Mensa Barbie Welcomes You: Recent Carnival Update

Europe News

Looking beautiful and tanned, Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives at a European Union leaders summit in Brussels.
Spain: big pro-family rally in Madrid AP - 2 minutes ago
MADRID, Spain - Tens of thousands of people have gathered in downtown Madrid for a Roman Catholic Mass designed to promote traditional family values.
French kisses cost British driver 150 euros AFP - 13 minutes ago
SAINT-MALO, France (AFP) - A British man who drove with a licence plate modified to read "kisses" in French was fined 150 euros (190 dollars, 130 pounds) by a French court on Thursday.
GM opens first Russian factory AP - 25 minutes ago
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - General Motors Corp. has opened its first Russian assembly plant.
Dictator Stalin, Russia's most popular Figure Reuters - 19 minutes ago
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Soviet dictator Josef Stalin remains one of Russia's most popular historical figures despite the purges that marked his rule, according to the latest results in a nationwide poll.

Gorbachev likens Putin's party to the worst of the communists

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 5, 2009. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Gorbachev likened Vladamir Putin's United Russia Party to the communists he once led and helped bring down, and said Russia is today a country where the parliament and the judiciary are not fully free. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Enlarge Photo AP Interview: Putin's United Russia party likened to the worst of the communists he once led and helped bring down. -AP

Africa News

Democrats: I would not do this. AFP - Thu Mar 5, 10:52 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The ~~United States~~ Democrats and European World courts are still pushing Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

Removal of al Bashir would soon find al-Qaeda, entrenched in Khartoum. Drop the World Courts, or fight tens of thousands of Terrorists in the "Land of the Two Niles" in al-Beshir's absence! For now, Sudan has expelled humanitarian groups from the country.
Did Bush anticipate the ICC; and thus worked to slow al-Qaeda in the region? - Thu Mar 5, 3:22 PM ET
With the arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al Bashir finally a reality, the Africa hawks in the Obama administration are celebrating...

Only problem is, the United States, under President Bush, didn't ratify the 2002 Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court, which handed down the warrant. So the U.S. isn't a party to the court and doesn't formally recognize its jurisdiction.

Asia News

Pakistan says knows kidnappers of U.N. official Reuters - 5 minutes ago
MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities have identified the kidnappers of an American working for the U.N. refugee agency but want to avoid any hasty action that may endanger him, the country's foreign minister said.
Kyrgyz vote to deny US-led coalition use of base AP - 7 minutes ago
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyzstan's parliament has overwhelmingly backed the suspension of an agreement on the use of an air base by U.S.-led coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan.
Pakistan wrapping up cricket attacks probe AFP - 9 minutes ago
LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistani police said Friday they would wrap up an interim report within 24 hours into the deadly Sri Lankan cricket attack, after authorities said the perpetrators had been identified.

Canada

Canada studies GM aid plan, welcomes CAW talks Reuters - Thu Mar 5, 5:57 PM ET
OTTAWA (Reuters) - General Motors of Canada's bid for government aid is being closely reviewed after auditors for the U.S. parent said they doubted the company's ability to survive outside bankruptcy, Canadian officials said on Thursday.
Arctic summer ice could vanish by 2013: expert Reuters - Thu Mar 5, 3:39 PM ET
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Arctic is warming up so quickly that the region's sea ice cover in summer could vanish as early as 2013, decades earlier than some had predicted, a leading polar expert said on Thursday.
Latest Canada economic data weak but not dire Reuters - Thu Mar 5, 4:50 PM ET
TORONTO (Reuters) - Purchasing activity in the Canadian economy contracted at a slower pace in February for the first time in five months, while the number of building permits taken out in January fell for a fourth straight month but not as much as expected, reports showed on Thursday.

A Little More News

US space tourist unfazed by satellite smashup AP - Thu Mar 5, 12:55 PM ET

STAR CITY, Russia - A U.S. billionaire who is making his second flight to the international space station said Thursday he was not worried about the debris that last month's satellite collision sent hurtling through space.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seen during a meeting in his study at Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Monday, March 2, 2009. Putin's party has commanding leads in local elections in which non-governmental parties and independent observers report widespread voting violations.. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Pool)

Naftogaz pays Gazprom to avert gas cutoff AP - Thu Mar 5, 12:51 PM ET

MOSCOW - Ukraine's energy company paid its February bill for Russian gas in full Thursday, officials said, moving swiftly to avoid a cutoff that could have affected deliveries to Europe.