One of the main Darfur rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), signed a preliminary peace deal with the Sudanese government in Doha yesterday. So is this really the beginning of the end of the Darfur conflict? Over at the Enough Project's blog, Laura Heaton offers some valuable analysis:
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing USAID, the US Agency for International Development, for refusing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests. The ACLU is seeking documents from July and September 2009 that relate to abstinence education programs supported by USAID.
The UN Refugee Agency warned today that it is facing an acute shortfall of funds for its Yemen operations:
Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President Lula de Silva's chief of staff, was nominated today to represent the Worker's Party in the upcoming presidential election. She is known as the "iron lady." Lula is term-limited.
Today Sarah Palin became a "follower" on her own Facebook account. Sadly she decided to lock herself in step with the group of opportunists trying to derail needed action on climate change. That's more going steady than going rogue.
Kris Allen (who won last year's American Idol competition) and UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin travelled to Haiti last week. The trip is part of the television show's forthcoming episode dedicated to Haiti, which will air on Thursday and help raise funds UN relief efforts.