Arguably the biggest global story that is getting the least attention here in the west are the monsoon induced floods in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Reports that the CIA used a vaccination campaign as a ruse to gather intelligence on Osama Bin Laden may set back efforts to eradicate Polio in endemic countries.
It’s one of the most serious and internationally under-reported stories of the conflict here: the undeclared and intensifying border war between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A new estimate by researchers at Brown University claims that at least 137,000 civilians have died during tens years of war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. This likely under-counts the true human cost of war.
For obvious reasons, national attention is seized today by the killing of Bin Laden. Buried in today's news, however, is a story that will likely be far more significant to long term American and international interests in Pakistan.
The political backdrop today's match is covered well in the New York Times, which writes that the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan are sharing a box for the day-long World Cup semifinal game.
The UN is out with a new report showing that natural disasters cost about $109 billion in economic damage in 2010. That's compared to about $35 billion in 2009.
Reports are coming in fast via twitter that the US Geological Survey is confirming that a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan. The apparent epicenter was in Southwest Pakistan, near the Afghan border.
