Top stories from DAWNS Digest.
BRICS Agree to Fail to Create a Development Bank
Though some members were hailing an agreement, key details of a development bank to rival the IMF and World Bank remained elusive. “BRICS nations failed on Tuesday to resolve differences over funding for and the location of a proposed joint development bank, indicating the emerging powers group would not achieve the goal at a summit in South Africa. Agreeing on the share of funding contributions for the BRICS bank from each of the members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – had already been a thorny issue for a group which brings together vastly disparate economies and governments.” (AlertNet http://bit.ly/YdsXJd)
Bosco Ntaganda Gets His Day in Court
Just one week ago, who would have thought that the notorious warlord of eastern Congo would be so very far from Goma? “Standing before the International Criminal Court on Tuesday for the first time, Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda denied he was guilty of a long list of wartime crimes. Ntaganda faces charges of forcing children to fight as soldiers and indirectly perpetrating murder, rape, attacks on civilians and other crimes against humanity. He was officially informed of the charges against him at the hearing Tuesday in the Hague. The warlord said he was not guilty before a judge interrupted and told him he did not yet need to enter a plea.” (LA Times http://lat.ms/YdAUOy)