Beware the plague of the jellyfish, but flock to the Indian train system. It sounds safer than Amtrak ... in one way at least.
>>Cuba - Cuba signed two UN human rights agreements, both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, yesterday, a step that Fidel Castro had been unwilling to take. Both went into force in 1976. Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque also announced that Cuba would open its doors to UN Human Rights Council scrutiny in 2009.
>>Afghanistan - Prince Harry, third in line to the throne of England, has been serving on the front lines in Afghanistan for the last 10 weeks (timeline) as part of a deal to keep him from leaving the Army after he was denied deployment in Iraq. The news was kept safe through a remarkable media blackout deal between the UK military and news outlets, which was broken by a "world exclusive" on the Drudge Report, prompting rebukes from, among others, News of the World Executive Editor Neil Wallis and the head of the British Army. Prince Harry, known by call sign "Widow Six Seven," worked as a forward air controller at forward operating base Delhi near the border with Pakistan (excellent color here). He is now slated to be withdrawn, amid concerns for his safety and that of his fellow soldiers.
"It's bizarre. I'm out here now, haven't really had a shower for four days, haven't washed my clothes for a week and everything seems completely normal ... I think this is about as normal as I'm ever going to get."
- Prince Harry
"I am very disappointed that foreign websites have decided to run this story without consulting us. This is in stark contrast to the highly responsible attitude that the whole of the UK print and broadcast media, along with a small number overseas, who have entered into an understanding with us over the coverage of Prince Harry on operations."
- Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the British Army
- Tension Between Peace and Justice - by John Boonstra
- Disturbing News - by Mark Leon Goldberg
- UN agencies rally to end to female genital mutilation within a generation - by Mark Leon Goldberg