TresSugar

Front Page: Vladimir Putin Might Return as Russian President

LibertySugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is taking steps to allow Vladimir Putin to return as president in 2009. According to Russian sources, Medvedev may push for changes to the constitution so former President Putin can return to power. - Reuters
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has traveled to the Middle East. Today she is in Israel to participate in peace talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials. - Voice of America
Rebels in the Congo have taken over more villages, as they extend their control in the eastern region of the embattled country. - BBC News

Democrats picked up another seat in the Senate, as Democrat Jeff Merkley defeated five-term incumbent Republican Gordon Smith of Oregon. - Huffington Post
The Bradley effect, the theory that people lie to pollsters or to themselves about voting for a black candidate, did not exist on Tuesday. Experts now say there is no point in continuing the discussion about how closeted racists impact polling. - New York Times

Mass Exodus in the Congo Has Roots In Rwandan Genocide

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:00:10 -0700

I know the math on the picture=1,000 words shtick, but these words on the refugee exodus in the Democratic Republic of Congo combined with these pictures is almost a novel I can't even fathom:

Along the red dirt roads looping in and out of the jungle, they trooped in their thousands. The women clutching infants to their chests and balancing rolled-up mattresses, blankets and pots on their heads. Any child old enough to walk carried a jerry can of water or dragged a sack of food.

The people who live in the Democratic Republic of Congo are once again under fire. Many who live in the perpetually war-torn nation have been driven from their homes more times than they can remember and sadly they're finding it's time to escape once more. Packing up any possessions they can manage they're fleeing in advance of the invading Tutsi rebels. The rebels are driving both the government forces, which outnumber them by more than 3 to 1 and the UN peacekeepers that are being met with anger and violence at their inadequate response.

View 5 Photos ›

To see the historic context, read more.

Nearly 30,000 refugees are fleeing into cities and towns bursting their resources. And as the fighting continues so does the human misery. "These people are in a very precarious situation," said Ms van Goor of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). "We're in the middle of the rainy season now and without proper water and sanitation, they're vulnerable to all sorts of diseases."

The conflict is in response to fear of a further genocide by the Hutus who were responsible for the murder of hundreds and thousands of Tutsis in 1994 in neighboring Rwanda. The Tutsi rebels claim that the Congolese government is not doing nearly enough to ensure their safety and are now taking matters into their own hands.

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Front Page: Strike Kills Taliban Leader, Protesters Attack UN in Congo, AIDS Treatment Should Start Sooner

CitizenSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:26 -0700

Strike Kills Taliban Leader:
An missile strike thought to be from the US has killed 20, including a top Taliban commander in Pakistan. Mohammed Omar was killed when the missile, fired from a pilotless drone, hit his compound in South Waziristan. Omar fought with the Taliban in the late 1990s. The US has launched an increasing number of missile strikes from Afghanistan against suspected militants.

Protesters Attack UN in Congo:
Thousands of protesters attacked the UN headquarters in eastern Congo today rallying against the UN peacekeeping force that has been unable to protect residents from rebel attacks that have forced tens of thousands to flee. Thousands of refugees continued to flee as protesters threw rocks at the UN compound.

AIDS Treatment Should Start Sooner:
A new study recommends that people who have the AIDS virus should start treatment sooner than current guidelines suggest. Delaying treatment until the immune system is badly damaged almost doubles the risk of dying in the next few years. There was a 70 percent improvement in patients who started therapy early. Approximately 56,000 Americans are infected with HIV every year.

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Ninety Children Held Hostage in the Congo, UN Makes Appeal

LibertySugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:00:12 -0700

Ninety children are being help hostage by Ugandan rebels in the north-east region of the Democratic Republican of Congo. In simultaneous attacks carried out by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) last week, 40 children were abducted from a primary school and 50 from a secondary school. Three people died, and the village chief and three Italian missionaries were also taken.

The UN is demanding unconditional release of the children it believes the LRA will force into combat. The LRA has been fighting the Ugandan government for 20 years. The rebels won't agree to disarmament unless the ICC (International Criminal Court) drops war crime charges against its leader.

Imagine if a mass school abduction like this happened in Europe or America. I'm sure we would be hearing a lot more about it! I hope the kids make it out safe, and don't meet the fate of forced fighting that has burdened thousands of other children.

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Front Page: Plane Crash, Bombings, Berlusconi, Airline Merger

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:53:56 -0700

Plane Crash: Moments ago a DC-9 plane crashed into a residential neighborhood in the eastern Congo town of Goma. CNN is reporting at this moment, 78 have died in the crash.
Bombings: More than 50 people have been killed in car bomb explosions in two Iraqi cities. At least 40 people were left dead and another 70 were injured in a blast outside a restaurant in Baquba, north of Baghdad. Baquba is the capital of the Diyala province. It has been an insurgent stronghold, where militants linked to al-Qaeda are said to have regrouped after being driven away from Baghdad. Shortly after the bombing in Baquba, police said a bomb in the city of Ramadi had killed an additional 13 people.

Berlusconi: As we reported yesterday, Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right alliance have returned to power after two years in opposition. For the first time since World War II, Italy’s parliament will not have any communist representatives in part because of the disappearing support for the communist-green Rainbow Left alliance. The failure of many small parties like this to win even a single seat leads to a sharp reduction in the number of parliamentary groups and a greater possibility of stable government.
Airline Merger: Rival airlines Delta and Northwest have agreed to a merger, creating the world's biggest air carrier. The $5 billion deal ends in a new airline to be called Delta, which will have annual revenue of more than $35 billion and employ about 75,000 people. The new CEO says, "merging Delta and Northwest is the most effective way to offset higher fuel prices and improve efficiencies, increase international presence and fund long-term investment in the business."

Headline: Peace Treaty in the Democratic Republic of Congo

CitizenSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:05:25 -0800

Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo has faced crippling unrest. Following a 32-year reign seized by Mobutu Sese Seko, a subsequent overthrow by Laurent Kabila's rebellion in 1997 and the next year, an insurrection by rebels that sparked a war affecting six other nations, the DR Congo held its first democratic elections in July 2006.

Now following those elections, the DR Congo is on the brink of signing a historic peace treaty between the new government and rebel dissident groups. Sponsored by the United States, the European Union, and the African Union, the deal aims to still violence around the town of Goma, where nearly a half-million people have been driven from their homes. The deal includes amnesty from the most severe charges for rebel groups in exchange for an immediate ceasefire. Estimates suggest that 5 million people have died in the last decade due to this conflict.

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Ben Affleck Debuts His "Gimme Shelter" Congo Video to UN

Molly — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Ben Affleck went in front of the UN yesterday to present a short film he directed, with the help of Mick Jagger and cinematographer John Toll, to launch a new $23 million initiative to help Congolese refugees. The short, "Gimme Shelter" is set to the classic Rolling Stones song used with permission, and was shot last month when Affleck made a trip to visit refugee camps in the Congo. From here, the film will be released worldwide to help raise awareness about UNHCR and the needs of the 1.3 million displaced people in the area. Check out the video below and let us know - do you think it's effective?

Briefing Book! Obama Attends Parent-Teacher Conference

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:00:36 -0800

Obama Kids: Catching up? President-elect attends parent-teacher conference this morning. - Huffington Post
Election Night Pics: Want a behind-the-scenes look at election night? Check out the Obama family pictures on Flickr. - Flickr
Congo: Armed escort bad for humanitarian aid? Attempt to keep workers safe in the Congo, could blur the line between humanitarian help and military action. - newsblog
Bush: 50 reasons we can't quit W? You'll never get 250,000 Google search results by typing in the words "Obama drunk at a wedding." - 23/6
Palin: How does Dave chime in? Top 10 Sarah Palin revelations. - Huffington Post
GOP: Dirt not coming from the McCain camp? Recent rumors on Palin must be coming from a potential 2012 opponent, because an attack on Palin is also an indictment of McCain. - Townhall
Foreign Relations: Eager to move on? Obama speaks with leaders of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, German, Israel, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea. - Donklephant

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Front Page: Less Likely US Will Have Authority To Stay in Iraq

CitizenSugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:30:00 -0700

The Bush administration's hopes for sealing a security deal with Iraq, to keep US troops in Iraq past December 31, are fading as Iraqis demand changes to a draft that some US officials consider unacceptable. If no deal is reached, the US must seek a new UN mandate, or leave. - Associated Press
Fierce fighting between the government and rebels in DR Congo is causing a humanitarian catastrophe. A tense ceasefire is holding in the eastern city of Goma, while the security situation still makes it difficult to deliver aid. - BBC News

The US Navy Blue Angels say the stunt-flying team will be down one jet the rest of its season after removing two members from duty for having an inappropriate relationship. The relationship was between a man and a woman. - CNN
The death toll from over a dozen blasts that hit India's northeastern state of Assam on Thursday rose to 77 today. Eleven more people succumbed to injuries overnight. - Guardian

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Bananas!? 70 Percent of Asia's Primates Are Endangered

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:35 -0700

Whether or not you think this guy is your long lost relative, it's a mixed barrel of monkeys out there. First, the bad: an IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that 48 percent of the world's primates are facing extinction. That number includes the fact that 70 percent of Asia's primates (as high as 90 percent in Cambodia) are listed as endangered.

What's behind the loss of monkeys? Loss of habitat, mostly through the burning and clearing of tropical forests, as well as the hunting of primates for food. IUCN's primate specialist says, "In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction." Sadly, because primates live a long time, reversing the trend will take a long time.

View 5 Photos ›

But I promised good monkey news, too. To see what it is, read more.

Deep in the Republic of the Congo, a newly discovered secret ape wonderland houses 125,000 western lowland gorillas. If the finding is confirmed, it will double the amount of the species worldwide. The gorillas have lived happily thanks to remoteness, lots of food, and 20 years of conservation efforts in one of the world's poorest countries.

Saving endangered species? Now that's no monkey business.

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