TheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilhascondemnedtwosuicidecarbombingswhichleftatleast55peopledeadintheSyriancapitalDamascus.ThecouncilmembersacknowledgedtheinternationalpeaceplanforSyriawasunderstrain,buttheyinsistedtherewasnoalternative.BarbaraPlettattheUNheadquartershasmore.
TheSecurityCouncilissuedastrongcondemnationoftheattacks,butgavenosignitwasreadytoadmitthefailureofpeaceefforts.Instead,itcalledonallpartiestokeeptheircommitmentstostoptheviolenceandreaffirmsupportforthepeaceplanofthespecialenvoy,KofiAnnan.Syria'sambassador,Basharal-Ja'afari,toldthecouncilhiscountryhadevidencethatforeignfightersandgroupslinkedtoal-Qaedawerebehindagrowingnumberofterroristoperations.HerepeatedaccusationsthatsomeregionalcountrieswerearmingandfinancingSyrianrebels,andheurgedthecounciltoexertmaximumpressureonthosestatestoendsuchsupport.
MillionsofEgyptiansarewatchingtheircountry'sfirstlivetelevisiondebatebetweenpresidentialcandidates.Twofront-runners,theformerheadoftheArabLeague,AmrMoussa,andthemoderateIslamist,AbdelMoneimAboulFotouh,aregoinghead-to-head.YolandeKnellhasbeenwatching.
SeveralpollssuggestthatAmrMoussaandAbdelMoneimAboulFotouharecloselyleadingthepresidentialrace.Thishigh-profiledebate,shownontwoprivateTVnetworks,wasachanceforthetwotoconfronteachother–inastylethat'snewtotheArabworld.Eachwasaskedawiderangeofquestions,includinghowtheirpowersshouldbelimitedaspresidenttoensuretheydidnotturnintoadictator.Theywerealsoallowedtochallengeeachother.AmrMoussaattackedtherecordofhisrivalasaformerleadingmemberofthepowerfulMuslimBrotherhood,whileMrAboulFotouhcalledtheformerforeignministera'remnantoftheoustedregime'.
ThepollshaveclosedinAlgeria'sparliamentaryelections.Dozensofnewpartieshavebeentakingpart,buttheinteriorministryhassaidjust35%oftheelectorateturnedouttocasttheirballots.
ReportsintheUnitedStatessuggestthatanundercoveragentwhohelpedfoilabombplotbyinfiltratingal-QaedainYemenwasaBritishman.ThebombwashiddeninunderwearandintendedtobedetonatedonboardapassengerplaneflyingtotheUS,butinstead,thewould-besuicidebombergavethedevicetoUSintelligence.Here'sGordonCorera.
TheofficialresponsefromBritishsourcesistoneitherconfirmnordenythattheagentwhoinfiltratedal-QaedainYemenwasaBritishnational.USreportsclaimedthattheindividualwasofMiddleEasternorigin,butheldaBritishpassport.Thatpersonmanagedtoconvinceal-QaedainYementhathewaswillingtocarryoutanattackusinganunderwearbomb,butinstead,deliveredthedevicetotheUS.Whenthestoryinitiallyemerged,theUSsaidthatinternationalpartnershadplayedacrucialrole,andtherehavebeenindicationsthatBritishintelligencewasinvolvedfromearlyon.
ThePresidentofSudan,Omaral-Bashir,hastoldneighboringSouthSudanthathiscountrywillrespondvigorouslytoattacksonhisterritory.Inatelevisedspeech,hewarnedSouthSudanagainstsupportingrebelsopposetohisgovernment.Hesaidthatiftheydid,he'drespondbybackingrebelsinthesouth."Iftheywanttitfortat",thepresidentsaid,"weareready."
AsheriffintheUSstateofArizona,who'sknownforhistoughstanceonimmigration,isbeingsuedbythefederalauthorities.SheriffJoeArpaio'sdepartmentisaccusedofraciallyprofilingLatinosduringtheirpatrols.FromWashington,PaulAdamshasmore.
TheDepartmentofJusticebeganinvestigatingJoeArpaioalmostfouryearsago,followingallegationsthathispoliceofficerswerediscriminatingagainstLatinos.LastDecember,thedepartmentaccusedhimoffosteringacultureofdisregardforbasicconstitutionalrights.Monthsofsubsequentnegotiationsfailedtoresultinadealtotrainthesheriff'sofficersinhowtoavoidracialprofilingwhileconductingroutinetrafficstops.Thesheriffaccusesfederalgovernmentofundermininghisauthority,andsayshe'snotafraidofgoingtocourt.
TheOlympictorchhasbeenlitatanelaborateceremonyinGreecebeforeitbeginsitsjourneytoLondonfortheGameswhichstartinJuly.ActressesdressedaspriestessesinqueenpleatedrobesperformedritualdancesattheceremonyatthesiteoftheancientGamesinOlympia.Thetorchwaslitbythesun'sraysreflectedfromaparabolicmirror.TheflamewillbecarriedaroundGreeceforeightdaysbeforebeingflowntoBritain.
ArcheologistsworkinginGuatemalasaythey'vediscoveredtheoldestcalendaryetfromthenancientMayacivilizationinCentralAmerica.TheyfoundthatitunderminestheideathattheMayanspredictedtheworldwouldendin2012.Hieroglyphsonthe9thcenturycalendaruncoveredintheruinsoftheancientcityofXultunpredictedatleastanother7,000years.
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