In brief: Nations resolve pipeline dispute
Russian oil began flowing again through a Belarusian pipeline late Wednesday, a top Belarusian oil official said, resolving a dispute between the countries that had disrupted supplies to Eastern Europe as well to the former Soviet Republic.
Alexei Kostuchenko, general director of pipeline concern Gomeltransneft-Druzhba, said Russian oil entered the Belarusian system and was being pumped to Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
Sudan president OKs cease-fire
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir agreed to a 60-day cease-fire in his nation’s troubled Darfur region on Wednesday but again rejected calls for a U.N. force to help end one of Africa’s bloodiest conflicts.
Al-Bashir issued a joint statement with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson agreeing to the temporary halt of military action while also expanding access for journalists and aid workers. Richardson, who had traveled to Sudan on behalf of the Save Darfur Coalition, said several rebel leaders had orally agreed to the cease-fire.
Successive cease-fires, including a May 2006 peace deal negotiated in Nigeria, have been broken both by al-Bashir and the various rebel groups fighting for control of Darfur.
NEW YORK
Dodd to announce presidential bid
Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd, a veteran lawmaker who entered Congress in the post-Watergate class of 1974, will announce his bid for the presidency, Democratic officials said Wednesday.
Dodd, 62, will make the formal announcement in an interview this morning on the “Imus in the Morning” radio show.
The 26-year Senate veteran enters a growing Democratic field overshadowed by two likely candidates – Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, of New York, and Barack Obama, of Illinois.
Seattle
Gates Foundation to review holdings
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday that it would review its investments to determine whether its holdings are socially responsible.
In addition to what it called a continuing review of “our approach to investments,” the foundation said on its Web site, “we will review other strategies that can fulfill a social responsibility role, both in terms of their aspirations and in understanding the impact that they may have.”
The announcement came two days after the Los Angeles Times published the second article in a two-part investigation showing that the foundation reaps vast financial gains every year from investments that contravene its good works.