Somalia nearing a 'total famine'

Somalia is in danger of descending into famine while the world's attention is focused on the problem of piracy off its coast, the Red Cross has warned.

BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut says agencies like the International Committee of the Red Cross are very wary about using words like famine.
The ICRC's Alexandre Liebeskind said the violence had made it almost impossible for aid agencies to operate.

About half of Somalia's population is dependent on food aid. More

Obama: Iran's threats against Israel counter all we believe

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said on Sunday that Iran's vocalized threats against Israel stand "contrary to everything" the United States believes in. He also said that he was prepared to offer Iran economic incentives to stop its nuclear program, but warned that sanctions could be toughened if it refused. "We need to ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran, making very clear to them that their development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable, that their funding of terrorist organizations, their threats against Israel are contrary to everything we believe in," Obama said. More