January 28 in the news....
- Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have converged on Iraq's Shi'ite holy city, Kerbala, for Ashura, marking the 7th century Battle of Kerbala, which helped consolidate the schism between Shi'ite and Sunni Islam. It ends on Monday, though the body count will go on.
- The US is launching an effort to shed its unfriendly image, the move got off to a wrong start when it was discovered the French had been involved in consultations.
- US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is in Afghanistan meeting with troops, it was preceded by a brief stopover in Pakistan, when asked what that was like Pelosi refused to comment saying she 'had no time to do any shopping there'.
