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The signs are not good. “The international community has warned that famine could arrive as early as December. At least 1.1 million people are facing emergency food shortages. And – until fighting actually stops – aid agencies do not have access to tens of thousands of people who need their help. There are no indications from the field that the clashes will stop any time soon. On Tuesday, during a visit of the United Nations Security Council to South Sudan, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power shared reports they had received ‘of more arms being brought into this country in order to set the stage for another battle.’” (IPS http://bit.ly/1puU9k3)
Nouri Al Malaki Goes (Mostly) Gentle to the Night…This is one less crisis Iraq has to deal with. “Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Thursday night that he had agreed to relinquish power, a move that came after days of crisis in which his deployment of extra security forces around the capital had raised worries of a military coup. Mr. Maliki’s decision held out the prospect of a peaceful transition of power, based on democratic elections and without the guiding hand of American military forces, which would be a first in modern Iraq’s troubled history of kings, coups and dictatorships.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/1lZNdX2)
Africa
The WHO reminds everyone that Ebola is not an airborne virus and the risk of transmission via air travel is quite low. Still…Korean Airlines suspended its flights to Kenya over ebola concerns (AJE http://aje.me/1puQjHr)
What’s next for Uganda’s anti-gay law? (IRIN http://bit.ly/1puSwmp)
A local vigilante group says that Boko Haram militants kidnapped about 100 boys and men from a remote town in northeastern Nigeria on Aug. 10. (BuzzFeed http://bzfd.it/1yBvPO2)
MENA
The USA and UK are calling off a mission to rescue stranded Yazidis on Mount Sinjar, saying their condition was better than expected. (Guardian http://bit.ly/1puRirk)
Turkish authorities were moving hundreds of Syrian refugees Thursday from the southern city of Gaziantep to camps, after three nights of violent protests by locals angered by their presence, reports said.
ISIS is making key gains in Syria, despite coming under assault in Iraq (Telegraph http://ind.pn/1puQAu5)
At least two people were killed in fighting between Egyptian security forces and protesters on the first anniversary of the killings of hundreds in the forceful dispersal of sit-ins set up by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Mursi. (Bloomberg http://buswk.co/1lZOT2Y)
Asia
The UN says an estimated 500,000 Afghan children are suffering from malnutrition (OCHA http://bit.ly/1puRYg4)
Pakistan: Police battled gunmen armed with automatic weapons, grenades and wearing suicide vests after thwarting two separate attacks on military airbases, killing six of the attackers. (the News, Pakistan http://bit.ly/1lZO1eI)
An investigative report by Al Jazeera uncovers how “voluntourism” in Cambodian orphanages may be exploiting both the children and the volunteers. http://aje.me/1lZP6Db
Bangladesh’s garment industry wrestles with global pressure to improve safety while remaining economically viable. (Global Post http://bit.ly/1lZPcL1)
The Americas
The late entry of environmentalist Marina Silva into Brazil’s presidential race following the death of her running mate could rally young voters and those upset over a sluggish economy and corruption, but introduce new uncertainty for investors wary of her record of unpredictable decisions. (Reuters http://reut.rs/1lZOLQO)
The crisis of small scale fishing in Latin America (Global Voices http://bit.ly/1lZOY6G)
Opinion
Can a New Prime Minister Save the Central African Republic? http://bit.ly/1puL0ry
Iraq’s Sex Slaves (Global Dispatches Podcast http://bit.ly/1lY0yiE)
To Unlock Innovation, Procurement is Key (Devex http://bit.ly/1lZPxNV)
Want to End the Crisis of Sexual Violence Against Women? Fix the Men. (Bina Shah in Al Jazeera http://aje.me/1lZPOjP)