Six In The Morning

White House secret meetings examine al-Qaeda threat in North Africa


By Greg Miller and Craig Whitlock, Tuesday, October 2
The White House has held a series of secret meetings in recent months to examine the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s franchise in North Africa and consider for the first time whether to prepare for unilateral strikes, U.S. officials said. The deliberations reflect concern that al-Qaeda’s African affiliate has become more dangerous since gaining control of large pockets of territory in Mali and acquiring weapons from post-revolution Libya. The discussions predate the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. compounds in Libya but gained urgency after the assaults there were linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM. U.S. officials said the discussions have focused on ways to help regional militaries confront al-Qaeda but have also explored the possibility of direct U.S. intervention if the terrorist group continues unchecked.

Reality Contradicts Plans for Afghan Withdrawal
Berlin maintains that Afghanistan is on the right track for German troops to withdraw by the end of 2014 as planned. But a classified report by the German foreign intelligence agency paints a different picture.

Der Spiegel
Afghan President Hamid Karzai likes to tell the West what it wants to hear. "We will fight corruption with great determination," he says. Or: "We will relentlessly strive for good governance." Such messages are well received in the West, because they correspond with the rosy picture that Western officials like to relay to the public themselves. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, for example, has become somewhat of a master at this game. "We are on course to realize the withdrawal of international and German combat troops by the end of 2014," he recently said, while also pointing out how important it is to integrate former Taliban fighters into Afghan society.

Anyone but Berlusconi: Italy begs unelected Monti to stay
Spectre of former PM is boosting popularity of leader parachuted in by European Union

MICHAEL DAY MILAN TUESDAY 02 OCTOBER 2012
Two political leaders have joined calls for Italy's unelected technocrat Prime Minister, Mario Monti, to stay on in some form after next spring's general election to prevent speculators dragging the Italian economy – and the euro – back to the edge of the abyss. The realisation that Mr Monti's stabilising stop-gap government has just six months left has been causing alarm bordering on panic among business leaders and even some of the politicians who stand to replace him. His unelected regime was rushed into place in November 2011 with Italy's finances on the precipice – a crisis that forced the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi as Prime Minister.

Indian activists claim law weighted against men
Despite decades of female empowerment, India remains very much a male-dominated society. However, a growing number of men are increasingly frustrated with laws they say discriminate against them.

DW-DE
India may be a male-dominated society but, in terms of the law, not everyone would agree that men have it all their own way. The very same laws that have been used to empower women have are now being criticized for being unfair to men, leading to false prosecutions and even suicide. The most misused of these is the law commonly known as "Section 498a." Amended 30 years ago from an earlier law, it was intended to protect a married woman from unending monetary demands of the groom's family. Such demands can lead to the torture or even death of a bride.

Ex-Ivorian leader's spokesman charged with murder in Ghana


By AFP Posted Tuesday, October 2 2012 at 02:02
Ghanaian authorities on Monday charged the spokesman for Ivory Coast's ex-leader Laurent Gbagbo with murder following a warrant from his home country, days after he was granted bail while awaiting an extradition hearing. Justin Kone Katinan's lawyer Patrick Sogbodjor said that while the alleged murder was committed in Ivory Coast, prosecutors charged him in Accra as a procedural move to keep him in custody after his earlier release on bail. Authorities declined to further explain the seemingly unorthodox move, referring questions to a police spokesman who did not respond to phone calls.

Colombian president to have surgery for prostate cancer
Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's president, said he will have surgery to remove a tumor located in his prostate gland.

By Reuters
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday that he would undergo surgery for prostate cancer this week but that the tumor was minor and non-aggressive "It's a small tumor located on the prostate gland and it's a good prognosis, it's not aggressive," the 61-year-old Santos said in an address to the nation from the presidential palace in Bogota, flanked by his doctor and his wife. Santos, who took office two years ago and is about to begin peace talks with Colombia's FARC guerrillas, said he would undergo surgery on Wednesday and that there was a 97 percent chance he would be completely cured.