Syria
Russia signs pact for long-term Syria bases
Russia signed a long-term pact to greatly enlarge its military presence in Syria, more than doubling the space for warships at Tartus, Russia’s only Mediterranean port.
Author: CounterVortex
North Africa
Libya: Obama’s parting air-strikes
US B-2 Stealth bombers and drones carried out a raid against presumed ISIS camps in the Libyan desert—part of a final spate of air-strikes ordered by President Obama.
Iraq
Iraq: mass exodus from embattled Mosul
Three thousand displaced persons are fleeing the embattled city of Mosul on a daily basis as US-backed Iraqi and Kurdish forces advance on the ISIS stronghold.
Mexico: Tarahumara forest defender assassinated
Isidro Baldenegro López (left), a Tarahumara indigenous activist in Mexico's Chihuahua state who fought for the preservation of forest lands, was assassinated last week, in an attack on the home of a family member in the pueblo of Coloradas de… Read moreMexico: Tarahumara forest defender assassinated
Mexico
Mexico: Tarahumara forest defender assassinated
Isidro Baldenegro, a Tarahumara indigenous activist in Mexico's Chihuahua state who fought for the preservation of forest lands, was assassinated by unknown gunmen.
The Caribbean
Clemency for Oscar López Rivera
Oscar López Rivera, the longest-held Puerto Rican political prisoner in the US, was among 209 federal inmates granted clemency by outgoing President Barack Obama. (Photo via PM Press)
The Amazon
Brazil: 60 dead in narco-fueled prison massacre
A New Year's Day prison riot in Brazil's Amazon riverport city of Manaus left up to 60 dead—with many of the bodies decapitated, mutilated and burned.
North America
Human Rights Watch: Trump portends ‘tyranny’
In its yearly report, Human Rights Watch warns that the rise of populist leaders "poses a dangerous threat to basic rights"—particularly naming Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
North Africa
Russia’s next intervention: Libya?
Khalifa Haftar, the warlord who controls eastern Libya, was feted on board the Russian aircraft carrier that just left Syrian waters, sparking fear of Moscow's regional designs.
Southern Cone
Argentina: Mapuche land struggle terrorist-baited
Authorities in Argentina's Chubut province accused Mapuche indigenous activists of being "terrorists" after a clash with police at a protest encampment on usurped lands.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: life term for Kurdish opposition leader?
Turkish prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Figen Yüksekdağ, co-chair of the Kurdish-led Peoples’ Democratic Party, on charges of “terrorism” for her alleged ties to PKK.
The Amazon
Bolivia plans Amazon ‘mega-dams’ amid opposition
Indigenous communities in the Bolivian Amazon are joining with ecologists to oppose a "mega-dam" complex the government has announced for the Río Beni.