Headlines: Monday, August 17, 2009

Russia: Deadly Suicide Bombing in North Caucasus

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden truck at a police station in Nazran, the largest city in Russia’s North Caucasus region, killing at least 20 people and wounding roughly 60 others. The North Caucasus has seen recurring violence in recent years tied to separatist and Islamist insurgencies stemming from the region’s two wars in neighboring Chechnya, and this attack marked one of the deadliest single incidents in the region in recent memory.

Russia: Dam Accident Cuts Power Across Siberia

Separately, a major accident struck the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station in Khakassia, one of Russia’s largest power plants. Early reports indicated at least seven deaths, with the accident triggering flooding at the facility and causing power shortages across parts of Siberia. The full scale of the disaster, including the ultimate death toll, remained unclear in initial reporting.

Pakistan: Bombing at Fuel Station Near Peshawar

A bomb exploded on a truck at a fuel station in Charsadda, in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province roughly 20 kilometers from Peshawar, killing seven people. The bombing added to a string of attacks that have plagued the province amid ongoing military operations against Taliban-linked militants in the region.

Japan Officially Exits Recession

In economic news, Japan’s government confirmed the country has formally exited recession, reporting positive GDP growth for the second quarter of the year. The announcement made Japan one of the first major economies to register a technical recovery following the global financial crisis, though economists cautioned that Japan’s export-dependent economy remained vulnerable to any renewed weakness in global demand.

Mystery Cargo Ship Located Off West Africa

The MV Arctic Sea, a cargo vessel that vanished under mysterious circumstances after an apparent hijacking off the Swedish coast in late July, was located by the Russian Navy off Cape Verde, near the west coast of Africa. The ship’s disappearance had fueled weeks of speculation, given its unusual route far from where it was found and conflicting accounts of what it was actually carrying.