Zimbabwe: Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai missed talks in Swaziland on his country’s crisis after his rival, President Robert Mugabe, refused to give him a passport. The refusal sparked an outpouring of anger from the leaders of 14 surrounding nations, including the president of Botswana, who cited the incident as unacceptable and an indication of bad faith. The talks have been rescheduled for next week, though Tsvangirai has said that he no longer wishes to participate.
Afghanistan: Taliban insurgents captured and beheaded 30 bus passengers in Kandahar Province on Thursday, based on claims that the bus was carrying soldiers in civilian clothes. According to a government spokesman, General Zaher Azimi, the passengers were not in any way affiliated with the military, and were in fact young men heading to Iran to find work. Police have already retrieved six of the victims’ bodies.
United Kingdom: Indian writer Aravind Adiga won the 40th annual Man Booker Prize on Tuesday for “The White Tiger,” his debut novel. The book explores the underclass of India through the eyes of a poor village boy, Balram, who escapes to the city of Delhi to work as a chauffeur to a rich man. Adiga will receive a £50,000 check with his prize.
China: A former director of Beijing construction projects, Liu Zhihua, has been given a death sentence on charges that he accepted bribes. According to a city court, Zhihua, who once oversaw citywide preparations for the Olympics, pocketed over $1 million in gifts from developers who wanted contracts. Local newspapers also report sightings of Zhihua in the mountains, where it is believed that he spent most of the money on lavish trips with his mistress.
Canada: Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion announced his intention to resign on Monday, after recent Parliamentary elections stripped his party of 20 seats. Dion came under severe criticism in the wake of the elections—much of it focusing on his poor fluency in English, which is his second language—and sources in Parliament report that the announcement was expected. Commenting on the election, Dion said Conservative tactics were imported from the United States.
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