Israel Welcomes 500 Darfur Refugees

Op-ed: Other nations must keep up pressure ahead of referendum

(NEWSER) - For Sudan, this might be as optimistic as it gets: Two experts have returned from a two-week visit and concluded that war and violence "are not inevitable" following January's referendum on southern independence. "But only if the international community sets clear lines of acceptable behavior as the two sides manage an acrimonious and potentially violent divorce," write Michael Abramowitz of the US holocaust museum and former envoy Andrew Natsios in the Boston Globe . More»

Actress slams president's Darfur policy in Newsweek

(NEWSER) - Angelina Jolie “hates” President Obama so much that she and partner Brad Pitt “get in nasty arguments all the time” about him, sources tell Us —and she lets a bit of her distaste shine through in a piece she wrote for Newsweek on Darfur. “When the administration says it intends to work to 'improve the lives of the people of Darfur,' I would like to know what that means, besides the obvious point that their lives could hardly get worse.” More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama opened bilateral talks with China today with a friendly speech, saying the US-China relationship would “shape the 21st century” and highlighting areas in which the nations have common interests, like nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and the global economy. He also touched on climate change, noting that the US and China are the world’s top energy consumers. “Common sense calls upon us to act,” he said. More»

'I don't think about politics,' Brit says

(NEWSER) - Stephen Constantine is known for tackling lost causes. He’s brought unexpected success to such hard-luck national soccer squads in India, Nepal and Malawi. “I seem to get the really tough jobs others don’t want,” he tells the Wall Street Journal. Now he’s got arguably his toughest yet: Sudan. The hapless Desert Hawks have managed just one African Cup appearance, and never qualified for the World Cup. More»

Says media claims are part of propaganda campaign

(NEWSER) - Sudan’s president says his military hasn’t attacked civilians in Darfur and challenges “anybody” to show evidence to the contrary. “What has been reported to have happened in Darfur did not actually happen at all,” Omar al Bashir told the BBC in his first interview since being charged with war crimes. “What happened in Darfur was an insurgency. The state has the responsibility to fight the rebels.” More»