East Asia
China: did new Foxconn strike happen?
Reports of new wildcat strikes involving 4,000 workers at a Foxconn plant in Henan province are denied by the company—and harsh control of information bars corroboration.
Author: Bill Weinberg
New York City
NYC: Astoria repudiates ‘Golden Dawn’ fascists
When the Greek neo-fascist organization Golden Dawn tried to open a chapter in New York City’s Greek neighborhood of Astoria, they were quickly met with vocal repudiation.
Greater Middle East
Al-Qaeda faces Syrian revolution with ‘crossroads’
A blogger in Aleppo notes the growing presence of al-Qaeda militants in the insurgent forces, and writes that the Free Syrian Army must purge them or forfeit support from abroad.
The Andes
Third-party candidates marginalized …in Venezuela
In Venezuela as in the US, third-party candidates were roundly ignored by the media—including a veteran labor leader who challenged Hugo Chávez from the left.
Afghanistan
US military death toll in Afghanistan hits 2,000
A checkpoint shooting in eastern Afghanistan’s Wardak province brought the US military’s death toll in the war past 2,000. About as many Afghan civilians are killed each year.
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East Asia
Japan, Taiwan ships clash with water cannon
Japanese and Taiwanese patrol ships blasted each other with water cannon as a fishing fleet from Taiwan mobilized a protest flotilla to the contested East China Sea islands.
Greater Middle East
Jihad against the phantom menace hits Sinai
The jihad against a non-existent “film” produced by non-existent “Jews” continues to claim lives, with the latest attack launched by militants in Egypt’s Sinai on Israeli border troops.
New York City
WHY WE FIGHT
An 80-year-old man is dead after being struck by a car that spiraled onto the sidewalk on Park Ave. Police say “no criminality is suspected,” apparently without irony.
Oceania
US, New Zealand restore military cooperation
Leon Panetta in Auckland announced that US naval cooperation with New Zealand will be resumed—cut off in 1985, when the Pacific nation declared itself a nuclear-free zone.
East Asia
Pacific FTAs advance amid Sino-Japanese tensions
China and Japan are moving ahead with new Free Trade Agreements such as the ASEAN+6 pact and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, even amid escalated military tensions.
New York City
Occupy Wall Street: one year later
The one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street may herald a revival of the movement—but continued hedging on an anti-capitalist analysis bottlenecks its potential.