>>Iraq – Kurdish lawmakers boycotted critical legislation Tuesday that sets new rules for provincial elections. The sticking point was the status of Kirkuk, which Kurdish lawmakers believe should come under the control of their autonomous region. The bill, which would bring more power to Iraq’s regions and empower Sunnis, is now unlikely to be ratified by the Presidency Council, headed by President Jalal Talabani, an ethnic Kurd.

>>Thailand/Cambodia – Thousands of Thai and Cambodia troops have moved into disputed land near the Preah Vihear temple on the border. Tensions were sparked when UNESCO listed the temple as a Cambodian World Heritage Site, which prompted protests by local Thais and their subsequent arrest by Cambodian authorities. Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has suggested that Cambodia’s Prime Minister, Hun Sen is just using the row to gin up votes for the imminent general election.

>>India – India’s government survived a vote of confidence on Tuesday, clearing the way for a controversial nuclear energy deal with the United States. At one point during the debate, opposition members carried duffel bags full of cash into parliament, alleging that it had been used to try to buy votes. Under the deal, which still needs to be approved by the IAEA, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the U.S. Congress, India would open its civilian nuclear reactors to international inspectors in exchange for the ability to develop its civilian nuclear program without having to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

• Another Darfur Peacekeeper Attacked, Another Opponent of ICC Action in Sudan
• Nabbed!

Africa

• Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe crisis talks to start in South Africa
• Zimbabwe – EU widens Zimbabwe sanctions
• Sudan – South Sudan’s Kiir joins calls to delay ICC warrant
• Sudan – Sudanese president visits Darfur
• South Africa – S African police evict migrants

Americas

• U.S. – U.S. Offers a Subsidy Concession at Trade Talks
• Colombia – Vote Sought to Permit 3rd Presidential Term
• Venezuela – Chavez calls for Russia alliance
• Brazil – Brazil boom breeds new generation of millionaires
• Mexico – Kidnapped Koreans freed in Mexico

East Asia

• China – Last Three Gorges Dam migrants evacuate as water rises
• China – Bus Blasts Not Linked to Olympics, China Says
• Thailand – Thais brace for border clashes with Cambodia

Europe

• Bosnia – UK and US saw through Karadzic disguise
• Greece – Suit to Prohibit Use of ‘Lesbian’ Dismissed
• Bulgaria – EU to suspend funds to Bulgaria

Middle East

• Iraq – Kurds Object to Iraqi Provincial Election Law
• Iraq – Britain Plans Pullout of Most of Its Iraq Force
• Israel – Obama gives pledge on Israel ties
• Iran – Ex-Advisers Warn Against Threatening to Attack Iran

Oceania

• Australia – Australian core inflation hits 17-year high

Russia and Former Republics

• Russia – Manned spaceship design unveiled
• Russia – BP Will Withdraw Its Engineers in Russia

South Asia

• India – Rahul Gandhi’s pro-nuclear speech disrupted by heckling in Indian parliament
• Pakistan – Senior Zardari security officer killed in Pakistan
• Pakistan – Taliban arrest in Pakistan raises Western hopes
• Pakistan – Action call over Pakistan missing
• Bangladesh – Bangladesh to receive $1.3bn food aid

>>China – Chinese authorities are evacuating 150,000 citizens who are threatened by a gigantic lake that formed in Tangjiashan when a river was blocked by mudslides set loose by the earthquakes this month. Engineers continue to dig drainage areas in hopes that the lake’s size might be decreased. Meanwhile, a 5.4 magnitude aftershock destroyed 420,000 houses in Sichuan’s Qingchuan county and injured 63. China is seeking help from Japan’s military.

>>Israel – Israel’s defense minister Ehud Barak called for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down today, a day after American businessman Morris Talansky testified in a Jerusalem District Court that he had handed Olmert envelopes full of up to $150,000 in cash. Both Olmert and Talansky have admitted the transfer but denied it was a bribe.

>>Syria – In a meeting with British members of Parliament, including the Interior Minister, Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad said that Syria intends to maintain normal relations with Iran while negotiating with Israel, contrary to Israel’s demand that it abandon its alliance. The two nations confirmed indirect talks last week, the first since 2000.

• IHT: Even With Access, Distributing Aid in Myanmar is a Challenge
• Ambush on UNAMID Peacekeepers
• UN Plaza: Talking Human Rights Council Elections

Africa

• Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s Tsvangirai says 50 killed in poll violence
• South Africa – 30 dead in South Africa as bus drives off cliff and crashes into river
• South Africa – S Africa to set up refugee camps
• Sudan – South Sudan ministers pull out of talks with U.S.
• Sudan – In Rare Move, 3 Candidates Join in Pledge on Darfur
• Somalia – More action needed to combat civilian deaths: U.N.
• Guinea – Official in Guinea Fired Amid Revolt
• Uganda – Ugandan law on protests repealed

Americas

• Chile – Pinochet Security Forces Arrested
• Mexico – 7 Federal Police Officers Killed in Shootout With Drug Cartel
• Colombia – Floods threaten Colombia
• Colombia – Colombia offers bounty for FARC founder’s body
• Brazil – Brazil environment chief sworn in
• Argentina – Argentine ex-army chief on trial

East Asia

• China – China works around the clock to drain quake lake
• China – China Rushes to Evacuate 150,000 People
• China – China and U.S. resume human rights dialogue
• China – Two Aftershocks in China Destroy 400,000 Homes; No Deaths Reported
• Japan – China seeks Japan military help after quake
• Japan – Japan vows to double Africa aid, investment
• Myanmar – Myanmar junta extends Suu Kyi house arrest
• Myanmar – Progress for Aid Workers in Myanmar
• Myanmar – The mammoth aid task in Myanmar
• Myanmar – When It Comes to Politics, Burmese Say, Government Is All Too Helpful
• Vietnam – Vietnam’s inflation rate surges above 25%
• Korea – China urges progress in North Korea nuclear talks
• Korea – U.S. seeks progress from North Korea talks
• Indonesia – Indonesia to pull out of Opec
• Taiwan – Historic China-Taiwan talks held

Europe

• Germany – Hard Times for Germany’s Far Right Party
• Germany – Nazi gay memorial opens in Berlin
• Italy – Twenty-five arrested over Naples rubbish
• France – Sarkozy suggests cap on fuel tax

Middle East

• Iran – Iran nuclear envoy made speaker
• Iran – Iran speaker in IAEA warning
• Israel – Olmert ‘took cash in envelopes’
• Israel – Barak calls surprise news conference in Olmert case
• Lebanon – Lebanon’s majority picks Siniora to lead new govt
• Iraq – A Sunni Bloc Pulls Back on Rejoining Iraqi Cabinet
• Iraq – Sadr Urges Followers To Protest U.S.-Iraq Pact
• Turkey – Turkey’s $12bn package to woo Kurdish region
• Syria – Syria’s Assad dismisses Israel demands over Iran

Russia and Former Republics

• Russia – Georgia demands Russian apology over spy plane
• Russia – McCain Urges New Arms Pact With Moscow

South Asia

• Nepal – Nepalis celebrate the ‘dawn of the republic’
• Pakistan – US blacklists Pakistan militants
• Pakistan – Britain defense sec endorses talks with Taliban
• Bangladesh – Bangladesh parties decline talks

>>Lebanon – After five hard-fought days of negotiation in Doha, Hezbollah and Lebanon’s government have agreed to a final agreement to end the 18-month political crisis. Under the agreement General Michel Suleiman, the commander of the Army, will be elected President in the next few days. Also, Hezbollah and its allies will be given an apportionment of cabinet seats sufficient to sustain a veto. And, a new electoral law, governing representative in the government, will be put up for debate.

>>Spain – A joint operation between French and Spanish authorities nabbed Francisco Javier Lopez Pena (aka Thierry), the top political leader of the Basque separatist group ETA, in Bordeaux. Pena is thought to have led ETA since the failed 2006 peace negotiations. He is also thought to have ordered the 2006 bombing of the Madrid airport, which ended a nine-month ceasefire.

>>Uganda – According to foreign investigators and humanitarian groups, the Lord’s Resistance Army has stepped up its campaign of child abduction over the last month, scooping up over 100 children from the Congo, Uganda, and the Central African Republic who will likely be pressed into service or used as sex slaves. This occurred during international efforts to finalize a peace agreement between the LRA and the Ugandan government.

• Trouble in Abyei

Africa

• Tunisia – Tunisians to appeal against UK-Italy extradition
• South Africa – South Africa tries to curb attacks on foreigners
• Kuwait – Kuwaiti emir re-appoints premier
• Sudan – Heavy fighting erupts in Sudan oil town
• Ethiopia – Six million Ethiopian children at risk of malnutrition as crops fail and prices rise
• Ethiopia – Explosion rocks Ethiopian capital, fatalities reported
• Somalia – Italian Workers Kidnapped in Somalia
• Zimbabwe – Mugabe accuses opponents of violence, MPs arrested

Americas

• Mexico – Violence erupts in Mexico’s drugs heartland
• Cuba – McCain says Obama soft on Cuba
• Cuba – Cuba to build 14,000 plastic houses a year
• Argentina – Farmers Ready to Resume Negotiations
• Colombia – The ecological impact of Colombia’s cocaine trade

Asia

• Myanmar – Flags at half-mast as U.N. aid envoy presses Myanmar
• Taiwan – New Taiwanese president reaches out to China
• China – Survivors Rescued 8 Days After China Quake
• Malaysia – Mahathir plot fails to oust PM
• China – Aged Cling to Ruined Mountain Towns
• China – At Chinese Tent City, Order and Incongruity
• Japan – Japan to allow military use of space

Europe

• Germany – Dalai Lama Arrives in London
• Iceland – Iceland minister warns on whaling
• Belgium – Europe chips away at food prices
• Monaco – Cramped Monaco plans new district – on stilts
• Iceland – Survey puts Iceland at top of peace league
• Hungary – Australian says he’s not guilty of Nazi war crimes
• Italy – Berlusconi hosts Naples meeting
• Germany – Surprise rise in German business confidence
• Spain – Spanish ministers annonce arrest of ETA leader Francisco Lopez Pena

Middle East

• Israel – Two dead in Israeli air strikes
• Iraq – Prosecutor of Saddam aide Aziz urges stiff sentence
• Iraq – ‘Bush apology’ for Koran shooting
• Israel – Olmert proposes naval blockade on Iran: report
• Syria – Israel confirms talks with Syria

>>China – Yesterday, fighting heavy rain and destroyed roads, rescuers finally reached the epicenter of the earthquake in Wenchuan county, where as many as 60,000 people are still missing. By some estimates, the overall death toll is already north of 15,000. China’s central government has sent $160 million and 50,000 troops in relief.

>>Myanmar – Aid workers in Myanamar are concerned that even the small amount of aid they have been able to get to the capital is not being delivered it to its intended destination, a duty that the military junta has reserved for itself. The British Perm Rep to the UN has received unconfirmed reports that aid is being redirected away from victims. Meanwhile, the junta is still blocking large-scale aid drops and has refused U.S. offers of assistance, as well as those of China, Bangladesh, Singapore, and Thailand. Over 11,000 U.S. troops are in Thailand conducting a military exercise. Also, on Monday Doctors Without Borders was ordered out of the Irrawaddy Delta, and less than half of the visa applications for UN relief officials have been processed.

>>Middle East – President Bush landed in Tel Aviv this morning, to begin a five-country, three-day tour of the Middle East. He has already met with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and plans to meet with Mahmoud Abbas later in the week at Sharm el-Sheikh. The trip coincides with the 60th anniversary of Israel.

>>Colombia – Colombia extradited 14 paramilitary leaders to the U.S. yesterday, an unprecedented action at a time when Colombia is hoping for a trade deal with the U.S. The men will face drug-trafficking charges. Such extraditions are controversial in Colombia and among the human rights community as the prisoners will only serve time for breaking U.S. law not atrocities committed in Colombia. Though they may end up spending more time in jail in the U.S. and, after extradition, are less able to command their networks, which has been a major problem when they were held in Colombian prisons.

• California Gets Clarity
• The Matthew Yglesias Interview
• Boston Globe: The United Nations Can Save Burma

Africa

• Somalia – Somali gunmen kidnap Kenyan lecturer in Mogadishu
• Sudan – U.N. council condemns Darfur rebel attack on Khartoum
• Zimbabwe – Ambassador Andrew Pocock seized as he investigates violence in Zimbabwe
• Sudan – Add Darfur rebels to terror list, Sudan urges world

Americas

• Colombia – Colombia extradites 14 jailed warlords to US
• Mexico – Mexico sends troops to fight Sinaloa drug cartel
• Brazil – Brazil’s Amazon minister resigns
• Haiti – Haitian protesters trade food riots for jobs

Asia

• China – Rescuers Struggle to Reach Quake Survivors
• Myanmar – Myanmar Restricting Aid Delivery
• China – Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations Scaled Back
• North Korea – North Korea Documents Make Debut, at a Distance
• Vietnam – Journalists Arrested for Corruption Reports
• China – First Beijing death linked to China virus outbreak
• North Korea – U.S. Increases Estimate Of N. Korean Plutonium
• Myanmar – New Storm Heads Toward Myanmar

Europe

• Ireland – Northern Ireland policeman survives car bomb attack
• Spain – Barcelona forced to import emergency water
• Spain – Several injured by bomb in Northern Spain police barracks
• Serbia – Nationalist Premier of Serbia Teams Up With Radical Party
• Italy – Italy PM called in rendition case

Middle East

• Israel – Police suspect Olmert aided bids for government contracts, reports claim
• Iraq – Gates Urges Military to Focus on Iraq, Afghanistan
• Jordan – Jordan ‘tough’ on honour killer
• Lebanon – Saudis blame Iran for Lebanon ‘coup’
• Iran – Iran president to offer proposals to ease nuclear row
• Iraq – U.S. Colonel Says Iran Is Assassinating Iraqi Officials
• Israel – Bush Arrives for Middle Eastern Tour

>>Myanmar – The first aid supplies are on their way to Myanmar in a UN plane as the military junta continues to drag its feet on large-scale international aid. The first shipment includes high-energy biscuits, medical kits, and tents. The World Food Program says that two more planes are expected to follow. The UN is still waiting for visas for 40 of its disaster relief experts. The U.S. embassy in Myanmar stated yesterday that the death toll could be as high as 100,000, and France’s foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, has suggested the UN bypass the junta to deliver aid, evoking the “responsibility to protect” clause.

>>Burundi – A day after the Forces for National Liberation, the remaining active rebel group, agreed to implement a peace deal, Burundi’s army killed 50 FNL fighters in a gun fight outside of Bujumbura. Both sides claim they were provoked. The people of Burundi have suffered under a decade-long civil war between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority that has left over 300,000 dead.

>>Israel – Celebrations have begun in Israel to mark its 60th anniversary. President Bush will visit next week. Palestinians, on the other hand, are holding solemn marches in the West Bank to mark the day they call al-Nakba, or “the Catastrophe.” The celebrations are also overshadowed by a continuing corruption probe against Prime Minister Olmert, which prompted him to cancel the customary interviews granted to local media on independence day.

• Djibouti Asks for UN Help
• World AIDS Orphan Day
• After A Devastating Natural Disaster…

Africa

• Somalia – Watchdog slams attack on Somali woman journalist
• Congo – Congo factions still recruiting child fighters: U.N.
• Kuwait – Pentagon confirms ex-Guantanamo detainee carried out Iraq bombing
• Zimbabwe – Post-Election Violence Worsens in Zimbabwe
• Somalia – Roadside bomb kills 8 troops in Somalia
• Sudan – U.N. chief condemns recent Darfur bombings
• Burundi – Burundi army and rebels clash, 52 killed: army
• Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe ‘too violent for poll’

Americas

• Chile – Families refuse to flee Chilean volcano eruption
• Cuba – Cuban blogger given press award
• Mexico – Senior Mexico policeman dies despite army presence
• Argentina – Ash Cloud Grounds Flights as It Spreads
• Colombia – Colombian Commander Extradited to U.S. After Leniency Deal Collapses
• Haiti – Haitian Senate approves new prime minister
• Argentina – Argentina farm talks break down
• Chile – Fresh fears over Chilean volcano

Asia

• Myanmar – Burma allows UN flight but not visas
• Taiwan – Taiwanese ministers quit over missing millions
• China – China Olympics tickets sold out
• Japan – Magnitude 6.7 earthquake jolts eastern Japan
• Myanmar – French Official Urges U.N. to Force Aid on Myanmar
• China – Chinese orchestra plays for Pope
• Myanmar – Stricken Storm Survivors Find Way to High Ground
• North Korea – U.S. envoy returns to N.Korea to extract nuclear list
• Malaysia – Malaysia woman scores rare legal win to quit Islam
• Japan – Campus protests as China’s Hu courts Japan public
• China – Olympic torch reaches Everest peak
• Philippines – Bomb Kills Three in Philippines

Europe

• Germany – Germany bans far-right groups
• Ireland – Cowen Elected Prime Minister of Ireland
• Italy – Berlusconi Chooses Cabinet, Reuniting a Familiar Cast
• Spain – Navy accused of deadly attack on migrant boat

Middle East

• Iran – British Court Reject Terrorist Label for Iranian Group
• Iraq – Iraq urges Iran, U.S. to hold talks
• Lebanon – Lebanese opposition threatens to extend protests
• Yemen – Two Japanese women kidnapped in Yemen
• Israel – Israel ‘to compromise for peace’
• Iraq – White House tells court of missing emails from beginning of Iraq war
• Iraq – A DIY journalist’s account of what he saw in Iraq
• Syria – Atomic Agency Seeks Answers
• Israel – Israel begins 60th celebrations
• Lebanon – Lebanon violence spreads beyond Beirut

>>Lebanon – Gunmen supportive of Hezbollah and those of the U.S.-backed government clashed in the streets of Beirut today. Hezbollah supporters blocked the main roads with barricades made of old cars and burning tires. Yesterday the government accused Hezbollah of violating Lebanon’s sovereignty by operating its own telecommunications network, which the government has said it will shut down, and installing spy cameras at the airport.

>>Chile – The once-thought-dormant Chaitén volcano in southern Chile erupted again yesterday, blasting ash and lava dozens of miles into the air. Residents living withing a 30-mile radius were evacuated, and, with the help of navy warships, moved to Patagonia. Since it began on Friday, the eruption has covered a 60-square-mile block with 15 inches of ash, destroying farmland, rendering the air unbreathable, contaminated water supplies, and making rescue efforts difficult.

>>Myanmar – As the death toll in the wake of Cyclone Nargis (damage graphic) rises to 22,500, Myanmar’s military junta is experiencing increased pressure from abroad to further open its doors to international aid. The World Food Program has said that as many as a million people have lost their homes. Over 24 million people live in the declared disaster areas. A UN assessment team is still waiting on their visas. Some, including President Bush speaking yesterday in Washington, have also taken the opportunity to press on political reforms.

• Significant Progress in Sierra Leone
• Bears and Bugs
• Obama’s Influence in Nigeria?
• The Necessity of a Building
• Major UN Renovation Officially Underway

Africa

• South Africa – South Africa seeks new laws to fight terror financing
• South Africa – Zuma deputy poised to become MP
• Rwanda – Kenya freezes assets of top Rwanda genocide suspect
• Sudan – U.N. seeks urgent access to Darfur bombing victims
• Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe observers question presidential results
• Somalia – Food Prices Set Off Second Day of Unrest
• Nigeria – Niger Delta push for US mediator

Americas

• Ecuador – Ecuadoreans may force out US military
• Brazil – Brazil jury absolves rancher in murder of U.S. nun
• Columbia – U.S. Accuses Russian of Arms Smuggling
• Mexico – Mexican Drug Cartels Making Audacious Pitch for Recruits

Asia

• Myanmar – As Myanmar Reels, Election Is Delayed in Some Areas
• Myanmar – Aid Faces Difficulties Reaching Remote Myanmar Regions
• North Korea – US plans to send envoy to North Korea for nuclear talks
• China – China hits at Baxter in heparin probe
• Japan – After panda goodwill, Japan, China tackle disputes
• China – Deadly China child virus won’t be another SARS: doctor
• Hong Kong – HK to introduce competition law

Europe

• Italy – Italy facing heavy fines over mounting rubbish piles in Naples
• Poland – Conditions Set for Planned U.S. Missile Shield
• Germany – Germany bans far-right groups

Middle East

• Lebanon – Beirut to axe Hezbollah telecoms
• Iraq – ‘Saddam’s jail diaries’ published
• Israel – Olmert Tied to New York Developer in Scandal
• Iraq – Greek Islands, Overwhelmed by Refugees, Seek Help
• Lebanon – Anti-government protesters paralyze Beirut
• Israel – Palestinians see peace deal delay if Olmert quits
• Iran – Iran hardliners criticize Khatami’s ‘insulting’ speech

>>Georgia – Russia has accused Georgia of amassing 1,500 soldiers in the upper Kodori gorge and threatened to retaliate if Georgia uses force in Abkhazi. Russia also stated that it is increasing its force levels in Abkhazi and South Ossetia. Georgia denies that it is building up troops and called the Russian action a pure provocation. EU foreign policy minister Javier Solana urged restraint during a meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia has kept a peacekeeping force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia since the 1990s, when the regions broke away from Tbilisi and formed links with Moscow. There are around 2,000 Russians posted in Abkhazia and about 1,000 in South Ossetia.

>>India – President Ahmadenijad met with India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday in an attempt to seal a $7.6 billion pipeline deal, under the strenuous objection of the U.S. The pipeline would be completed by 2012 and would initially transport 60 million cubic meters of gas a day to Pakistan and India. The U.S. had suggested that India instead use Ahmadenijad’s visit to press Iran to stop nuclear enrichment. India responded that it didn’t need any “guidance” in bilateral relations.

>>Turkey – Turkey’s parliament has approved legislation that softens penalties the EU has criticized for limiting free speech. Since 2003, Article 301 of the penal code has been used to prosecute hundreds, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, for “insulting Turkishness.” Critics contend that the softening didn’t go far enough; insulting the Turkish nation still carries a two-year penalty.

• “The Terminator” Goes to Jail
• Interview: Katrin Verclas on using mobile technology for social change
• Feeding the Hungry
• Is South Africa Finally Abandoning Mugabe?

Africa

• Congo – Rebuilding lives in DR Congo
• Zimbabwe – Police free Zimbabwean activists
• Zimbabwe – U.N. council pressed to send mission to Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe – Security Council Voices Reluctance to Act on Zimbabwe
• Mauritania – Mauritania captures five al Qaeda suspects: source
• Kenya – Kenya cabinet cash shortfall
• Somalia – Civilians gunned down in Somalia

Americas

• U.S. – Bush takes moderate stance on gas tax moratorium
• Cuba – Raul Castro consolidates power in Cuba
• U.S. – 2,400 US marines attack Afghan drug town
• Brazil – New species found in Brazil
• Colombia – Colombian opposition calls for Uribe bribery probe
• Venezuela – Life Stalls in Venezuela as Power Shuts Off
• U.S. – Lawyer Urges Canada to Try a Citizen Held by U.S. Forces
• Mexico – Government Accepts Talks With Guerrillas Who Bombed Pipelines
• Colombia – Police ‘kill Colombian drug lord’
• Mexico – For Many, Control of State-Run Pemex Is About National Pride

Asia

• Philippines – Philippines Bans Kidney Transplants for Foreigners
• Vietnam – Chinese cheer Olympic torch in peaceful Vietnam relay
• China – China ‘may lease foreign fields’
• China – French retailer set for May Day protests
• China – China marks 100 days to Games
• China – Chinese policeman killed in Tibetan unrest: Xinhua
• Timor – Surrender in East Timor
• Cambodia – Soaring Food Prices Imperil Meals for Poor in Cambodia
• North Korea – North Korea heading towards famine: report
• Hong Kong – Torch Arrives in Hong Kong After Activists Are Deported
• Thailand – Myanmar’s Suu Kyi detention is “OK,” says Thai PM
• China – China tries to calm fears over virus outbreak

Europe

• Italy – Cries of ‘Duce! Duce!’ salute Rome’s new mayor
• France – France Still Divided Over Lessons of 1968 Unrest
• Serbia – Trial of Chief of Milosevic’s Secret Police Begins

Middle East

• Iraq – ‘Militants killed’ in Iraq battle
• Yemen – Shia rebel clashes in north Yemen
• Israel – Palestinian groups want truce to include West Bank
• Iraq – Ministers accused of ignoring evidence of abuse in Iraq
• Iran – Iranian president tries to seal India pipeline
• Syria – Bush Says Syria Nuclear Disclosure Intended to Prod North Korea and Iran
• Turkey – Turkey reforms controversial law
• Yemen – Blast near Yemen Italian embassy

>>Georgia – Russia has accused Georgia of amassing 1,500 soldiers in the upper Kodori gorge and threatened to retaliate if Georgia uses force in Abkhazi. Russia also stated that it is increasing its force levels in Abkhazi and South Ossetia. Georgia denies that it is building up troops and called the Russian action a pure provocation. EU foreign policy minister Javier Solana urged restraint during a meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia has kept a peacekeeping force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia since the 1990s, when the regions broke away from Tbilisi and formed links with Moscow. There are around 2,000 Russians posted in Abkhazia and about 1,000 in South Ossetia.

>>India – President Ahmadenijad met with India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday in an attempt to seal a $7.6 billion pipeline deal, under the strenuous objection of the U.S. The pipeline would be completed by 2012 and would initially transport 60 million cubic meters of gas a day to Pakistan and India. The U.S. had suggested that India instead use Ahmadenijad’s visit to press Iran to stop nuclear enrichment. India responded that it didn’t need any “guidance” in bilateral relations.

>>Turkey – Turkey’s parliament has approved legislation that softens penalties the EU has criticized for limiting free speech. Since 2003, Article 301 of the penal code has been used to prosecute hundreds, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, for “insulting Turkishness.” Critics contend that the softening didn’t go far enough; insulting the Turkish nation still carries a two-year penalty.

• “The Terminator” Goes to Jail
• Interview: Katrin Verclas on using mobile technology for social change
• Feeding the Hungry
• Is South Africa Finally Abandoning Mugabe?

Africa

• Congo – Rebuilding lives in DR Congo
• Zimbabwe – Police free Zimbabwean activists
• Zimbabwe – U.N. council pressed to send mission to Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe – Security Council Voices Reluctance to Act on Zimbabwe
• Mauritania – Mauritania captures five al Qaeda suspects: source
• Kenya – Kenya cabinet cash shortfall
• Somalia – Civilians gunned down in Somalia

Americas

• U.S. – Bush takes moderate stance on gas tax moratorium
• Cuba – Raul Castro consolidates power in Cuba
• U.S. – 2,400 US marines attack Afghan drug town
• Brazil – New species found in Brazil
• Colombia – Colombian opposition calls for Uribe bribery probe
• Venezuela – Life Stalls in Venezuela as Power Shuts Off
• U.S. – Lawyer Urges Canada to Try a Citizen Held by U.S. Forces
• Mexico – Government Accepts Talks With Guerrillas Who Bombed Pipelines
• Colombia – Police ‘kill Colombian drug lord’
• Mexico – For Many, Control of State-Run Pemex Is About National Pride

Asia

• Philippines – Philippines Bans Kidney Transplants for Foreigners
• Vietnam – Chinese cheer Olympic torch in peaceful Vietnam relay
• China – China ‘may lease foreign fields’
• China – French retailer set for May Day protests
• China – China marks 100 days to Games
• China – Chinese policeman killed in Tibetan unrest: Xinhua
• Timor – Surrender in East Timor
• Cambodia – Soaring Food Prices Imperil Meals for Poor in Cambodia
• North Korea – North Korea heading towards famine: report
• Hong Kong – Torch Arrives in Hong Kong After Activists Are Deported
• Thailand – Myanmar’s Suu Kyi detention is “OK,” says Thai PM
• China – China tries to calm fears over virus outbreak

Europe

• Italy – Cries of ‘Duce! Duce!’ salute Rome’s new mayor
• France – France Still Divided Over Lessons of 1968 Unrest
• Serbia – Trial of Chief of Milosevic’s Secret Police Begins

Middle East

• Iraq – ‘Militants killed’ in Iraq battle
• Yemen – Shia rebel clashes in north Yemen
• Israel – Palestinian groups want truce to include West Bank
• Iraq – Ministers accused of ignoring evidence of abuse in Iraq
• Iran – Iranian president tries to seal India pipeline
• Syria – Bush Says Syria Nuclear Disclosure Intended to Prod North Korea and Iran
• Turkey – Turkey reforms controversial law
• Yemen – Blast near Yemen Italian embassy

>>U.S. – Authorities announced yesterday that they had arrested Ben-Ami Kadish, a former U.S. army engineer, on charges of supplying classified documents to Israel, including information on nuclear weaponry, the F-15 fighter jet, and the Patriot missile defense system. The hand-off allegedly occurred at the army weapons research center in Dover, Del., where Kadish worked from 1979 to 1985. His handler is said to be the same who worked with Jonathan Pollard.

>>Australia – The Olympic torch has arrived in Australia, which has enacted “unprecedented” security measures to keep protesters at bay. The torch was immediately whisked to an undisclosed location and will be guarded by hundreds of police along its 10-mile relay route. Pro-Tibet demonstrators have already beamed a laser sign onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge reading “Don’t Torch Tibet,” and a group of Tibetan exiles on hunger strike just completed a nearly 50-mile march to Canberra, where they are now involved in a candle-light vigil outside the Chinese embassy.

>>Zimbabwe – China may give up on a shipment of arms to Zimbabwe, due to protests across southern Africa, which have kept the ship from docking at a suitable port. South Africa’s supreme court ruled last Friday that the arms could not be transported from Durban, the ship’s original destination, to Zimbabwe, after an Anglican bishop argued that they would likely be used to crush the opposition. South Africa’s dock workers union also said they would refuse to unload the shipment. President Mwanawasa of Zambia, head of the Southern African Development Community, called on other southern Africa nations to deny the ship harbor. It is currently idling off the east coast of southern Africa.

• A Sign of Success in Liberia –
• Are we expecting too much? –
• Security Council to Discuss Abkhazia and South Ossetia Today –

Africa

• Zimbabwe – Delivery of Weapons to Zimbabwe Thwarted

Americas

• Colombia – Colombia leader’s cousin arrested
• Brazil – ‘Flying’ priest’s balloons found
• Jamaica – Jamaica moves to legalise casinos
• Mexico – Next-Door Neighbors Back Bush on Trade
• Paraguay – Paraguay leader plans energy incentives

Asia

• Russia – Putin vows to maintain free Russia at Yeltsin grave
• India – Indian police want to put severed head in museum
• Cambodia – Khmer Rouge leader in court
• Japan – EU, Japan in climate change call
• Russia – UN to meet on Georgia-Russia row
• Sri Lanka – Heavy Fighting in Sri Lankan North
• Russia – NASA Official Plays Down a Troubled Soyuz Landing
• India – India weighs up benefits of wealth fund
• China – China Changes Course, Advocating Tempered Response to Its Critics
• Afghanistan – Mystery buyer of Afghan poppy resin thrives on drug trade

Europe

• France – France Sees Its Heritage in Its Crumbling Lighthouses
• Germany – Germany Stages Raids in Probe of Suspected Islamic Radicals
• Italy – Rise in Doctors Refusing to Perform Abortions

Middle East

• Israel – Israel resumes Gaza fuel supplies
• Iraq – Iraq army ‘in control’ of Basra
• Israel – Al-Qaeda accuses Iran of 9/11 lie
• Israel – US man charged with spying for Israel
• Iran – Clinton says US would ‘obliterate’ Iran

>>U.S. – Authorities announced yesterday that they had arrested Ben-Ami Kadish, a former U.S. army engineer, on charges of supplying classified documents to Israel, including information on nuclear weaponry, the F-15 fighter jet, and the Patriot missile defense system. The hand-off allegedly occurred at the army weapons research center in Dover, Del., where Kadish worked from 1979 to 1985. His handler is said to be the same who worked with Jonathan Pollard.

>>Australia – The Olympic torch has arrived in Australia, which has enacted “unprecedented” security measures to keep protesters at bay. The torch was immediately whisked to an undisclosed location and will be guarded by hundreds of police along its 10-mile relay route. Pro-Tibet demonstrators have already beamed a laser sign onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge reading “Don’t Torch Tibet,” and a group of Tibetan exiles on hunger strike just completed a nearly 50-mile march to Canberra, where they are now involved in a candle-light vigil outside the Chinese embassy.

>>Zimbabwe – China may give up on a shipment of arms to Zimbabwe, due to protests across southern Africa, which have kept the ship from docking at a suitable port. South Africa’s supreme court ruled last Friday that the arms could not be transported from Durban, the ship’s original destination, to Zimbabwe, after an Anglican bishop argued that they would likely be used to crush the opposition. South Africa’s dock workers union also said they would refuse to unload the shipment. President Mwanawasa of Zambia, head of the Southern African Development Community, called on other southern Africa nations to deny the ship harbor. It is currently idling off the east coast of southern Africa.

• A Sign of Success in Liberia –
• Are we expecting too much? –
• Security Council to Discuss Abkhazia and South Ossetia Today –

Africa

• Zimbabwe – Delivery of Weapons to Zimbabwe Thwarted

Americas

• Colombia – Colombia leader’s cousin arrested
• Brazil – ‘Flying’ priest’s balloons found
• Jamaica – Jamaica moves to legalise casinos
• Mexico – Next-Door Neighbors Back Bush on Trade
• Paraguay – Paraguay leader plans energy incentives

Asia

• Russia – Putin vows to maintain free Russia at Yeltsin grave
• India – Indian police want to put severed head in museum
• Cambodia – Khmer Rouge leader in court
• Japan – EU, Japan in climate change call
• Russia – UN to meet on Georgia-Russia row
• Sri Lanka – Heavy Fighting in Sri Lankan North
• Russia – NASA Official Plays Down a Troubled Soyuz Landing
• India – India weighs up benefits of wealth fund
• China – China Changes Course, Advocating Tempered Response to Its Critics
• Afghanistan – Mystery buyer of Afghan poppy resin thrives on drug trade

Europe

• France – France Sees Its Heritage in Its Crumbling Lighthouses
• Germany – Germany Stages Raids in Probe of Suspected Islamic Radicals
• Italy – Rise in Doctors Refusing to Perform Abortions

Middle East

• Israel – Israel resumes Gaza fuel supplies
• Iraq – Iraq army ‘in control’ of Basra
• Israel – Al-Qaeda accuses Iran of 9/11 lie
• Israel – US man charged with spying for Israel
• Iran – Clinton says US would ‘obliterate’ Iran

>>Russia – Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he will accept the reigns as head of United Russia, the nation’s dominant political party, as well as become prime minister of Russia, at the end of his presidency. Putin, however, will not become a member of that party. Some analysts see these developments as an important step toward Russia becoming more of a parliamentary democracy.

>>Olympics – The Olympic torch began its journey through Asia yesterday in Pakistan. It will continue on to India. Both nations “trimmed” their torch routes in fear of interruptions by protesters. The New York Times reports on the interesting history of the torch relay.

>>Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s Joint Operations Command, including the military, police, and intelligence agencies, took complete, though some say “temporary,” control over the national decision-making process in the days following the presidential election, according to a remarkable story in the Washington Post. That includes decisions of the electoral commission, which still refuses to release results from the election. According to sources in the article, the apparatus intends to relinquish control to Mugabe when it is no longer threatened by Tsvangirai, an individual with no military background. Also, a protest called by the opposition yesterday failed to take off.

>>Gaza – Jimmy Carter will meet with two senior Hamas officials in Cairo on Wednesday. Both the U.S. and Israel have called on the former president to shun the group. Government ministers refused to meet with him during his stay in Israel this week. Carter has billed his trip as a “study” mission.

• Bush Warming Up to Climate Legislation
• Kony Stays in the Jungle
• U.S. Senate Acts on Chad, Darfur, and Central African Republic
• Welcome, J-Street
• V-Day and UNICEF Team Up to Stop Rape in the Congo

Africa

• Uganda – School fire kills Uganda children
• Zimbabwe – Military Leaders Making the Decisions in Zimbabwe
• Congo – Passenger jet ploughs into busy market

Americas

• Haiti – Price of rice prompts renewed anger in Haiti
• Venezuela – Venezuela raises foreign oil tax
• US – Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea
• Canada – Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’
• America – Conservative Party Raided
• Colombia – Colombia trade spat raises fears for Doha

Asia

• Japan – Japan vaccinates bird flu workers
• Nepal – Nepal king told: ‘Go gracefully’
• Bangladesh – Fatal train crash in Bangladesh
• Indonesia – 600 Flee Erupting Indonesian Volcano
• Pakistan – Olympic Torch Kicks Off Asian Journey in Pakistan
• Russia – Putin to Take Helm of Party After Leaving the Presidency
• Myanmar – 20 Held in Campaign Against Generals’ Constitution
• Thailand – Driver of Death Truck Surrenders After Manhunt
• Kazakhstan – Biggest grain exporters halt foreign sales
• China – China’s economy grows 10.6% in first quarter
• N. Korea – Republicans hit at US deal with N Korea
• Pakistan – ‘Quietly triumphant’ Sharif turns screw on Musharraf
• India – Tibetans in India Facing Tight Security for Torch
• China – CNN apologises to China over ‘thugs and goons’ comment by Jack Cafferty

Europe

• Equatorial Guinea – Spanish Police Arrest Exiled Opposition Leader
• France – France Takes Aim at Cult Of Thinness

Middle East

• Israel – Three Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting
• Iraq – Dozens Killed in Bombings in Four Iraqi Cities
• Yemen – Three Police Die in Yemen Explosion
• Iran – Chief of Police for Tehran Was Arrested, Iran Confirms
• Israel – Carter to meet Hamas officials
• Israel – Fighting erupts in Gaza
• Iraq – Diplomats Warned of Possible Mandatory Service in Iraq

>>Russia – Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he will accept the reigns as head of United Russia, the nation’s dominant political party, as well as become prime minister of Russia, at the end of his presidency. Putin, however, will not become a member of that party. Some analysts see these developments as an important step toward Russia becoming more of a parliamentary democracy.

>>Olympics – The Olympic torch began its journey through Asia yesterday in Pakistan. It will continue on to India. Both nations “trimmed” their torch routes in fear of interruptions by protesters. The New York Times reports on the interesting history of the torch relay.

>>Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s Joint Operations Command, including the military, police, and intelligence agencies, took complete, though some say “temporary,” control over the national decision-making process in the days following the presidential election, according to a remarkable story in the Washington Post. That includes decisions of the electoral commission, which still refuses to release results from the election. According to sources in the article, the apparatus intends to relinquish control to Mugabe when it is no longer threatened by Tsvangirai, an individual with no military background. Also, a protest called by the opposition yesterday failed to take off.

>>Gaza – Jimmy Carter will meet with two senior Hamas officials in Cairo on Wednesday. Both the U.S. and Israel have called on the former president to shun the group. Government ministers refused to meet with him during his stay in Israel this week. Carter has billed his trip as a “study” mission.

• Bush Warming Up to Climate Legislation
• Kony Stays in the Jungle
• U.S. Senate Acts on Chad, Darfur, and Central African Republic
• Welcome, J-Street
• V-Day and UNICEF Team Up to Stop Rape in the Congo

Africa

• Uganda – School fire kills Uganda children
• Zimbabwe – Military Leaders Making the Decisions in Zimbabwe
• Congo – Passenger jet ploughs into busy market

Americas

• Haiti – Price of rice prompts renewed anger in Haiti
• Venezuela – Venezuela raises foreign oil tax
• US – Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea
• Canada – Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’
• America – Conservative Party Raided
• Colombia – Colombia trade spat raises fears for Doha

Asia

• Japan – Japan vaccinates bird flu workers
• Nepal – Nepal king told: ‘Go gracefully’
• Bangladesh – Fatal train crash in Bangladesh
• Indonesia – 600 Flee Erupting Indonesian Volcano
• Pakistan – Olympic Torch Kicks Off Asian Journey in Pakistan
• Russia – Putin to Take Helm of Party After Leaving the Presidency
• Myanmar – 20 Held in Campaign Against Generals’ Constitution
• Thailand – Driver of Death Truck Surrenders After Manhunt
• Kazakhstan – Biggest grain exporters halt foreign sales
• China – China’s economy grows 10.6% in first quarter
• N. Korea – Republicans hit at US deal with N Korea
• Pakistan – ‘Quietly triumphant’ Sharif turns screw on Musharraf
• India – Tibetans in India Facing Tight Security for Torch
• China – CNN apologises to China over ‘thugs and goons’ comment by Jack Cafferty

Europe

• Equatorial Guinea – Spanish Police Arrest Exiled Opposition Leader
• France – France Takes Aim at Cult Of Thinness

Middle East

• Israel – Three Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting
• Iraq – Dozens Killed in Bombings in Four Iraqi Cities
• Yemen – Three Police Die in Yemen Explosion
• Iran – Chief of Police for Tehran Was Arrested, Iran Confirms
• Israel – Carter to meet Hamas officials
• Israel – Fighting erupts in Gaza
• Iraq – Diplomats Warned of Possible Mandatory Service in Iraq

>>Iraq – General Petreaus, testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees yesterday, announced a pause in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq that would be, at minimum, 45 days, but could last indefinitely. He also testified that “we haven’t turned any corners. We haven’t seen any lights at the end of the tunnel.” The three U.S. presidential candidates all questioned Petreaus. The lucky winner in November will now, because of the pause, be guaranteed of inheriting a 100,000-strong troop presence in Iraq.

>>Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s supreme court ruled yesterday that it would urgently address the opposition’s application for an immediate release of the presidential election results. Also yesterday, South African president Thabo Mbeki said he will meet
with opposition leader Tsvangirai, who met with ANC leader Jacob Zuma on Monday. The situation in Zimbabwe continues to grow more dire as the opposition has reported violent attacks on its supporters, organized gangs continue to drive
white farmers off their land, and election officials have been arrested for allegedly “undercounting
Mugabe.”

>>Korea – U.S. Envoy Christopher Hill announced that progress had been made in talks between the U.S. and North Korea regarding the latter’s delayed declaration of its nuclear activities. However, he cautioned that there had net yet been a “breakthrough.” Meanwhile, North Korea announced that their compensation from the U.S. for a satisfactory declaration had been agreed upon.

• Danger
  in Kenya
• ‘The
  Greatest Silence’ Premiering on HBO Tonight!
• Swearing
  Off Nation Building
• The
  Benefits of Female UN Peacekeepers
• State
  Department Wittingly Letting Terrorists onto US Soil?

Africa

• Egypt
  – Palestinians say Bush will meet Abbas in Egypt
• Senegal
  – Senegal changes law to try Habre
• South
  Africa – SA power prices ‘should double’
• Niger
  – Former slave, Hadijatou Mani, is suing state
  of Niger over cruelty
• Kenya
  – Kenya opposition halts talks, protests flare
• Kenya
  – Street protests in Kenya after unity talks collapse

Americas

• Venezuela
  – Bad Bart Simpson is banished for Baywatch in Venezuela
• U.S.
  – Italian bar helps ‘poor’ Americans
• Colombia – Rebels Reject French
  Mission for Hostage
• Mexico – Bees Attack Police
• Haiti
  – Protests over food prices paralyze Haitian capital
• Colombia
  – Hordes flock to auction of jailed drugs lord’s possessions

Asia

• Russia
  – ‘Two dead’ in Russian cave siege
• Pakistan
  – Rebel world cricket series starts
• Pakistan
  – Leading Pakistan lawyer resigns
• Pakistan
  – Pakistan court acquits Bhutto’s widower in murder case
• Nepal
  – Eight killed in violence ahead of Nepal polls
• China
  – China stands firm on Tibet relay
• China
  – Monks Disrupt Media Tour in China
• China
  – Australian PM Kevin Rudd warns China over human rights abuses in Tibet
• S.
  Korea – S.Korea votes for MPs, conservatives
  seek majority

Europe

• Spain
  – Spain looks to rebuild after property crash
• France – Arrests in Vandalism of
  Muslim Graves in North
• Germany
  – Report Details Catholic Role in Nazi Abuses
• Germany
  – Zoo under fire over Flocke publicity effect
• Poland
  – Poland seeks to boost Israel ties
• Ireland
  – On the Irish Coast, Reconsidering Energy From the Town Up
• Lithuania
  – Suicides in Lithuania show social pains persist
• Portugal
  – McCanns ponder return to Praia da Luz
• Czech
  Republic – Vaclav Klaus admits having affair with airline attendant no
  3

Middle
East

• Israel
  – ‘Three dead’ in Gaza border clash
• Israel
  – Former Israeli President Drops Plea Deal
• Jordan
  – Appeal court blocks deportation of terror suspects
• Iraq
  – Bush to press case against cutting Iraq force
• Iraq
  – Suzanne Goldenberg on the questioning of Gen. Petraeus
• Iraq
  – Iraq’s Sadr threatens to scrap ceasefire
• Iraq
  – The Day’s Other Iraq Policy Event — The One With the Paparazzi

>>Iraq – General Petreaus, testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees yesterday, announced a pause in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq that would be, at minimum, 45 days, but could last indefinitely. He also testified that “we haven’t turned any corners. We haven’t seen any lights at the end of the tunnel.” The three U.S. presidential candidates all questioned Petreaus. The lucky winner in November will now, because of the pause, be guaranteed of inheriting a 100,000-strong troop presence in Iraq.

>>Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s supreme court ruled yesterday that it would urgently address the opposition’s application for an immediate release of the presidential election results. Also yesterday, South African president Thabo Mbeki said he will meet
with opposition leader Tsvangirai, who met with ANC leader Jacob Zuma on Monday. The situation in Zimbabwe continues to grow more dire as the opposition has reported violent attacks on its supporters, organized gangs continue to drive
white farmers off their land, and election officials have been arrested for allegedly “undercounting
Mugabe.”

>>Korea – U.S. Envoy Christopher Hill announced that progress had been made in talks between the U.S. and North Korea regarding the latter’s delayed declaration of its nuclear activities. However, he cautioned that there had net yet been a “breakthrough.” Meanwhile, North Korea announced that their compensation from the U.S. for a satisfactory declaration had been agreed upon.

• Danger
  in Kenya
• ‘The
  Greatest Silence’ Premiering on HBO Tonight!
• Swearing
  Off Nation Building
• The
  Benefits of Female UN Peacekeepers
• State
  Department Wittingly Letting Terrorists onto US Soil?

Africa

• Egypt
  – Palestinians say Bush will meet Abbas in Egypt
• Senegal
  – Senegal changes law to try Habre
• South
  Africa – SA power prices ‘should double’
• Niger
  – Former slave, Hadijatou Mani, is suing state
  of Niger over cruelty
• Kenya
  – Kenya opposition halts talks, protests flare
• Kenya
  – Street protests in Kenya after unity talks collapse

Americas

• Venezuela
  – Bad Bart Simpson is banished for Baywatch in Venezuela
• U.S.
  – Italian bar helps ‘poor’ Americans
• Colombia – Rebels Reject French
  Mission for Hostage
• Mexico – Bees Attack Police
• Haiti
  – Protests over food prices paralyze Haitian capital
• Colombia
  – Hordes flock to auction of jailed drugs lord’s possessions

Asia

• Russia
  – ‘Two dead’ in Russian cave siege
• Pakistan
  – Rebel world cricket series starts
• Pakistan
  – Leading Pakistan lawyer resigns
• Pakistan
  – Pakistan court acquits Bhutto’s widower in murder case
• Nepal
  – Eight killed in violence ahead of Nepal polls
• China
  – China stands firm on Tibet relay
• China
  – Monks Disrupt Media Tour in China
• China
  – Australian PM Kevin Rudd warns China over human rights abuses in Tibet
• S.
  Korea – S.Korea votes for MPs, conservatives
  seek majority

Europe

• Spain
  – Spain looks to rebuild after property crash
• France – Arrests in Vandalism of
  Muslim Graves in North
• Germany
  – Report Details Catholic Role in Nazi Abuses
• Germany
  – Zoo under fire over Flocke publicity effect
• Poland
  – Poland seeks to boost Israel ties
• Ireland
  – On the Irish Coast, Reconsidering Energy From the Town Up
• Lithuania
  – Suicides in Lithuania show social pains persist
• Portugal
  – McCanns ponder return to Praia da Luz
• Czech
  Republic – Vaclav Klaus admits having affair with airline attendant no
  3

Middle
East

• Israel
  – ‘Three dead’ in Gaza border clash
• Israel
  – Former Israeli President Drops Plea Deal
• Jordan
  – Appeal court blocks deportation of terror suspects
• Iraq
  – Bush to press case against cutting Iraq force
• Iraq
  – Suzanne Goldenberg on the questioning of Gen. Petraeus
• Iraq
  – Iraq’s Sadr threatens to scrap ceasefire
• Iraq
  – The Day’s Other Iraq Policy Event — The One With the Paparazzi

>>Zimbabwe – Despite reports yesterday that President Robert Mugabe would step down after 28 years in power, Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper has reported that a runoff
will be held as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai failed to garner over 50 percent of the vote. Yesterday’s reports had suggested that Mugabe thought a runoff would be “demeaning” and that he would
rather step down. Both parties have denied the existence of a deal or any negotiations in an attempt to broker a deal. Meanwhile, reports continue to suggest that Zimbabwe’s ruling elite is fracturing
and has begun to reach out to the opposition for an equitable solution.

>>Olympics – Amnesty International has released a report that says China’s human rights record has been getting worse not better in the run up to the Olympics, citing the pre-Olympics “clean-up” of Beijing and crackdowns in Tibet. Nancy Pelosi, who just met with the Dalai Lama, suggested on Tuesday that President Bush should consider skipping
the opening ceremonies. Meanwhile, China has accused
the Dalai Lama and his followers of building arsenals in preparation for an escalation of the conflict, which the Chinese say could include suicide attacks. China’s president Hu Jintao ordered his security forces to place top priority on the Olympic games in August because “without security guarantees the national image will be lost.” India’s Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee warned the Dalai Lama against damaging political activity directed at China.

>>NATO – In remarks prior to the opening of a three-day NATO summit in Bucharest, President Bush reiterated his support for Georgia’s and the Ukraine’s membership in the body and pressed France and Germany to do the same. This sets up a potentially contentious discussion at the opening dinner where the Summit’s agreements will be decided. NATO decisions require unanimity among the members.

• Even More Iraqis Are Displaced Than Previously Estimated
• ICC Movement in Darfur
• "You’ve Got to Have Faith to Build a Better World"
• Possibly stunning news out of Zimbabwe
• Bankok Update

Africa

• Rwanda
  – Kagame’s fury at Spanish warrants
• Sudan
  – Chad accused Sudan on raid
• Sudan
  – Chad: Army Battles Rebels Near Sudan
• Nigeria
  – Nigeria’s immorality is about hypocrisy, not miniskirts
• Somalia
  – Briton shot by kidnap gang in Somalia
• Egypt
  – Egypt shrugs off slowdown but faces inflation risk
• Kenya
  – Kenyan police fire teargas at protesters
• Egypt
  – Egypt seizes German magazine over Islam portrayal
• Kenya
  – Nobel winner tear-gassed in Kenya

Americas

• Ecuador
  – Ecuador assembly OKs ban on foreign military bases
• Argentina
  – Argentina: Huge March for Kirchner
• Argentina
  – Architects of the new Argentina
• Colombia
  – Colombia sitting on big oil reserves
• U.S.
  – American dream hit by dollar’s decline
• Cuba
  – Cubans rush to buy DVD players, electric bikes
• Argentina
  – Argentina says making routine checks of beef trade
• Colombia
  – Sarkozy urges Betancourt release
• Mexico
  – Administration moves to bypass laws to complete Mexico border fence this
  year
• Jamaica
  – Jamaica poor ‘at mercy of gangs’
• Mexico
  – Mexico: American-Owned Bank Bombed
• Ecuador
  – Ecuador Sues Colombia Over Coca Spraying

Asia

• Russia
  – Russia sends aid to Kosovo Serbs
• Afghan
  – Bush Urges Patience in Afghanistan
• China
  – Paulson urges China to have dialogue on Tibet
• Myanmar
  – Myanmar opposition says “No” to new constitution
• China
  – China confirms Xinjiang protests
• Korea
  – US envoy calls on N Korea to act
• Afghan
  – Afghan Taliban say attack Dutch over anti-Islam film
• Pakistan
  – Pakistan nuclear scientist hopes to be freed: paper
• India
  – For India, Tibet Poses Some Delicate Issues
• Korea
  – South Korea asks angry North to stop firing insults

Europe

• France
  – France to send Colombia mission
• Hungary
  – Hungary Free Dems reject call to stay in govt
• Hungary
  – Hungary’s Socialists rejected PM resignation
• France
  – France sets out Afghan deployment
• France
  – EADS probe finds insider dealing

Middle
East

• Iraq
  – From a Beirut Cell, an Iraqi Watches as the U.S. Finally Takes His
  Advice
• Iraq
  – Iraqi Deaths Are on the Rise Again During Clashes With Militias
• Iraq
  – In Baghdad, Iraqis Take Their Humor Extra Dark
• Israel
  – Gaza: 2 Killed as Violence Declines
• Yemen
  – Yemen: Tanks Sent to Quell Riots
• Iraq
  – Iraqi casualties at highest level since August
• Israel
  – Sick Gazans die in “avoidable
  tragedies”: WHO
• Iraq
  – Medal of Honor for Navy Officer in Iraq

>>Zimbabwe – Despite reports yesterday that President Robert Mugabe would step down after 28 years in power, Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper has reported that a runoff
will be held as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai failed to garner over 50 percent of the vote. Yesterday’s reports had suggested that Mugabe thought a runoff would be “demeaning” and that he would
rather step down. Both parties have denied the existence of a deal or any negotiations in an attempt to broker a deal. Meanwhile, reports continue to suggest that Zimbabwe’s ruling elite is fracturing
and has begun to reach out to the opposition for an equitable solution.

>>Olympics – Amnesty International has released a report that says China’s human rights record has been getting worse not better in the run up to the Olympics, citing the pre-Olympics “clean-up” of Beijing and crackdowns in Tibet. Nancy Pelosi, who just met with the Dalai Lama, suggested on Tuesday that President Bush should consider skipping
the opening ceremonies. Meanwhile, China has accused
the Dalai Lama and his followers of building arsenals in preparation for an escalation of the conflict, which the Chinese say could include suicide attacks. China’s president Hu Jintao ordered his security forces to place top priority on the Olympic games in August because “without security guarantees the national image will be lost.” India’s Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee warned the Dalai Lama against damaging political activity directed at China.

>>NATO – In remarks prior to the opening of a three-day NATO summit in Bucharest, President Bush reiterated his support for Georgia’s and the Ukraine’s membership in the body and pressed France and Germany to do the same. This sets up a potentially contentious discussion at the opening dinner where the Summit’s agreements will be decided. NATO decisions require unanimity among the members.

• Even More Iraqis Are Displaced Than Previously Estimated
• ICC Movement in Darfur
• "You’ve Got to Have Faith to Build a Better World"
• Possibly stunning news out of Zimbabwe
• Bankok Update

Africa

• Rwanda
  – Kagame’s fury at Spanish warrants
• Sudan
  – Chad accused Sudan on raid
• Sudan
  – Chad: Army Battles Rebels Near Sudan
• Nigeria
  – Nigeria’s immorality is about hypocrisy, not miniskirts
• Somalia
  – Briton shot by kidnap gang in Somalia
• Egypt
  – Egypt shrugs off slowdown but faces inflation risk
• Kenya
  – Kenyan police fire teargas at protesters
• Egypt
  – Egypt seizes German magazine over Islam portrayal
• Kenya
  – Nobel winner tear-gassed in Kenya

Americas

• Ecuador
  – Ecuador assembly OKs ban on foreign military bases
• Argentina
  – Argentina: Huge March for Kirchner
• Argentina
  – Architects of the new Argentina
• Colombia
  – Colombia sitting on big oil reserves
• U.S.
  – American dream hit by dollar’s decline
• Cuba
  – Cubans rush to buy DVD players, electric bikes
• Argentina
  – Argentina says making routine checks of beef trade
• Colombia
  – Sarkozy urges Betancourt release
• Mexico
  – Administration moves to bypass laws to complete Mexico border fence this
  year
• Jamaica
  – Jamaica poor ‘at mercy of gangs’
• Mexico
  – Mexico: American-Owned Bank Bombed
• Ecuador
  – Ecuador Sues Colombia Over Coca Spraying

Asia

• Russia
  – Russia sends aid to Kosovo Serbs
• Afghan
  – Bush Urges Patience in Afghanistan
• China
  – Paulson urges China to have dialogue on Tibet
• Myanmar
  – Myanmar opposition says “No” to new constitution
• China
  – China confirms Xinjiang protests
• Korea
  – US envoy calls on N Korea to act
• Afghan
  – Afghan Taliban say attack Dutch over anti-Islam film
• Pakistan
  – Pakistan nuclear scientist hopes to be freed: paper
• India
  – For India, Tibet Poses Some Delicate Issues
• Korea
  – South Korea asks angry North to stop firing insults

Europe

• France
  – France to send Colombia mission
• Hungary
  – Hungary Free Dems reject call to stay in govt
• Hungary
  – Hungary’s Socialists rejected PM resignation
• France
  – France sets out Afghan deployment
• France
  – EADS probe finds insider dealing

Middle
East

• Iraq
  – From a Beirut Cell, an Iraqi Watches as the U.S. Finally Takes His
  Advice
• Iraq
  – Iraqi Deaths Are on the Rise Again During Clashes With Militias
• Iraq
  – In Baghdad, Iraqis Take Their Humor Extra Dark
• Israel
  – Gaza: 2 Killed as Violence Declines
• Yemen
  – Yemen: Tanks Sent to Quell Riots
• Iraq
  – Iraqi casualties at highest level since August
• Israel
  – Sick Gazans die in “avoidable
  tragedies”: WHO
• Iraq
  – Medal of Honor for Navy Officer in Iraq

Barak Obama takes on race in America.

>>Iraq – The Iraq war has now entered its sixth year. The New York Times is providing a series of stories looking back at various aspects of the last five years including an interactive timeline of important events, an analysis of how cost estimates got so off track, and insight into the war’s role in the 2008 presidential campaign. The Guardian probes the true death toll. Meanwhile, the “Reconciliation Conference” intended to bring Iraq’s factions together is instead highlighting their differences.

>>Kuwait – Kuwait’s ruler,
Sheikh Sabah, dissolved parliament today after the cabinet quit on Monday amid complaints about the lack of parliamentary cooperation on an agenda to diversify the economy. New elections will be called in less than two months.

>>Tibet – The Chinese state media has announced that 100 Tibetan protestors have turned themselves in. Meanwhile, Tibetans on horseback raided government offices in Gansu. China has also said that the Olympic torch will travel through Tibet (and summit Mt. Everest) as planned.

• Samantha Power on Colbert
• Peacekeepers in Chad
• Devil in the details?

Africa

• Kenyans
  hail power-sharing laws, see problems ahead
• Zimbabwe
  election run-up ‘flawed’
• Morocco
  journalist to go on trial
• Somali
  UN peace force considered
• Botswana
  gems to sparkle at homeYemen: Police Officer Killed in Blasts Near U.S.
  Embassy
• Zimbabwe
  exodus helps prop up Mugabe
• Austria
  in contact with al Qaeda hostages in Mali
• Panel
  alleges Nigeria corruption

Asia

• E
  Timorese leader out of hospital
• Khamenei
  emerges as supreme poll victor
• Old
  guard absent in new Malaysia cabinet
• Weak
  dollar troubles Beijing
• U.N.
  Envoy Disappointed by Myanmar Visit
• Russia
  rearms former rebels to patrol Chechnya
• Shooting
  rocks main Afghan prison
• US
  and Russia missile talks fail
• Illicit
  India ‘blood farm’ raided
• In
  India, Balancing Refugee Care and Relations With China
• Tibetans
  in India Enraged by Details of Crackdown

Europe

• Kosovo:
  U.N. Blames Serbia in Clashes
• Albania:
  Three Arrested After Explosions
• Belgium:
  Long Deadlock Ends
• Ex-Gurkhas
  seek equal UK rights
• Merkel
  Says Holocaust Fills Germans ‘With Shame’

Obama wins the Mississippi primary.

Think something is missing from Morning Coffee? Add it through a comment below.

>>United States – Admiral James “Fox” Fallon, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East best known for his outspoken statements that seemingly, put him at odds with the Administration, retired prematurely yesterday. According to the New York Times, Fallon “emphasized diplomacy over conflict in dealing with Iran,” “endorsed further troop withdrawals from Iraq beyond those already under way,” and “suggested the United States had taken its eye off the military mission in Afghanistan.” Last week Esquire published “The Man Between War and Peace,” which suggested that Fallon was the one person who could stop a U.S. war with Iran. Fallon distanced himself from the article. The New York Times quotes a “senior Administration official,” who says Fallon’s comments “left the perception he had a different foreign policy than the president.”

>>Israel/Palestine – Reports suggest that Israel is pushing for a 30-day “trial period” of quiet before committing to the full ceasefire that Egypt is attempting to broker. Likewise, Hamas set its own terms, which include an end to Israeli raids in Gaza and the reopening of the borders. Prospects for such an agreement were rendered more tenuous yesterday when, for the first time in a week, militants fired a missile from Gaza toward the Israeli town of Ashkelon. No injuries were reported.

>>Uganda – Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, said yesterday in London that, as part of a final peace agreement with the Lord’s Resistance Army, he would press the ICC to drop charges against LRA leader Joseph Kony. Kony would instead be prosecuted under a traditional system in Uganda whereby those who ask forgiveness and make compensation can escape prison time.

>>Kenya – A power-sharing agreement between Kenya’s current governing party and the opposition, once thought a done deal, seems to be in danger amid dispute about the role of the newly formed post of Prime Minister (to be filled by opposition leader Odinga). On Monday the head of Kenya’s civil service, Francis Muthaura, issued a statement delineating the role as third in the government heirachy, not second as the opposition expected. The opposition says this is a deal-breaker, while the governement has stated that Muthaura’s formulation is correct.

• Ten Hours in Iraq Cost the Same as
  Three Years in Liberia, Says Former UN Official
• Regarding Michelle’s question…
• Two questions for the group

Africa

• South
  Africa’s Zuma accused of delaying justice
• Nigeria
  oil rebel pipeline found
• South
  Africa: Party Leader Asks Court to Dismiss Evidence
• Doubt
  over PM’s role endangers Kenya pact
• From
  inside Black Beach jail, a chained and shackled Simon Mann names names
• State
  Dept. Rights Report Calls Record of Sudan ‘Horrific’
• Russia
  to Aid Mission in Chad
• Black
  mamba bite kills Briton who dreamt of becoming a game ranger
• Kenyan
  Troops Strike at Militia Involved in Land Clashes

Americas

• Colombia
  mulls payout to rebel
• Mexico’s
  No. 2 Official Faces Pressure Over Deals Tied to Family

Asia

• Thaksin
  pleads not guilty to Thai graft charges
• NATO
  head says no decision yet on Ukraine, Georgia
• Suicide
  car bomb kills Afghan civilian
• Kremlin
  Rules: Putin’s Iron Grip on Russia Suffocates Opponents
• U.N.
  Says Taliban Are Impeding Aid
• Sri
  Lanka says fresh fighting kills 33, mostly rebels
• Asian
  Muslims protest against Danish cartoons
• Wild
  elephant kills three, including boy, in Nepal
• Indian
  airport workers on strike
• Pakistan
  buries victims of blasts
• India’s
  families still hoping for answers

Europe

• German
  exports grow despite strong euro

John McCain has secured the Republican nomination and will be endorsed by the President today. Hillary Clinton earned campaign-saving wins in Ohio and Texas yesterday (as well as Rhode Island). The government of Chad is building a 10-foot-deep moat around Ndjamena to keep the rebels out. Bjork chants “Tibet, Tibet” at a concert in Shanghai.

>>Columbia, Ecuador, Venezeula – The tension between Ecuardor, Venezuela, and Columbia was ratcheted up yesterday when Columbian President Alvaro Uribe said he would ask the ICC to prosecute Hugo Chavez for his alleged involvement with FARC, based, in part, on intelligence Columbia claims was seized from FARC computers during its raid across the Ecuadorian border (the incursion that sparked this crisis). Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa stated yesterday that, if Columbia did not apologize for the attack and acknowledge the fabrication of claims that Ecuador supported FARC, it would be forced to “defend itself.” President Bush announced his support for Columbia.

>>Kenya – President Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga agreed to a roadmap for constitutional reform yesterday. When parliament meets on Thursday, its first act of business will be to enact the full power-sharing deal and create the post of Prime Minister, which will be filled by Odinga.

>>Gazprom – Yesterday Russia’s new president and Gazprom chairman, Dmitry Medvedev, kept his promise to cut gas supplies
to Ukraine by an additional 25 percent — on top of a previous 25
percent cut — due to the Ukraine’s failure to pay a $600 million bill.
Threats of additional cuts have been made. Europe is bracing for possible cuts to its supply.

>>Yemen – UNHCR has said that the number of people being smuggled into Yemen tripled during the first two months of 2008 in comparison to the same time period in 2007. Most are believed to be from Somalia and to have fled across the Gulf of Aden. Nearly 9,000 arrived during January and February; 113 died; and 200 are missing. The UN shelters those who make it.

• U.N.
  Human Rights Chief to Leave Post – by John Boonstra
• War
  crimes prosecutor won’t meet Uganda rebels – by
  John Boonstra
• Drew
  Barrymore Helps Fight Hunger in Kenya – by Mark
  Leon Goldberg

Obama (who received Dodd’s endorsement yesterday) and Clinton had a contentious debate last night in Ohio, sparring mainly on healthcare and trade. There is no longer any debate, however, about the source of “Parmesan.”

>Tuberculosis – The World Health Organization reports that five percent of all TB cases (nearly 20 percent in some areas of the former Soviet Union and 22 percent in Baku) are resistant to two or more drugs (MDR-TB). Moreover, Tuberculosis that is resistant to nearly all the most-effective drugs (XDR-TB) is now present in 45 countries. MDR-TB is exponentially more expensive to treat than regular TB, as is XDR-TB than MDR-TB. TB is the world’s most lethal infectious disease after AIDS, killing 1.6 million people a year.

>>Kenya – Kofi Annan suspended negotiations in Kenya on Tuesday. Annan did so to “speed up the action,” as he will now bring proposals straight to President Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga instead of their representatives in negotiations. Odinga has called off nationwide opposition protests planned for Thursday.

>>Northern Iraq – Turkey has said that it will provide no timetable for withdrawing its troops from northern Iraq, despite demands from Iraq that it withdraw and from U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates that they keep it short. According to Turkey, 77 militants were killed overnight (bringing the total to 230), as were 24 Turkish soldiers.

>>Cambodia – Kaing Geuk “Duch” Eav, the Khmer Rouge’s former chief interregator who is being charged for crimes against humanity, was taken to a mass grave at Choeung Ek (the “killing fields”) and the infamous S-21 prison this week as part of an effort to gather evidence for a UN-backed war crimes trial in Cambodia that is trying four other senior Khmer Rouge officials. Duch reportedly wept at both locations.

• UN’s
  Commission on the Status of Women kicks off – by
  Jessica Valenti
• Increase
  Aid to Africa – by John Boonstra
• El
  Baradei faces Another Tired Charge of Anti-Americanism. Enough Already.
  – by Mark Leon Goldberg
• LRA
  No More? Ceasefire in Northern Uganda – by Mark
  Leon Goldberg

Obama won in Wisconsin and Hawaii. McCain took Wisconsin and Washington State. Scientists researching the effects of climate change have found giant sea monsters near Antarctica.

>>Uganda – An agreement has been reached between the government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army to create a special court to handle war crimes allegations — seen as a major stepping stone toward a full peace deal. The Lord’s Resistance Army has refused to disarm as long as three of its leaders are wanted by the ICC.

>>Pakistan – Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party, which won the most seats in Monday’s parliamentary elections, reached out to Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N, which won the second-most seats, in an attempt to form a coalition government. Neither party claimed an outright majority in the election. A ruling coalition that controlled a two-thirds majority could impeach President Musharraf, who has said he has no plans to resign. The leader of the PPP, Bhutto’s widower Asif Ali Zardari, has said that no politician align with Musharraf will be allowed to join the coalition.

>>Gorillas – Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda have launched a joint project to protect the less-than 700 gorillas that inhabit the Virunga mountains and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest reserve. The gorillas are a significant source of income for the region, with tourists paying up to $500 for the viewing permit alone.

• Kosovo’s
  Partition Imminent? – by Mark Leon Goldberg
• UN
  Plaza: The Conflict in Northern Uganda – by Mark
  Leon Goldberg

In yesterday’s “Potomac” (I think I might prefer “Chesapeake”) primary, Obama and McCain ran the table, Obama by unexpectedly wide margins. Tomorrow I will be blogging live from the UN Investor Summit on Climate Risk.

>>Russia – Russia issued a trifecta of provocative statements today and was generally all over the news. The nation, which introduced a treaty to ban the deployment of weapons in space at a UN disarmament forum, has said that a failure to do so could spark a new cold war and arms race, while the U.S. is worried about the same thing because of the February 9 Russian bomber mission that flew over the USS Nimitz. Russia has restated its objection to Kosovo’s possible independence, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to security in Europe. And, in addition, it has said that it would point its missiles at the Ukraine if they join NATO and deploy the US missile defense shield despite having worked out a previously contentious gas deal with the Ukraine on the same day. Meanwhile, Russia finalized a nuclear deal with India, and Georgian opposition politician, Badri Patarkatsishvili, who feared an assassination plot against him, was found dead in the UK of a heart attack at age 52. The UK police are suspicious. Also, Medvedev is a fan of Deep Purple.

>>Hezbollah – Hezbollah’s intelligence chief, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed by a car bomb in Damascus, an attack the group is blaming on Israel. Mughniyeh, believed to be the mastermind behind a series of hostage situations in Lebanon in the 1980s and at least two bombings in Argentina with heavy casualties, had been in hiding.

>>Tigers – A long-awaited tiger census in India has revealed that the animals’ numbers have declined from 3,642 to 1,411 in the last five years. Tigers are killed for their skins and bones, which are used in traditional medicines. Some reports suggest that there were 40,000 tigers in India at the beginning of the 20th century. Meanwhile, body parts of the nearly extinct Sumatran tiger are being sold in 1 in 10 retail outlets surveyed throughout Sumatra.

>>Venezuela – Venezuela has suspended sales of crude oil to Exxon Mobil, which has sought compensation for the nationalization of one of its projects in Venezuela.

>>Standing Up – Director Stephen Spielberg, best known for his work as a production assistant on Faces (1968), has withdrawn from his role as an artistic director for the opening ceremony of this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing to protest China’s involvement with the government of Sudan. Spielberg had been pressured to do so by UN Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow. And, a Sicilian bishop, Piazza Armerina, is refusing to host the funeral of the head of a notorious mafia family, who died of natural causes at age 81. Armerina, who has said, “Men of the Church must do their bit to fight the mafia,” has received death threats and is under police protection.

“I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual. At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur.”
– Stephen Spielberg

• Rood has the Goods – Mark Leon Goldberg

Obama won more states, but Clinton claimed more delegates, and the battle continues. McCain solidified his frontrunner status in the Republican primary (even though Huckabee wasn’t too shabby).

>>Chad – Rebel attacks have ceased in Ndjamena in the wake of France’s declaration that it would get involved if necessary and the dispatch of troops by a Darfur rebel group in order to bolster Chad’s president. France’s Defense Minister, Herve Morin, is in town.

>>Afghanistan – The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has reported that opium cultivation increased by 14 percent in 2007 in southern and southwestern Afghanistan, bolstering the insurgency with up to $100 million. Marijuana production is also on the rise. Outside of rebel strongholds, production decreased.

>>Pakistan – Taliban fighters in Pakistan have declared a ceasefire after months of fighting that has left hundreds dead.

>>Counting the Dead – The BBC reports on the work of the International Rescue Committee, who has taken on the responsibility of counting the dead in difficult to reach places. By their estimates, 45,000 people a month are dying in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• “Indeed, it is the insurgents, the Taliban, that are deriving an enormous funding for their war by imposing … a 10 percent tax on production”
  – Antonio Maria Costa,
  executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime
• “People aren’t dying dramatically. They’re dying quietly and anonymously … In the eyes of Western powers, Congo doesn’t represent major political or economic interest.”
  – Richard Brennan of aid agency International Rescue Committee

• President
  Bush’s budget beefs up defense spending, shortchanges UN peacekeeping
  – by John Boonstra
• How
  a Peacekeeping Mission Fails…And Can be Rescued – by
  Mark Leon Goldberg

• Russia
  regrets vote watchdog rebuffed offer: report
• Chechen
  Warns of Islamic Extremism
• Arms
  obscure view of the world
• Roman
  Nikolaichik, critic of Vladimir Putin, is sent to mental hospital
• Iran
  bars grandson of the revolution leader from election run
• Sri
  Lanka jets bomb rebels, no end to war in sight
• European
  watchdog rejects Russian election offer
• Dangerous
  to use Mexico army against drug gangs: UN
• South
  Africa has doubts about new Iran sanctions
• France
  unveils TGV’s successor
• G7
  likely to reject idea of concerted stimulus
• Kiev’s
  WTO step to loosen Russia grip
• Intelligence
  official revives Iran doubts
• Dumplings
  poisoned ‘on purpose’
• Nuclear
  smuggler sentence in SA
• Italy
  leader ‘to call snap polls’
• US
  slaps new sanctions on Burma
• CIA
  chief admits waterboarding
• Holidays
  begin in snow-hit China
• BJP
  meetings hit by attack fears
• Work
  begins to repair severed net
• Turkish
  MPs voting on headscarfs
• Kenya
  Death Toll Surpasses 1,000
• Hamas
  Claims Responsibility for Blast
• Italian
  parliament is dissolved
• Kenyan
  opposition makes new protest threat

John McCain won
a close Florida primary last night, solidifying his
status as the frontrunner in the race to be the Republican nominee.
 Rumors suggest that Rudy Guiliani, who
finished a distant third, will endorse McCain today in
advance of the last Republican debate in the Ronald Reagan Presidential
Library. And Russia, apparently, is beautiful from the hard court to
the barracks.

>>An internal report on Israeli leadership during the
2006 war in Lebanon is
set to be released today, both threatening the government
of PM Olmert and putting Defense Minister Ehud Barak in a tight spot.
Barak has pledged to pull the Labor Party out of the government
coalition when the report is release, which would bring down the
government at a time when the right-wing Likud Party is riding high in
public opinion. 

>>The IMF has
lowered its global forecast for economic growth this year,
but stopped short of predicting a global recession. The forecast for
the U.S. is depressing, but for Africa — not too bad.  The
IMF also smirked at the idea of “de-coupling.”  Meanwhile the
House passed
the President’s stimulus plan, now on its way to the Senate.

>>Be careful what you post on YouTube. The White
House slapped
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad on the wrist today for
sitting next to Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki at Davos.

• PSA
  – Mark Goldberg
• Superbowl
  2007 Flashback – Mark Goldberg
• As
  Kenya Falls Apart, the Diaspora Responds – Mark Goldberg

• UN’s
  Ethiopia-Eritrea force at risk
• Ahmadi-Nejad
  under fire over jobless
• Somalia
  is worst humanitarian crisis: UN official
• Children
  die in S Lanka bus blast
• Italy’s
  ex-PM urges snap election
• Syria
  arrests prominent dissident
• Rising
  Costs Force Haiti’s Poor to Resort to Dirt as Food
• Mukasey
  Is Mum on Waterboarding
• Gunmen
  Captured After Standoff in Venezuela
• Strong
  East Timor quake triggers tsunami warning
• Spain’s
  voters wooed with tax cut pledges
• Afghan
  blasphemy death backed
• S.Lanka
  bombs rebel positions, army blamed for blast
• Iran
  approaching nuclear “peak”: Ahmadinejad says
• Kosovo
  independence declaration possible in 10 days
• ‘Leading
  Pakistani militant’ held
• Canada
  isotope plant ‘was unsafe’
• Gaddafi
  warns Africa over unity

Oscar nominations were released yesterday. If you haven’t seen No Country for Old Men yet, do yourself a favor. Meanwhile, the Fed made the largest interest rate cut in over 20 years.

In other news:

>>The five UN permanent representatives to the Security Council and Germany reached a deal yesterday on a third round of sanctions, a “moderate tigthening,” against Iran. The resolution will be introduced in the Security Council “in the next few days.” In the meantime, Shrek, Elmo and Spongebob Square Pants hit hard by existing sanctions.

>>Russia continued to flex its muscles at the UK by practising strike tactics and test-launching nuclear-capable missles yesterday in the Bay of Biscay. RAF fighters were scrambled. Meanwhile, a criminal investigation was launched against Russian opposition leader, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, putting his Presidential candidacy in doubt. Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s chosen successor launched his campaign.

>>The junta that ousted Thailand’s Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 has stepped down, a day after a newly elected parliament was sworn in. The parliament is dominated by the Shinawatra-friendly People’s Power party, which promises to bring him home from exile.

The End of an Error

• Quick Hit: Saudi Arabia will lift ban on women drivers
• Turkmens End Holiday for Birthday of Ex-Leader
• Iraq Parliament Purges Hussein Vestiges on Flag

Quote of the Day

“We might be deprived of BMWs but we still have the Nissans and the Peugeots of the world. And if you’ve been in an [Iranian] Paykan, then a Peugeot seems great.”
Bijan Khajepour, chairman of the Atieh Group business consultancy, on sanctions against Iran

The Rest of the Story

• Rice Rebukes Bush Envoy Who Criticized Policy on North Korea
• Israel Briefly Eases Grip on Gaza
• Kenya violence continues as mediators fly in
• Annan due in Kenya to mediate in crisis
• Hackers sabotage Panama website amid election row
• War in Congo kills 45,000 people each month
• Rate cuts expected as governments try to calm markets
• Sierra Leone: Leader in Child Mortality
• Britain: Cooking Lessons for All Children
• Anxiety Crashes the Party at Davos
• Retreat of the Foreign Investor Is Singularly Painful for Japan
• China Offers Plan to Clean Up Its Polluted Lakes
• EU May Raise Emissions Costs
• European and Asian Markets Rally on News of U.S. Rate Cut
• Held Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Freed
• Palestinians break through Egypt border
• Financial Collapse Blogging
• Troubled Waters Ahead
• Colin Powell does “The View”
• Gauging Pyongyang’s Missed Deadline
• Congress investigates “Fortress America”
• North Korea too poor to fund embassy in Australia
• Questions about “A World Without Islam”?
• Cook: U.S. Nervously Eyes Lebanese Political Standoff
• Israel eyes thinking machines to fight “Doomsday” missile strikes