Six In The Morning

Gunmen storm military air base in Pakista

　Gunmen have attacked a Pakistani military air base triggering a fierce firefight with security forces that lasted several hours.

The BBC 16 August 2012
Several militants wearing military uniforms and suicide belts stormed Minhas air base at Kamra, near the capital Islamabad, just before dawn. Eight militants were killed, one soldier also died and the base commander was seriously injured. All of Pakistan's air bases were placed on high alert following the attack. The BBC M Ilyas Khan who is at the base says that now that the attack has been repelled, the search is now on for those militants who may have escaped. Shortly after the attack began, at around 02:00 local time (21:00 GMT on Wednesday) a police officer outside the air base, Hafeez Aulakh, said he could hear intense gunfire and see flames leaping up from inside, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Kidnappings bring Syria's civil war to Lebanon
Foreigners told to leave Beirut after UN report accuses the Assad regime of war crimes

LOVEDAY MORRIS BEIRUT THURSDAY 16 AUGUST 2012
Masked men armed with assault rifles gathered in Beirut's southern suburbs yesterday to announce that they had taken dozens of Syrians hostage and threatened to kidnap Gulf nationals, as the sectarian spill over from the conflict took a sinister new twist in Syria's smaller neighbour. Members of a powerful Shia clan warned of further "escalation" after taking the men hostage in the Lebanese capital in retaliation for the kidnapping of a family member across the border by rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Only Bankruptcy Can Help Now
Greece has disappointed its creditors yet again. Now its government plans to ask for more time -- and needs billions more in aid. But Greece's euro-zone partners are unwilling to provide any more help, meaning that the only hope now is to admit defeat and let the country make a fresh start.

A Commentary by Stefan Kaiser
Officially, at least, everything is going according to plan. In September, officials with the troika -- made up of the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) -- are planning to travel to Athens to check on the progress that Greece has made with its cost-cutting program. Then, according to the plan, they could disburse billions more in aid out of the second bailout package for Greece, which the euro-zone countries and the IMF agreed on in February.

Myanmar conflict threatens regional stability
Southeast Asia

By Subir Bhaumik
AGARTALA and IMPHAL - As a rising number of Rohingya Muslims flee sectarian conflict in Myanmar and take sanctuary in India's northeastern states, the flow of refugees is putting a new strain on bilateral relations. New Delhi has called on Naypyidaw to stem the rising human tide, a diplomatic request that Indian officials say has so far gone unheeded. Ongoing sporadic violence between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhist Rakhines in western Myanmar has left more than 80 dead and displaced tens of thousands. The Myanmar government's inability or unwillingness to stop the persecution of Rohingyas has provoked strong international reaction, raising calls for retribution in radical corners of the Islamic world, including a threat from the Pakistani Taliban to attack Myanmar's diplomatic missions abroad.

Belo Monte dam construction halted by Brazilian court
Huge new hydroelectric project suspended until local indigenous community is properly consulted about possible fallout

Jonathan Watts, Asia environment correspondent guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 August 2012 05.39 BST
Opponents of the world's biggest new hydroelectric project - the Belo Monte dam in Brazil - notched up a rare victory this week, when a federal appeals court ordered construction to be suspended until indigenous groups are properly consulted about the project. The judgement on Tuesday may prove only a temporary reprieve but it is seen as a scathing verdict on the government's efforts to rush forward with the Xingu River project in the Amazon, which - despite controversy - is one of the pillars of Brazil's efforts to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. It is also a setback for developers, led by Electrobras, which now face expensive delays or daily fines of up to R$500,000 (£166,00) if they do not comply with the court order.

With relaxed rules for undocumented in the US, real work in Mexico begins
President Obama announced new rules to allow undocumented immigrants under the age of 16 to apply for a stay of deportation and a way to continue their schooling.

By Lauren Villagran, Correspondent
Now that the US has implemented a reprieve for young, undocumented immigrants in the US, Peggy Jaramillo’s real work begins. The director of Tu Casa San Luis en Dallas, which provides support to Mexican immigrants in Texas, is planning information sessions to get the Mexican expat community up to speed about how undocumented immigrants under 16 can apply for a stay of deportation, a work permit, and continue their education under new rules that President Obama put into place after the DREAM Act failed to pass. “There are millions of children in this situation,” says Ms. Jaramillo, who splits her time between Dallas and San Luis Potosi in Mexico and works to educate families on both sides of the border.