KABUL, Afghanistan — Two attacks in southern Afghanistan have left at least 19 dead over the last two days, Afghan officials reported. The attacks come at a critical moment in peace talks between the United States and the Taliban. Read full article > >

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Bomb attacks kill 19 in southern Afghanistan

A critical moment in the United States’ case against former National Security Agency official Thomas A. Drake came a week ago Friday, when a federal judge ruled that the prosecution could not shield from public disclosure classified information it wanted to present as evidence. So the prosecutors, rather than reveal what the NSA considered sensitive material, withdrew their proposed exhibits. That decision effectively doomed the government’s effort to put Drake behind bars for as many as 35 years for unlawfully retaining classified information. As the prosecution crumbled, so went the government’s opportunity to turn Drake’s case into a cautionary tale for would-be leakers. Read full article > >

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NSA leak trial exposes dilemma for Justice Department

The proposal to alter the nation’s police comes at a critical moment for President Felipe Calderón, who faces pressure to demonstrate progress in defeating the drug cartels.

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Mexico Seeks to Unify Police to Curb Graft and Fight Drugs