:
AROUND THE WORLD (6#) -

Here are some stories that caught my eye today:

# German detectives are tracking a wouldbe jihadi convert named Eric B from Neuenkirchen in Saarland who is believed to be in Afghanistan. They are concerned that he is going to commit a terrorist attack soon.

# French police in Bretagne have arrested a 53-year-old
man suspected of the thefts of 170 garden gnomes.

# Aarushi Talwar was almost 14 when she was found murdered in her home a month ago. Since then, much Cyberspace has been devoted to her with surfers following every twist and turn in the case. [ndtv] [case ag]

# Ahmad Rashid participated in a panel discussion recently in Silicon Valley about the Future of Democracy in South Asia, blogger Riaz Haq tells us.

# UAE oil minister Hamli says huge spikes in oil prices
are unrelated to supply and demand fundamentals:

"There is no shortage of crude oil in
the market. Inventory levels are huge."

...