From Amnesty International, Jan. 15: Iran: Death by stoning, a grotesque and unacceptable penalty As nine women and two men in Iran wait to be stoned to death, Amnesty International today called on the Iranian authorities to abolish death by… Read moreAmnesty International protests stoning in Iran
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Jan. 16 he believes NATO forces currently deployed in southern Afghanistan “don’t know how to do counterinsurgency operations.” Most of the NATO troops in the south are British, Canadian and Dutch, while those in… Read moreCanadian death toll hits 78 in Afghanistan
In a victory for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda after weeks of bitter partisan struggle, Japan’s Diet Jan. 11 approved legislation reauthorizing the naval refueling mission that the Self-Defense Forces launched in 2001 in support of US-led military operations in Afghanistan…. Read moreJapan returns to Afghan mission
Hamas has called for a general strike throughout the Palestinian territories Jan. 16 to mourn those killed in today’s Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip that left 19 dead and scores injured. At a press conference in Gaza City, Hamas… Read moreHamas calls for general strike to protest Gaza “massacre”
Basques march in Bilbao Dec. 29 to demand right to national sport team. Photo: Irish Basque Solidarity Committees Back to story.
Spanish Judge Santiago Pedraz has summoned Marian Beitialarrangoitia, mayor of the Basque town of Hernani, to give testimony Jan. 24 over her supposed support of “terrorism.” At issue are comments Beitialarrangoitia made at a political rally for the parliamentary list… Read moreFree speech crackdown in Basque country
Activists from the US-based groups CodePink and Juventud Bolivariana launched a “Most Wanted” campaign against Cuban-born former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) “asset” Luis Posada Carriles in Miami on Jan. 12, demanding that the US government designate him a terrorist… Read moreCode Pink protests Posada Carriles
Philip Agee, a US citizen and former agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), died in Havana, Cuba on Jan. 7 at age 72, according to US news reports. Louis Wolf, a friend and collaborator, said the cause of… Read morePhilip Agee, CIA defector, dead at 72
On Jan. 11 lawyers for three Puerto Ricans with subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury in New York that morning announced that the date had been postponed until sometime in February. Social worker Christopher Torres and filmmakers Tania… Read moreGrand jury testimony in Macheteros probe postponed
On the morning of Jan. 10 some 200 members of the farmers’ group El Barzón Popular took over the toll booths on the privately owned Mexico City-Toluca highway and allowed motorists to ride for free for about three hours. El… Read moreMexico: Barzonistas liberate highway
On Jan. 10 a group of about 20 rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released two hostages in the southeastern department of Guaviare in an arrangement worked out with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez Frias and Colombian ex-senator… Read moreColombia: two FARC hostages freed
Yemen has called on the US to free all detainees at the Guantánamo Bay prison camp, saying the move would generate global good-will towards Washington. “I hope that the United States releases all those held at Guantánamo, based on the… Read moreYemen to Washington: close Gitmo
