Need to know: The U.N. is set to airlift aid to Somalia, including parts of the country siphoned off by militants years ago. But for the tens of thousands of Somalis who are already on the move, it will be too little too late. Nearly 170,000 Somalis have fled to already crowded refugee camps in neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia since January. In Kenya, about 1,300 Somalis are arriving daily; an average of 1,700 are entering Ethiopia. They walk scores of miles, some more than a hundred. Almost everyone has passed bodies of mothers, children and the elderly - anyone too weakened by hunger to escape with their lives. The United States edges closer to a devastating default as Republicans and Democrats butt heads over competing plans to raise the debt ceiling. In a nationally-televised address last night, Obama said that if Congress does not agree to a long-term debt-ceiling increase, the country risks "sparking a deep economic crisis." If the country's AAA credit rating is downgraded, investors around the world may start asking whether the U.S. is still a good bet. And as the Aug. 2 deadline looms, many inside the country are asking the same thing: Is there something wrong with America? |
| Want to know: Here's something Norway needs: a hero. Marcel Gleffe and his family had been hoping for a week of relaxation at a Norwegian campground. But when gunfire started on an island across the water, he and several others jumped into their boats and began rescuing distraught teenagers swimming for their lives. "It goes without saying," he says. The horrific acts attributed to Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, whose lawyer says he's probably insane, appear to have been motivated by a hatred of Muslims and distaste for cultural diversity. While Breivik distanced himself from organized politics, his rhetoric has put Europe's growing far-right parties in the spotlight. Here is GlobalPost's roundup of what's happening on the extreme right in some key European countries. |
| Dull but important: Gaddafi might get to stay in Libya. The West's line appears to have softened, as a U.N. envoy heads to Tripoli and France and Britain signal that Gaddafi could stay in the country as long as he steps down. A rebel leader has also appeared to endorse this view, which marks a major shift in policy as previous demands have insisted that Gaddafi must leave the country. Meanwhile, the U.N.'s fact-finding mission said there are severe shortages in Gaddafi-held parts of Libya. NATO's air strikes are supposed to end on Sept. 27 anyway, though last time they extended the campaign rather than pulling out. |
| Just because: Three countries have now come out against the Vatican's stance on barring females from becoming priests. In three separate instances, members of the clergy in Australia, Austria and America have challenged the Vatican over its policy. While these outcries are noteworthy, analysts say they do not compose a clerical uprising and we are unlikely to see imminent change. Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, is set to enter India, riding on the second wave of e-commerce boom in India. Though it isn't just commerce. Wikipedia has its plans to open up shop in India as well. |
| Strange but true: The blob attacks in China! A massive bloom of green algae has blanketed the Yellow Sea. It has already spread to almost 7,400 square miles and is expected to grow. See photos. |
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