlocked’ In Bag
The body of Gareth Williams, the British spy found dead in London last month, had been padlocked into a sports bag and was in “an advanced state of decay,” according to a coroner’s report released Wednesday. Coroner Dr. Paul Knapman told Westminster Coroner’s Court that Williams, 30, had been found in a bag that had been “padlocked shut.” His remains were discovered Aug.
Full StoryThe Deer That Drinks Beer (VIDEO)
A deer at a China resort has developed a taste for beer — and has apparently been known to knock back as many as four brews over the course of a day. According to The Telegraph , staff at the resort in Weihai say they discovered the doe’s unusual habit while they were cleaning up after customers. A waitress jokingly passed a half-empty bottle of beer to the curious animal, who proceeded to down the remaining contents in one gulp.
Full Story