DHOBLEY, Somalia - The semi-arid lands surrounding the frontier town of Dhobley in southern Somalia have become a dust-bowl, the thorny scrub stripped of all vegetation as famine grips the region and an exodus of the starving empties its villages.
When Chinese journalist Wang Keqin found himself cornered in the countryside two years ago by police who were trying to stop him looking into a rape case involving local officials, he looked online for help.
It was Kenneth Thompsons starring role in the prosecution of New York police accused of beating and sodomizing a Haitian immigrant that put the son of one of the citys first female beat cops on the map in 1997.
Rick Perry has been widely touted as a Republican presidential candidate who could appeal to Tea Party voters, but some in the anti-tax movement wonder if his record as Texas governor stacks up to his rhetoric.
DOLO ADO, Ethiopia - When Somali mother Eblah Sheikh Aden gathered her seven children and set off walking for Ethiopia to find food, she never imagined she would end up sending some of her brood back into the heart of famine.
Standard & Poors downgraded the U.S.s AAA credit rating for the first time, slamming the nations political process and criticizing lawmakers for failing to cut spending enough to reduce record budget deficits.
The illness of Sonia Gandhi, Indias most powerful political leader, may have set off a risky succession that could propel her inexperienced son Rahul to government just as the ruling Congress party battles corruption scandals and high inflation.
