Here is the Saturday, June 14th, 2008 edition of interesting reads from around the world.
Kandahar Jailbreak
Up to 1,000 prisoners, including 400 Taliban militants, on the run in Afghanistan after a dramatic assault on the main prison in Kandahar. Perhaps Karzai can use some of his $20 billion in aid that he just received to upgrade Afghanistan’s security forces. More on this from the UK Guardian. This is, frankly, just embarrassing.
Ethiopia Appeals for Aid
The UK Guardian reports that Ethiopia has appealed to international community for $325m (£167m) in aid after drought and crop failure more than doubled the number of people needing emergency assistance to 4.6 million. Poor rains have affected much of southern and south-eastern Ethiopia since last year, significantly cutting harvests. The shortage of local cereals has sent prices soaring, while the cost of imported food has also risen sharply because of the global food crisis and increased fuel prices.
Brazil Purges Its Voting Rolls Temporarily
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has temporarily suspended the voting rights of 1,866,020 registered voters in 24 states on suspicion that not all the registered voters are eligible. The disqualification came under a court decision adopted in September 2007 as it found that the total number of voters registered exceeded 80 percent of local population. The big numberled the court to review their qualifications. In July, following investigations on the data base, the electoral court will release the lists of eligible voters for the municipal elections slated for October. According to Brazilian electoral law, people above the age of 16 are eligible to vote. The country now registers 130,013,937 voters nationwide. In other news from Brazil, Oil Voice reports that Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned energy ginat, has discovered another oil field in the Santos Basin off Brazil’s southeastern coast.
Germany’s Angela Merkel Enjoys A Positive Image
Der Spiegel finds that a new international survey shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel enjoying a more positive image abroad for her foreign policy than most other world leaders.
Sino-Indian Tensions
The Asia Times reports that India has reopened its Daulat Beg Oldi airfield in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of more than four decades. Located a stone’s throw from Aksai Chin – a part of Jammu and Kashmir province that has been under Chinese occupation since 1962 – the Daulat Beg Oldi airfield will improve India’s logistical support to its troops deployed along its 4,057-kilometer disputed frontier with China.