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05 Apr 2011 15:31

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World: Conflicting reports suggest Gbagbo may soon be out

  • Not long for Laurent Gbagbo? Reports coming out of the Ivory Coast are somewhat convoluted at this moment — the machinations of these scenarios can involve a lot of back and forth between the sides involved, and as such it’s understandable that things can become murky. Reuters had reported that strongman Laurent Gbagbo signed a U.N. document ceding power and surrendering, but nearly an hour later posted a report from a U.N. official claiming his surrender is not official, and that he’s negotiating for protection. Perhaps the biggest takeaway, though, is what’s most important thing for the Ivory Coast; that there’s a visible endgame, and Laurent Gbagbo’s desperate grip on power could soon vanish. source

31 Mar 2011 01:10

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World: Former US intelligence officer: CIA is currently in Libya

  • are cia operatives on the ground in libya? Yes, according to an anonymous American official and former US intelligence officer. It’s unclear, however, what type of operatives they are, and what exactly they’re doing. Details are sketchy at this point, but they apparently helped rescue one of the American soldiers who had to eject from his F-15 on day one of the engagement. We’re going to hold off on drawing any conclusions here until more solid information comes in. source

13 Mar 2011 12:11

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World: The Arab League wants a no-fly zone in Libya. But will it fly?

While the U.S. and Britain approve of the latest push, the move needs to be approved by the larger international community at the UN, and it may not even be effective. source

22 Feb 2011 00:42

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World: What do Libya and Utah have in common?

  • libya’s ambassador to the us has renounced his allegiance to Moammar Gaddafi, calling for the embattled leader to step down. The country’s ambassador to Bangladesh has quit, as has the ambassador in India. It’s amazing to see a country’s diplomats so thoroughly and uniformly rebuke their leader. Imagine if an American ambassador were to start making movies against President Obama? Oh, right. source

09 Feb 2011 10:31

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World: Ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor plays hooky from war crimes trial

YOU SAY I MISSED THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT MY CASE SUMMARY BY THREE WEEKS? Well, I’m just not going to go to the trial today. How about them apples, United Nations? source

03 Feb 2011 11:18

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World: United Nations: We’re moving staffers from Egypt temporarily

  • yeah … “Essential staff will remain in Egypt to serve their functions,” according to a statement by the UN.
  • … but Nonessential UN staffers are being shuttled out of Egypt to Cyprus on a temporary basis. source

12 Jan 2011 12:38

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World: Lebanon cabinet thrown into chaos after Hezbollah supporters resign

  • 11 ministers in the Lebanese cabinet resigned today (uh oh) source
  • » Why did they resign? The members, supporters of Hezbollah, resigned in protest of a UN-backed tribunal looking into the death of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. It’s likely that the tribunal will point the finger at members of Hezbollah, which is what led to the instability today and even made it an inevitability. The result? The government dissolves. Yikes.
 

21 Dec 2010 21:23

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World: Ivory Coast election situation raises danger of fresh civil war

  • bad The situation in the Ivory Coast, roughed up over a disputed election, has been getting worse by the day. And the guy who lost, Laurent Gbagbo, went on television denying he lost – again. On the plus side, he says that he’s willing to negotiate about this.
  • worse Just to worry the crap out of you guys a little, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that forces loyal to Gbagbo have been blocking supplies from getting to UN security forces. He suggested there may be a “real risk” of civil war breaking out in the country. source

19 Dec 2010 11:22

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World: Ivory Coast election: No, this situation still hasn’t been resolved

  • problem After the Ivory Coast’s recent election, two dudes are fighting for leadership of the country – which has led to violent protests and instability over the last few weeks.
  • cause Laurent Gbagbo doesn’t want to surrender his long-held power, but the international community recognizes Alassane Ouattara as the actual winner of the election.
  • solution Gbagbo had a great way of fixing this – he wanted to kick 10,000 UN peacekeepers out of the country. They said no. Great. This should escalate quickly. source

14 Aug 2010 13:01

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World: UN: Aid for Pakistan flooding victims slow to come for many

  • 6 million are trying to row without a paddle, if you get our drift source