International News

South Africa: Murder Rate Falling But Grim View Of Crime Rate Persists

Murder rates in South Africa have declined 30% over the past 15 years, but this has not been reflected in the perceptions of South Africans, who feel crime levels have actually increased, the South African Institute of Race Relations said yesterday. This showed a decrease in the rate of murders per 100,000 people, from 70 in 1994-95 to 37 in 2008-09. Researcher Kerwin Lebone said the consistent decline in the murder rate showed that the police had achieved some success. However, the improvement in the murder rate was not reflected in the perceptions of South Africans that crime levels have increased. House robberies, which are often violent and sometimes lead to people being killed, had the biggest effect on perceptions. Aggravated robbery have increased 43% since 1994-95.

Poll: Isolationism Soars Among Americans

Hat tip to reader Nanakwame for this one. Americans are showing a tendency toward isolationism in foreign affairs that has risen to the highest level in four decades. Almost half, 49 percent, told the Pew Research Center that the United States should "mind its own business" internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own. That's up from 30 percent who said that in December 2002.

Only 32 percent of the poll respondents favored increasing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while 40 percent favored decreasing them. And fewer than half, or 46 percent, of those polled said it was somewhat or very likely that Afghanistan would be able to withstand the radicals' threat. Forty-one percent of those surveyed said the United States plays a less important and powerful role as a world leader than it did a decade ago, up from 25 percent who said that just before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the report said.