Headlines!

I thought I'd give you a brief summary of THE NEWS. Here we go!

• A serious plane crash has occurred in Iran. At least seventy people has been killed, and thirty-two others have been injured, some of them critically. That's according to this source, which makes reference to the state news agency in Iran, IRNA. Thoughts/prayers/hope for those involved and those related to those involved goes out from me, and I'm sure from the people reading this.
• Something I find interesting, the people of southern Sudan are voting on whether to become independent from the north. I has no idea that was even a political option in Sudan, so I recommend doing  your own research into the background of the independence movement. I don't think the area was ever an independent country, particularly as no-one ever calls it anything except "south Sudan," but judging by comments made by interviewees, prime motives for independence seem to be an ethnic gap between them and the ruling northerners, and desire to avoid civil/international war. As a geography nerd, the thought of a new (pretty sizeable) country to add to the map certainly makes me happy! 
• As most of you will know, a shooting in Tuscon, Arizona, US took place a few days ago, which five people have died from, and which a Democrat congresswoman is in a critical condition. Now, some have released this report, saying that the Tea Party and other rightwing politics provoked this attack, with it's constant condemnation of any remotely left-of-centre action by the government as "socialist" (which is still a HUGE taboo word in America). While I'd like any legitimate reason to criticize the Tea Party movement, I do think this shooting was probably random rather than politically motivated. Besides, if it was, then the shooter would likely have taken the opportunity to twist any ideology to his means, right or left.
• Also, political activists in the UK are gearing up to form the "yes" and "no" campaigns for the upcoming referendum on AV, a new voting system. Arguably, this is the one successful Lib policy the Lib Dems have pushed through, though a really Lib change would be Proportional Representation rather than Alternative Vote. Still, this is an important step forward for Britain's seriously out-of-date electoral system, and I wish the "yes" campaign all the luck I can muster! Click here for further reading.

That's all for now! See you tomorrow, where hopefully I can slightly brighten the dreaded day of Monday. Hopefully I can find something vaguely positive to blog about...