The Andes
Colombia: top court deals blow to open-pit project
Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled that "prior consultation" with local communities must be carried out before an open-pit gold mine project can move ahead.
Author: CounterVortex
The Andes
Colombia: FARC disarmament process begins
Under UN oversight, the FARC guerillas began the process of turning over their weapons at the 26 "transitional camps" established for the purpose around the country.
North America
Trump travel ban bars Syrian activist from Oscars
Syrian cinematographer Khaled Khatib was barred by Homeland Security from traveling to the US for the Oscars, where a documentary he worked on was awarded.
Syria
US bombs post-Nusra militants fighting Assad
A US drone strike killed a supposed al-Qaeda leader in Syria fighting in an ex-Nusra Front cell that had just carried out a deadly suicide attack on a regime intelligence complex.
The Andes
Ecuador: indigenous split on presidential race
Ecuador's once-powerful but increasingly fractured indigenous movement is divided on which candidate to support as the presidential race heads to a second round.
The Andes
Colombia: courts uphold local power over mining
Colombia's Constitutional Court upheld the power of municipalities to block mining operations on their lands, clearing the way for local referenda throughout the country.
The Andes
FARC ‘demobilization’ —despite para terror
The FARC completed its "demobilization" to transition camps under protest, charging that the Colombian government is failing to restrain right-wing paramilitary groups.
Iraq
Multiple forces hit ISIS on all fronts
US, Iraqi, Kurdish, Turkish and Syrian rebel forces are closing the ring around ISIS—but in an uneasy alliance, with little plan for the future of seized territories.
North America
Amnesty blasts global ‘politics of demonization’
Politicians wielding a dehumanizing rhetoric are creating a more divided and dangerous world, warns Amnesty International in its new annual report.
Iran: call for solidarity with Ahawzi eco-intifada
Overlooked by the world media, members of Iran's Ahwazi Arab minority have repeatedly filled the streets of cities and towns in Khuzestan province. The protest wave has focused on air and water pollution caused by the oil industry, and the lack of basic… Read moreIran: call for solidarity with Ahawzi eco-intifada
Iran
Iran: call for solidarity with Ahwazi eco-intifada
Overlooked by the world media, Ahwazi Arabs filled the streets of Iran's southern oil heartland to protest air and water pollution, and the lack of basic services.
South Asia
Pakistan: deadly ISIS attack on Sufi shrine
An ISIS suicide attack on a Sufi shrine killed at least 75 worshippers and wounded dozens more—the deadliest in a string of blasts across Pakistan this week.