China Urges Court to Rethink Sudan Arrest Warrant
China urged the International Criminal Court to rethink its arrest warrant for Sudan's president Tuesday in a sign of Beijing's skittishness over its already difficult relationship with the African country. China, which buys two-thirds of Sudan's petroleum exports, has been repeatedly criticized for not using its economic leverage to apply more pressure on the government of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to end a civil war in his country's Darfur region.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor
requested a warrant for the arrest of Umar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, alleging genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. If issued, it would be the body's first indictment against a sitting head of state. Many hail this as an important international step in stopping the
bloodshed in Darfur.

In a strong and perhaps rare show of unity, all three candidates declared in a joint statement
released today by the Save Darfur Coalition, that waiting for the end of the Bush administration will do the Sudanese government no good. McCain, Clinton, and Obama said this:
Today, we wish to make clear to the Sudanese government that on this moral issue of tremendous importance, there is no divide between us. If peace and security for the people of Sudan are not in place when one of us is inaugurated as president on Jan.

Fashion conglomerate Louis Vuitton is
suing 26 year old Nadia Plesner for using a LV look-alike handbag on a t-shirt and poster she designed to call attention to tragedies in Darfur. All the proceeds are donated to the charity "Divest for Darfur."
Constant media attention given to insignificant topics motivated the independent artist's "Simple Living" pieces.

Sudan began its fifth census Tuesday and tragedy wasted no time. Armed raiders shot at least two people in a Darfur displacement camp yesterday. Residents at the camp were protesting the national census and saying they would refuse to take part because they did not trust government organizers.