A rising number of children are dying from U.S. explosives littering Afghan land
By , E-mail the writer
KABUL — As the U.S. military withdraws from Afghanistan, it is leaving behind a deadly legacy: about 800 square miles of land littered with undetonated grenades, rockets and mortar shells.
The military has vacated scores of firing ranges pocked with the explosives. Dozens of children have been killed or wounded as they have stumbled upon the ordnance at the sites, which are often poorly marked. Casualties are likely to increase sharply; the U.S. military has removed the munitions from only 3 percent of the territory covered by its sprawling ranges, officials said.
Clearing the rest of the contaminated land— which in total is twice as big as New York City — could take two to five years. U.S. military officials say they intend to clean up the ranges. But because of a lack of planning, officials say, funding has not yet been approved for the monumental effort, which is expected to cost $250 million.Humanitarian news agency faces closure as UN funding comes to an end
Irin news agency seeks new donors by year end as UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs ends its support
The world's first independent humanitarian news service, Irin, could face closure unless it can secure new funding.
Irin was founded after the 1994 Rwandan genocide and its aftermath exposed a paucity of humanitarian reporting. It has since reported on forgotten crises and neglected aspects of conflicts and humanitarian responses.
Irin operates under the umbrella of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), which funds it. However, the arrangement is due to expire at the end of the year, when Ocha will wind down its support and Irin will no longer be part of the UN system.
Ukraine warns of crackdown on pro-Russian protesters in east
Ukraine's government in Kyiv has warned of a crackdown on pro-Russian protesters in the east. Moscow, meanwhile, has called the allegations it is amassing troops along the border with Ukraine "baseless."
Ukraine's acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Wednesday that an anti-terror operation against pro-Russian separatists in the country's east was underway and a crackdown from law enforcement could be imminent.
"For those ready for dialogue, there will be a political solution," Avakov told reporters in Kyiv. "And for the fringe for whom the most important thing is conflict, they will be met with force."
Hundreds of militants remain holed up in government buildings in Donetsk and Luhansk. They have vowed not to give up and on Wednesday said they'd fight off any attempts by the government to dislodge them. Access to the buildings is blocked by barricades of tires and razor wire.
In Libya, politicians in fear of powerful militias
By MAGGIE MICHAEL2 hours ago
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — In a humiliating video, Libya's top politician — the head of parliament — is seen begging with a militia commander, trying to explain to him why he was caught with two women in his residence and insisting nothing scandalous was going on.
"In God's name," Nouri Abu Sahmein tells the militiaman, Haitham al-Tajouri. "I'm hiding nothing from you, Haitham." Visibly afraid, Abu Sahmein tells him the women claimed to have "sensitive information" at a time he has received tips about a cell plotting to assassinate him.
"I want to close this all up, but I want to understand. I am not a fool," the militia commander replies, speaking from off camera.
The video, taken and leaked by the militiamen and shown earlier this month on Libyan TV stations, sparked an uproar and prompted the prosecutor general to investigate, summoning Abu Sahmein and al-Tajouri for questioning. The prosecutor is aiming to determine if any crime took place, whether blackmail by the militiaman or a violation of morals laws by Abu Sahmein, an Islamist-leaning politician.
DPJ leader tells Washington audience Abe destabilizing Asian region
Japan’s main opposition leader has chided Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for conservative statements on war history and voiced fear he could be a “destabilizing” factor in East Asia.
On a visit to Washington this week, Banri Kaieda, president of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said he remained fully committed to the country’s past expressions of regret for its wartime behavior.
Kaieda said that the Abe government’s remarks and actions had alienated Japan’s neighbors as well as its U.S. and European allies by “fueling suspicions that Prime Minister Abe may be a historical revisionist.”
As riot-hit Indian region votes, religious divide favors Modi
MUZAFFARNAGAR, India
(Reuters) - Manoj Balyan wants Narendra Modi to become India's next prime minister when results of a general election are released next month, and not because of the pro-business opposition leader's record as a credible economic manager.
Instead, the property broker and village chieftain is drawn to the Hindu nationalist side of Modi, 63, who he believes will strip privileges from India's minority Muslim population.
"With Modi taking office, Muslims will automatically feel the pressure. They will not dare to raise their voice," said Balyan, 42, to nods of approval from a group of friends.
Such views are common in settlements around the sugarcane belt of Muzaffarnagar in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which was hit by deadly religious strife last year.
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