Issue 147

World News in Brief

23rd October 2006

These are your "world news nuggets" from Issue 147. In this issue, the Amish community shows mercy, Mexico City protects, and a peace deal in Sudan.

Amish community shows mercy to killers Widow

The widow of a man who went on a killing spree at a school in Pennsylvania has thanked the Amish community for showing overwhelming forgiveness to her.

The killer, Charles Roberts, shot himself after he shot dead five Amish girls aged between seven and 13 on 2 October. The Amish community has even gone as far to set up a local fund for the killer's family.

Meanwhile, the school building that witnessed the killings has been demolished by machinery brought in by the Amish community, who plan to cover the site with grass. according to local fire officials.

Protest rally fills Mexico City's main square

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of defeated presidential candidate Andres Manual Lopes Obrador gathered in Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, to 'elect' him head of a parallel government.

Obrador's defeat by less than 1% of the vote was considered fraudulent by many Mexicans. The protests are expected to continue throughout President Calderon's six-year term.

Sudan signs peace deal

After months of bloody confrontation between government forces and rebels in eastern Sudan, a peace deal has been signed.

In the east, two factions, the Beja congress and the Rashadia lions, have been fighting the government for ten years over the apparent neglect of their region by central government, and have been attacking Government property and oil installations.

Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir defiantly hailed the Eastern peace agreement as an example of Africans solving an African problem without foreign intervention.

However widespread killings and extreme violence still rage throughout the troubled country.

Iraq sees rise in Violence

A number of car bombs have ripped through the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk killing eight people and wounding dozens of others. Earlier in Baghdad two bombs exploded killing a Interior Minister and also killing seven other people. The UN has also revealed this week that a silent exodus is occurring in Iraq with hundreds of thousands of people being internally displaced and even leaving the country.

Conviction for murderer of Dehli student

Santosh Kumar Singh was acquitted in 1999 for the rape and murder of student Priadarshini Mattoo in 1996. But after mounting public pressure, the case was reopened by the Dehli High Court which, in a groundbreaking decision, went on to find Singh guilty. He is expected to serve at least life inprisonment with the death sentence a real possibility.

Muslim clerics letter to be delivered to Pope

Muslim clerics from 38 different countries are giving the Pope a letter of reconsolidation.

This letter accepts the Pope's apologies and recognises the his regret over comments made in a controversial lecture on Islam which quoted medieval texts. The speech ignited fury throughout the Islamic world.

The Pope still hasn't apologised, sparking some Muslims leaders to demand an apology, but the Pope has expressed regret over the comments.

In the letter Muslim clerics have accepted the Pope's "unprecedented personal expression of sorrow". There is hope that this letter will defuse the recent troubles, and both faiths will be able to repair the broken bridges and have respectful dialogue in the future.

Sydney police patrol Australian beaches

Australian police have begun to patrol beaches in Sydney to prevent a repeat of last year's serious racial clashes. Eighty police officers have been drafted into "Operation Beachsafe."

Police hope these patrols will send a stern message to potential troublemakers, that racial violence will not be tolerated.

The beach patrols will be backed up by dog units on the ground, plus helicopter and offshore patrol boat support.

Ethnic tensions have been rife in Australia, last year police had to deploy some 1,500 officers to put an end to fighting along Australia's beaches.

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