Introducing: a group of indigenous people living in the Brazilian Amazon that no one knew existed.

The Brazilian government’s national Indian foundation confirmed this week that they found a new, ‘unconnected’ tribe living just east of Manaus. Researchers say any contact with the outside world could kill members of the tribe because their bodies are not immune to illnesses like the common cold.

The new discovery comes just two years after longtime Indian researcher, Jose Carlos Meirelles, released photos of another tribe living in the area. The photos show people painted in red paint firing arrows at the helicopter circling above. Al Jazeera has the story.

‘The shot that nearly killed me’

Below is an amazing collection of images and insight from war photographers, reblogged from The Guardian. Warning: contains some graphic images.

“I always ask myself, “Why do I do this job?’ And the answer is: I want to show the best and worst face of humankind. Every time you go to a conflict, you see the worst.” -Alvaro Ybarra Zavala, Congo, 2008.

guardian:

Photograph: Adam Ferguson/V11 Network

Photograph: Adam Ferguson/VII Network

A special report looking at the work of war photographers and asking who would choose this dangerous profession?

The debate in Washington is focused on how soon and to which extent to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. At the same time, villages in the North are falling to the Taliban — swiftly, unchallenged, and barely noticed by the rest of the world.

Journalist Anna Badkhen, after her most recent month-long journey through Afghanistan:

“One of his [Gates] arguments for keeping combat units in place as long as possible was that the United States needs to preserve the security gains that officials in Washington say have occurred in Afghanistan in recent months. But during my journey thru northern Afghanistan’s provinces of Balkh, Jowzjan and Faryab I saw no security gains.”

Water: The other oil

Abyei, Sudan. 2010.
Image by Rebecca Hamilton. Abyei, Sudan, 2010.

In a move southern leaders called a “declaration of war,” north Sudanese troops invaded the flashpoint border town of Abyei, Sudan over the weekend.

But why does Abyei matter? Hint: it’s not just about the oil.

For the people who live here – who have never seen any benefits from oil and don’t believe they ever will, the talk of oil just feels like a headache they would rather do without. But if you took oil out of the equation you would still have a very big Abyei problem – primarily because of water, but also because of the political manipulation of local actors, and the legacy of war on inter-ethnic relations. None of these issues are getting the coverage they deserve because of the hyped-up focus on oil. -Rebecca Hamilton, 11/3/10

The BBC has a good piece on Abyei today, as well.

Abyei, Sudan: The declaration of war you may not have heard about.

“If not de-escalated, this could be the shot heard round Sudan,”
- John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project, to The New York Times

Northern Sudanese troops appear to have taken control of Abyei, a flashpoint town straddling the border between north and south Sudan.

Leaders in southern Sudan called the invasion a declaration of war.

Doctors Without Borders treated 42 wounded in the fighting, noting that most of the residents of the town have fled.

Special Correspondent on Sudan for the WaPo (among other impressive things) Rebecca Hamilton weighs in on why what’s going on in Sudan matters to America and the rest of the world:

1> “It’s the largest country in Africa. If there’s violence in Sudan, then there are refugee flows across the African continent.”

2> “In addition, Sudan used to be the host of Osama bin Laden… when you have a country like Sudan that is able to host terrorists that go on to do significant damage then it becomes a security concern for American citizens.”

3> “Whatever happens in Sudan, it may feel a long way away when you’re here but the impacts can be felt by Americans and by the country as a whole.” (Watch this interview)

Southern Sudan is set to become the world’s newest country in July.

More on Sudan from Pulitzer Center.

This is Magomed Atabiyev. On March 8, 1944, soldiers walked into Magomed’s house and said, “we are deporting you,” with no explanation. Magomed’s story is part of a dark episode of history that is little known outside the former Soviet Union. All told, at least 600,000 people were deported in cattle wagons to Siberia - that same dark episode still fuels conflict in the region today. Image by Tom Parfitt, who also has the story.
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This is Magomed Atabiyev. On March 8, 1944, soldiers walked into Magomed’s house and said, “we are deporting you,” with no explanation. Magomed’s story is part of a dark episode of history that is little known outside the former Soviet Union. All told, at least 600,000 people were deported in cattle wagons to Siberia - that same dark episode still fuels conflict in the region today. Image by Tom Parfitt, who also has the story.

NewsHour or Family Guy?

Iron Man 2 or Waiting for Superman?

We constantly make choices between consuming information junk food versus information veggies. Google, Yahoo! News and Facebook keep track of those choices and alter our search results accordingly based on what they think you’ll click on. Too many veggies? Too much junk food? Sometimes, an algorithm based on your clicks can throw the info-diet off.

Above is Eli Pariser on the “filter bubble,” a new kind of gatekeeper and why we might have the internet story wrong.

“I arrived in a short dress and sandals—I had no idea what I was going in for,”

Natalia Manzurova was a 35-year-old nuclear engineer in Russia when she was assigned to be part of the clean-up crew at the Chernobyl power plant in northern Ukraine, the site of the worst nuclear accident in history. On the 25th anniversary of the disaster, Manzurova reflects on broken state promises, a lifetime of illness and the future of nuclear power.