What follows is my "PDB", which is similar to what George Bush gets every day, except mine is all from public sources and is a bit longer than one double-spaced page.
I believe that the best electorate is an informed electorate, and that must include a knowledge of what's going on around the world.
I read approximately 50 newspapers every morning and report what I find there, with an emphasis on foreign or international events. You will however not find information about Iraq or the Israeli/Palestinian situation, the first because it is amply reported elsewhere and the latter because it is too contentious.
Events that I feel are well-covered elsewhere are not included for brevity.
No matter how many times it promises to do something militarily provocative, the
U.S. just keeps on ignoring Axis of Evil charter member
North Korea.
In the long-forgotten trial of the murder of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze in Ukraine, I'm glad to see that former President Leonid Kuchma has said he is ready to testify.
Bad news out of Cambodia as a 3-year-old girl has died from the H5N1 bird flu virus, the first victim since April 2005.
The Invincible Taliban have killed a man in Paktita Province, Afghanistan whom they claim was an American informer. The IT are also claiming to have blown up an American tank, with no independent confirmation.
Meanwhile it seems that the 17 people killed near Spin Boldak earlier this week by Afghan troops were not Taliban but civilian ethnic Balochs in the country for the Narwoz (Persian New Year) celebrations.
The World Travel and Tourism Council has rated Romania in 162nd place out of a total of 174 countries. It probably doesn't help that approximately 60 people per day are bitten by street dogs in the capital of Bucharest.
The jolly old Arab League has said that international troops should not be sent to Darfur without fun-lovin' Sudan's consent.
Meanwhile ever-jocular Chad continues to fight with Sudan-sponsored insurgent groups inside of Chad, including the incredibly inept SCUD.
Good news as the peace negotiations between the government of the Philippines and the MILF seem to be going very well.
I'll do a full story on this later, but the ever mirthful police in Belarus have finally resorted to force to clear out the opposition tent camp in October Square in downtown Minsk.
After the second round of voting, the new president of Benin will be Boni "Maloney" Yayi, who garnered some 75% of the votes in the run-off election against Adrien Houngbedji.
As I reported yesterday, heavy fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia has caused thousands of civilians to flee the area. The death toll, nearly all civilians, may reach as high as 100 people.
If true this is bad news indeed - loyalists to ex-president/warlord Charles Taylor in Liberia have promised to use "terrorist tactics" to keep Taylor from being extradited to face war crimes charges in Sierra Leone.
As I (sadly) predicted, the violence in Nigeria over the census continues, with many officials seriously injured in attacks by crowds who feel the new numbers will lead to a loss of political representation and power.
In an unrelated story out of Nigeria, the western press has completely forgotten that 3 foreigners, 1 Briton and 2 Americans, continue to be held hostage by the MEND insurgency group. I guess you have to be kidnapped in Iraq for anyone to give a sh-t about you.
The president of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek "Bed Check" Bakiyev has stated that he wants at least 30% of all government posts to be held by women. Why? "Women are less prone to corruption and have a higher sense of responsibility". You heard it here first.
Meanwhile today is an official holiday in Kyrgyzstan to commemorate last year's revolution, which many people in the country say was a change of leadership but not much else.
Almost 130 non-white people are feared drowned off the coast of Cameroon following a shipwreck. Meanwhile a top story at Google News is a single American passenger dying in a minor blaze aboard a cruise ship. Oh and 2 Canadians missing after a ferry boat sunk.
The prankster lovin' nation of Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Australia after that nation dared to issue temporary visas to 42 citizens of Papua Province fleeing abuses by the Indonesian military. You know, the province where you will be jailed for 10 years for displaying the wrong flag.
Big trouble for Thailand's embattled PM, Thaksin "El Cid" Shinawatra, as the aged and munificent King "Pepto" Bhumibol Adulyadej is holding meetings on whether to sack him.
China says the planned visit of President Hu Jintao is a state visit while the United States says it isn't, that it's "just a lunch". Nice to see two of the most powerful nations in the world bickering over insignificant issues, isn't it?
In much better news, the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan "The Man" Singh will make a state visit to Pakistan this summer.
A civilian employee of the American military has been convicted of rape in Japan a week after a US Navy sailor confessed to murdering a Japanese woman.
The American government has managed to thoroughly piss off Italy after warning of "violence and terrorism" threats ahead of next month's elections there. Seriously folks, you can't make this stuff up.
The jolly old colonel president of Libya told an audience that his country's political system is more democratic and better than the political system in the United States.
Maoist insurgents in Orissa State, India attacked a police station, killing 2 officers. They also raided a local jail, freeing all the prisoners. Meanwhile a separate groups of Maoists in Chhattisgarh State killed 4 indigenous people in a gun battle as well as blowing up an electrical tower.
The Russian media is reporting that Ukraine has stopped a convoy of goods destined for the self-declared autonomy of Transdniestr. Meanwhile Moldova has recalled its ambassador to Russia for "consultations" on the Transdniestr issue.
Bulgaria and the U.S. are wrapping up their talks over the hosting of 3 military bases today.
The government of Bolivia says it will complete the nationalization of its oil and gas resources by July 12.
There are many people quite angry after declassified documents from the U.S. State Department from the early 1970's allegedly show close cooperation with Turkey to block recognition of the Armenian holocaust in 1915.
In an unholy screw-up, it seems like a British man who was held in Guantanamo Bay prison had been working for the MI5 intelligence agency.
7 prisoners have died in yet another prison riot in Brazil.
And last but not least, a tortoise in India, estimated to have been 250 years old, has died of liver failure.
Cross-posted from doubleplusungood crimethink website Flogging the Simian
Peace/Paz/Pace/Paix