Afghanistan
Pakistan: Sufi leads anti-corruption protests
Thousands of Pakistanis chanitng “we want change” filled the streets of Islamabad in a massive anti-corruption protest led by Sufi cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.
Author: CounterVortex
Afghanistan
Pakistan: Shi’ites stage die-in —for real
Shi'ites in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province, spent three nights in the freezing cold with the bodies of their slain loved ones at one of the city's main intersections.
Mexico
Peace of the graveyard in Ciudad Juárez?
Violent deaths in Ciudad Juárez dropped to 800 last year, down from a peak of 3,622 in 2010—likely because the Sinaloa Cartel has finally crushed local rival, the Juárez Cartel.
The Amazon
Bolivia: deforestation decree protested
A new law promulgated by Bolivia’s President Evo Morales forgives past illegal deforestation in the name of boosting food production—drawing criticism from ecologists.
Planet Watch
Chief Spence maintains hunger strike —despite Ottawa meetings
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov-Gen. David Johnston met with First Nations chiefs in Ottawa, but Chief Theresa Spence announced that she will maintain her hunger strike.
North Africa
French air-strikes open Mali intervention
France carried out air-strikes against Islamist rebels in Mali, helping government forces halt a drive southward by the militants who control the country’s desert north.
Palestine
Palestinian activists occupy E1 Corridor
Palestinian activists have established a protest encampment in the E1 Corridor, where Israel plans to build new settlements linking Jerusalem with the Ma’ale Adumim settlement bloc.
The Andes
Bolivia wins coca-chewing victory at UN
Bolivia was re-admitted to the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs —with a special dispensation recognizing traditional use of coca leaf as legal within its borders.
Greater Middle East
‘Dark forces’ in assassination of Kurdish leaders
Kurdish activists charge that “dark forces” bent on sabotaging Turkey’s peace talks with the PKK were behind the armed attack that left three leaders dead in Paris.
North Africa
Tunisia frees Benghazi attack suspect
A Tunisian court unconditionally released Ali Harzi, the only suspect held in custody over the deadly attack on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi.
Planet Watch
Canada: First Nations challenge Bill C-45 in courts
As protests continue across Canada, two First Nations in Alberta have launched lawsuits challenging the new laws that loosen federal environmental protections.
South Asia
India: institutionalized rape targets ‘untouchables’
The deadly gang-rape in Delhi has sparked outrage across India—but it remains to be seen if protests will address the institutionalized use of rape to enforce the caste system.