Palestine

Gaza: new air-strikes as power cuts loom

A 69-year-old Palestinian man was killed in an attack by the Israeli Air Force on tunnels and a weapons depot in Gaza—as managers of the Strip’s only power plant warned of impending blackouts if more fuel is not delivered.

The Andes

Peru: last “historic” Shining Path leader captured

Peru’s President Ollanta Humala flew into a remote jungle military base in the Upper Huallaga Valley to announce the capture of “Comrade Artemio,” the last Shining Path commander dating back to the high noon of the insurgency 20 years ago.

The Andes

Peru: march for water rights arrives in Lima

A procession of some 1,000 entered Lima after a nine-day cross-country march, holding a massive rally in Plaza San Martín to oppose the Conga mining project in Cajamarca region, and like projects across Peru’s sierras.

Africa

Nigeria: Chevron oil spill fouls coastal communities

Chevron and coastal communities in Nigeria’s Bayelsa state are odds on whether oil from a spill at the offshore KS Endeavor platform has affected local communities, but state authorities say they are rushing in emergency aid.

Africa

Amnesty: Chinese, Russian arms sales fuel Darfur violence

Arms sales from China and Russia are fueling human rights violations in Darfur, Amnesty International said. While the war has disappeared from headlines, some 70,000 were displaced from Darfur in 2011, in a renewed wave of ethnically targeted attacks.

Europe

General strike in Greece as austerity package advances

The Greek cabinet approved new austerity measures demanded by the EU and IMF, as unions began a two-day general strike. This second bailout would cut €3.3 billion from state spending, lower the minimum wage by more than 20%, and lay off thousands of workers.

Inner Asia

Tibetan self-immolations top 20 as repression escalates

Two Tibetan protesters were killed in Sichuan province, and protests were also reported from Qinghai. The new violence comes as the number of Tibetans who have set themselves on fire in acts of protest since the wave began in February 2009 reached 22.