Top of the Morning: Wave of Bombings in Iraq Hint at Syria Spillover

Top stories from DAWNS Digest

Wave of Bombings in Iraq Hint at Syria Spillover

A horrific pattern of violence is forming. “Iraq’s wave of bloodshed sharply escalated Monday with more than a dozen car bombings across the country, part of attacks that killed at least 95 people and brought echoes of past sectarian carnage and fears of a dangerous spillover from Syria’s civil war next door. The latest spiral of violence — which has claimed more than 240 lives in the past week — carries the hallmarks of the two sides that brought nearly nonstop chaos to Iraq for years: Sunni insurgents, including al-Qaida‘s branch in Iraq, and Shiite militias defending their newfound power after Saddam Hussein‘s fall. But the widening shadow and regional brinksmanship from Syria’s conflict now increasingly threaten to feed into Iraq’s sectarian strife, heightening concerns that Iraq could be turning toward civil war.” (Houston Chronicle http://bit.ly/14pHgLP)

Big Crackdown Against Independent Press in Uganda

The Daily Monitor (which we regularly cite in the Digest) was among the media outlets raided by police yesterday. “Ugandan police have raided the offices of at least two newspapers following reports that President Yoweri Museveni is grooming his son to succeed him. Two radio stations have also been taken off air, the state-owned New Vision newspaper reports. Last week, newspapers reported claims allegedly made by an army general that those opposed to Mr Museveni’s son succeeding him risk being killed.” (BBC http://bbc.in/14pGej0)

New Study: Lack of Progress in Meeting Contraceptives Demand for Global Poor

There is little being done to meet the contraceptive needs of poor women, says a new study from the Guttmacher Institute. Guttmacher says between 2003 and 2012 the number of women wanting to avoid pregnancy – and in need of modern contraception – rose from 716 million to 867 million. The sharpest increase was seen, it says, in the 69 poorest countries “where modern method use was already very low.” (Voice of America http://bit.ly/10Irmrb)