Ethiopia Devalues Birr 9.9% After Foreign Currency Shortages By Jason McLure July 13 (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia devalued its currency, the birr, 9.9 percent against the dollar on July 10 after difficulty obtaining foreign exchange led to shortages of imported goods such as auto parts and medical supplies. The country’s official exchange rate fell to 12.444 against the dollar from 11.3247... 

Israel, which berates other nations for historically failing to help Jewish refugees, is cracking down on asylum seekers Dimi Reider guardian.co.uk, Sunday 12 July 2009 15.00 BST Israel – the "state of the refugees" whose culture has been shaped, for better and worse, by migration – is now turning on the migrants and refugees who seek a safe haven...