Mapping US drone and Islamic militant attacks in Pakistan

BBC News Online has today published an excellent interactive feature on the American use of drones in the fight against Islamist militants in north-western Pakistan:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10648909

The feature also includes tabbed articles entitled "Fact File: Drones", "Secret War" and "Drone Pilot" (profiling a remote drone operator).

This interactive article should prove extremely useful in understanding one current aspect of the changing nature of warfare (part of the Unit 4 syllabus requirements!)

General disappointment with UN Secretary-General

The Guardian presents an interesting article outlining internal United Nations dissatisfaction with the organisation's current South Korean leader:

Disquiet grows over performance of Ban Ki-moon, UN's 'invisible man'

Apparently, a leaked memo by senior staff describes the Secretary-General's governance – now in its fourth year – as 'deplorable'. Adding meat to the rumours, the article goes on to profile Ban Ki-Moon's career and summarises general impressions of his abilities as a leader—many are not particularly favourable.

(As a reminder, Ban Ki-Moon took office as UN Secretary-General on 1 January 2007. His first term will expire on the 31st of December 2011, when he will be eligible for reappointment).

Economist Videographic: A History of Modern Sudan

The Economist earlier this year published a videographic on the History of Modern Sudan, useful in summarising a recurring flashpoint in global concern. Split between north and south, Sudan's recent history has been shaped by conflict and oil:

Guardian Interactive: Fight for control of the river Nile

Talks between the nine Nile basin countries on how to share and protect the river have broken down. The Guardian has a useful interactive guide to the various disputes as they stand in mid-2010:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2010/jun/25/fight-for-river-nile