Top stories from DAWNS Digest
The Bottom Line in Syria
With the UK Parliament putting the brakes on military intervention in Syria, the US is increasingly isolated in its bellicosity. The Arab League does not want the military strikes, the French and Turks are getting wobbly, and the Security Council would not get on board (and anyway, the lead author of the resolution authorizing the strikes was the UK, and they are now out of the game.) The bottom line: just a few days ago it looked all but preordained that the US would swiftly lead an international coalition to punish Assad for chemical weapons use. Now, the probability is much less certain
Kenya: 41 Die in Bus Crash
A stark reminder how auto-crashes take a devastating toll in the developing world. At least 41 people were killed Thursday in a bus crash west of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the Kenyan Red Cross said… Kenyan roads are notoriously dangerous, with buses badly maintained and often overloaded so operators can maximise profits. In February, 30 people died in a bus crash in the east of the country, and in July a school bus crash killed 20, most of them children. (AFP http://yhoo.it/15Cjj5K)
UK Parliament Votes Against Syria Intervention
You can count Britain out of any US-led campaign in Syria. “David Cameron indicated on Thursday evening that Britain would not take part in military action against Syria after the British government lost a crucial vote on an already watered-down amendment that was designed to pave the way to intervention in the war-torn country. In a devastating blow to his authority, the prime minister lost a government motion by 272 votes to 285 – an opposition majority of 13 – after scores of Tory MPs voted with Labour.” (Guardian http://bit.ly/15Cj1fg)