Globe Trot: Obama administration abandons U.S. toddler in Sudanese jail

SUDAN: The pregnant Sudanese woman sentenced to death and 100 lashes for her refusal to recant her Christian faith, awaits in a Khartoum prison as an international campaign builds on her behalf. According to some reports, she is shackled to a wall and imprisoned along with her son, about 20 months old. Her husband is a U.S. citizen, making her children also U.S. citizens. But don’t expect the U.S. diplomats to advocate on their behalf. At a briefing, spokeswoman Jen Psaki did not know whether an American toddler was jailed in Khartoum:

“You don’t know whether that little boy in prison is a U.S. citizen?” CNSNews.com asked.

“I don’t have any more details to share,” Psaki said.

“Did the embassy in Khartoum ask Mr. Wani to provide DNA evidence that that was his son?”

“We’re happy to check and see if there’s more to share.”

“You don’t know whether that’s the case?” CNSNews.com asked.

“Happy to check and see if there’s more to share,” she repeated.

THAILAND: The Thai military seized control of the country on Thursday, detaining at least 25 politicians in a coup—the country’s second in a decade. BBC reporters were there when it happened.

UKRAINE: Ahead of Sunday elections, Russian forces say they have moved troops back from the border but NATO says they remain in place. Our report describes what Russian interference looks like on the ground in eastern Ukraine.

SYRIA: Al Nusra Front fighters reached the Golan Heights overlooking Israel this week, and planted an al Qaeda flag there. Syria’s opposition has posted a video they say shows evidence of a chlorine gas attack by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the village of Kfar Zeita near Hamas. Syria’s death toll has risen by a shocking 10,000 in the last two months—and the conflict has displaced nearly half the country’s population.

IRAQ: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s alliance has won the largest number of parliamentary seats in April elections—no surprise—giving him a third term as prime minister. Forming a new coalition government could take months.

PARAGUAY leads the world in “positive emotions” …

WEEKEND MUST READ: The Sherpas killed in the April avalanche at Mt. Everest, the deadliest in history, were working to save money to open a teahouse or build their own home, and most had young families.

About 2½ hours into their six-hour climb to Camp 2, the sun had come up and Kaji’s group was nearing the top of the icefall. Kaji could see Sherpas from various expeditions strung out along the route above and below him.

Then he heard an enormous crack, “like thunder.”

NOTE: No Globe Trot next week; Globe Trot returns June 2.