Kenya violence “spiraling out of control”

10. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has warned the world that his country is in danger of destroying itself. He pleaded for the violence that has broken out across the country since the presidential elections on December 27 to end. Odinga said: Unless we ourselves resolve to act quickly to save our nation, there might be no nation left to save….The national fabric has been broken….Violence is spiraling out of control.” President Mwai Kibaki also addressed his nation, saying in a televised speech: “I feel deeply saddened to know Kenyans are confronting one another violently.” Violence broke out along ethnic lines after Mr Kibaki claimed victory in an election that his opponents say was stolen from them. It has resulted in Kenya’s worst crisis since its independence in 1963.

Osama bin Laden releases new video

11. Osama bin Laden has released a new video, just days before the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Unlike in previous messages, bin Laden made no overt threats to the USA or her allies. However, he did give Americans a lecture on the wrongs of the Iraq war and criticized globalization. He also made a point in calling leaders of Western democracies the real terrorists. The US government obtained a copy of the 30-minute video before it was posted on the Internet by Al-Qaeda. Intelligence agencies are analyzing it to look for clues about bin Laden’s whereabouts and the state of his health. The video also demonstrates how freely bin Laden can communicate with his followers around the world. It also underlines the US failure to catch him, six years after the terror attacks in America.

International calls to release Aung San Suu Kyi

12. There is a new campaign in Myanmar to free Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader to the government. Police recently arrested 15 activists who were seeking the release of Suu Kyi. However, authorities let the 15 supporters go a few hours later. Experts believe Myanmar’s military government is under growing pressure to end Suu Kyi’s four-year-long house arrest. Although there is an official date of May 27 for her freedom, many believe this will be extended, unless more action is taken. Ms. Suu Kyi has spent more than 11 of the past 17 years in detention. Her party won a general election in 1990, but Myanmar’s junta refused to recognize the result. Instead, they imprisoned Suu Kyi and attacked members of her pro-democracy movement.

Tony Blair announces his resignation

13. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday that he will step down as leader on June 27. This means he will leave after a decade in office. He also resigns as one of the most popular and successful leaders in British history. His resignation comes just days after perhaps his greatest political achievement - peace in Northern Ireland. It is likely, however, that he will be most remembered for following the United States into war in Afghanistan and Iraq. In his resignation speech, Blair asked the British people to believe he took his country to war for the right reasons. He told his supporters: "Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right… it was right, to stand shoulder to shoulder with our oldest ally [the USA]." He asked the British people to judge him, saying: "I may have been wrong. That's your call."