1. South Sudan: ‘North Has Declared War.’ Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan, stated that the attacks on his country by Sudan constitute a declaration of war. Sudan has not formally declared war with its southern neighbor, but has continued attacks against border states in South Sudan. The conflict began in April with South Sudanese military action against a border town and nearby oil field, which both countries consider to be in their territory. South Sudan, which gained independence from the north in the summer of last year, attacked the town and captured it in an operation that allegedly resulted in the deaths of 240 Sudanese soldiers. (Source: AP)

2. Chinese Dissident Escapes from House Arrest. Prominent human rights activist Chen Guangcheng has escaped from house arrest and is suspected to be under the protection of the United States Embassy in Beijing. Embassy staff have not commented on Guangcheng’s whereabouts, and a U.S.-based humanitarian group, ChinaAid, declined to comment, “as there might be some diplomatic issues.” Guangcheng, who is blind, received outside help in escaping from confinement. He posted a video on YouTube detailing the conditions of his imprisonment and stating that he fears for the safety of his family. Guangcheng had been convicted on charges of “disturbing public order.” (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

3. Bahrain Held Grand Prix Despite Protests. Bahrain went ahead with the Formula 1 Grand Prix, even though anti-government activists called for its cancellation. The race proceeded as normal, though police were present to prevent anyone from disrupting the event. Last year’s F1 Grand Prix was cancelled after 35 people were killed in a government crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa said cancelling the Grand Prix “just empowers extremists,” and insisted that holding the race would “build bridges across communities.” (Source: BBC)

4. Charles Taylor Guilty of War Crimes. The former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, was found guilty by an international tribunal of backing rebels in Sierra Leone during a bloody civil war. He is the first former head of state to be convicted by an international tribunal since the Nuremburg trials of 1945. Taylor kept armed rebel forces in exchange for “blood diamonds,” with full knowledge that the forces had been committing violence against civilians. Taylor has a right to appeal his conviction, but he will serve his prison sentence in a British jail if his appeal is unsuccessful. (Source: BBC)

5. 40,000 Norwegians Rally at Trial of Mass Killer. Norwegians turned out in large numbers in Oslo’s  Youngstorget Square, near where Anders Behring Breivik was being tried. They sang “Children of the Rainbow,” which Breivik denounced as Marxist. Part of the song describes a “world where every sister and every brother shall live together.” Breivik admitted to detonating a car bomb outside of the Prime Minister’s office, and then shooting dozens of children at an island retreat. 77 people were killed in the attacks. Breivik was motivated to carry out the attacks in order to prevent multiculturalism and radical Islamism from influencing Norwegian culture. (Source: CNN)