International edition

It's been a while since I seriously commented on anything international so here's a few things that have been crossing my mind in the last few days.

Sudan

Today Sudan is holding a referendum that will split the country into two parts if passed. The mainly Christian and smaller (in area and population) region wants to secede from the mainly Muslim and larger north. Of course the major issue with the split is that the southern region has almost all of Sudan's oil reserves and to a lesser extent control of the waters (limited that they are) of the White Nile. It is also not exactly clear where the border between the two Sudan's will be if the split happens. Migrant farming groups move around with their flocks within the border region and the placing of a fixed border with fencing could lead to significant issues.

Arizona

Over Stateside, the gun attack in Tuscon where 6 were left dead and a Congresswoman was left in a critical condition is an appalling story. Since I only really follow US news through the Daily Show these days I can't really comment on whether this is a Sarah Palin/Glen Beck induced event or just a random crazy killing. However, to my mind at least, it shows that the US is a dangerous place for those involved in the political process at the moment. Tensions are high and need to be dialed back about a dozen notches for everyone's sake.

Haiti

It has been just a year since the massive earthquake in Haiti that killed several hundred thousand people and left millions homeless. Unfortunately the news from that part of the world is that many are still in dire straits with poor shelter and lack of basic amenities. I guess like the 2004 Tsunami and the 2008 Myanmar Typhoon, once the immediate catastrophe has finished, the rest of the world moves on and leaves the inhabitants to pick up the pieces.