Southeast Asia
Malaysia: three women caned for adultery
In a move denounced by Amnesty International as “tantamount to torture,” Malaysian authorities have caned three Muslim women under Islamic law for acts of adultery.
Author: CounterVortex
The Andes
Bolivia: Evo Morales launches “decolonization of judiciary”
Bolivian President Evo Morales appointed 18 judges ahead of the country’s judicial elections, calling the move “the beginning of the decolonization of the judiciary.”
Watching the Shadows
White House mulls indefinite detention: Sen. Graham
The White House is considering a law to allow the indefinite detention of terrorist suspects to break a logjam with Congress over closure of Guantánamo, said Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Iraq
Iraq between two poles of terrorism
A suicide blast killed 11, including a young girl, in Ramadi, while provincial officials in Maysan charge US forces shot eight “innocent bystanders” in a “massacre” during a village raid.
South Asia
India: anti-Naxalite offensive escalates violence
Operation Green Hunt, a coordinated five-state police and paramilitary campaign against India’s Naxalite guerillas, has only led to new and bloodier attacks by the Maoists.
Europe
Bomb blast at JP Morgan amid Greek strikes
Amid strikes and protests against new austerity measures imposed by the Greek government, a bomb exploded at the Athens offices of JP Morgan, causing damage but no injuries.
North America
Vancouver: anarchist “ringleader” arrested in Olympic violence
Guillame Joseph-Marc Beaulieu, 27 of Vancouver, has been arrested as “ringleader” of the “Black Bloc” anarchists who rioted in the city in protests against the Winter Olympics.
Watching the Shadows
Federal judge dismisses Gitmo detainee wrongful death suit
A federal judge in Washington ruled that unlawful treatment and wrongful death claims brought on behalf of two Guantánamo detainees are barred by the Military Commissions Act.
Palestine
Who killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh?
A preliminary Hamas investigation suggests the assassination of the organization’s operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai was carried out by agents of an Arab government.
Afghanistan
Taliban deny capture of Mullah Baradar
An Afghan Taliban spokesman denied reports that the organization’s military commander Mullah Baradar had been arrested by US and Pakistani forces in a secret operation.
The Caribbean
Haiti: capital residents protest and organize
Heavy rains in Port-au-Prince drenched the estimated 1.1 million still sleeping outdoors after the devastating earthquake, prompting protests and neighborhood self-help initiatives.
Mexico
Mexico: unions threaten general strike
Mexican unions announced their intention to hold a general strike in 25 of the country’s 32 states if the government attempts to remove striking workers from the Cananea copper mine.