Media accounts have failed to emphasize that the folks cynically exploited by the sneering faux journalist are not only Romanian but Roma (Gypsy)—as if they don't have enough problems already. From The Guardian, Nov. 15:

The residents of a remote Romanian village used as stand-ins for Kazakhs in the Borat movie are threatening to sue the film's producers for paying them a pittance to put farm animals in their homes and perform other crude antics.

A commentary entitled "Peacekeeping mission: The other means to neo-colonialism," published by the Eritrean Ministry of Information's official Shabait newspaper, via AllAfrica:

Western countries, especially USA have been putting extensive pressure, so that the peacekeeping mission of the African Union (AU), which is deployed in Sudan, Darfur region, be replaced by UN peace keepers in a much outnumbering figure. To make this idea acceptable by all international organizations, extensive public relations campaign have been conducted with regards to how much the AU peacekeeping mission lacks material and financial backing. Hence, by deliberately exaggerating the threat of genocide and giving the duty of the international community undue emphasis, much is being tried.

From IRIN, Nov. 16:

NAIROBI - Three Eritrean reporters who have been in detention in a remote northeastern jail for five years are believed to have died in unclear circumstances, a global media freedom watchdog reported.

From Somalia's Garowe Online, Nov. 15:

Chad has imposed a 12-day curfew in its capital to counter growing tension between Arab tribes and local inhabitants.

It is a real sign of hope that there is more to be lost than gained from overt racism (at least) in American politics, even in Dixieland. Former senator George Allen's foot-in-mouth routine brought to light a particularly anachronistic epithet. India's IBN shed some light, Nov. 9—although we caught a small inaccuracy:

No surer sign of creeping (or galloping) totalitarianism. From AP, Nov. 5:

ASMARA, Eritrea -- Gospel singer Helen Berhane, who belonged to a banned evangelical church in Eritrea, has been released after more than two years in detention, a human rights group said.

From The New Times, Kigali, Nov. 12 via AllAfrica:

An unprecedented public inquiry into France's role in the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda held hearings in Kigali last week, where the French army was accused of complicity in the massacre of Tutsi and modreate Hutu.

The election results from the Democratic Republic of Congo are in—and predictably contested. The incumbent Joseph Kabila (and son of the late Laurent Kabila, leader of the 1996 revolution) has been declared victor, while supporters of contender Jean-Pierre Bemba, a "former rebel warlord," pledge "the people will resist this fraud." (The Guardian, Nov. 16) Rarely do media accounts explore how Western powers and corporate interests have exploited, fueled and manipulated Congo's chaotic and incessant wars over the past ten years since the Mobutu dictatorship was overthrown. Here's a relevant nugget from Left-Green Weekly Nov. 9 via Toward Freedom: