Colombia’s military committed “crimes against humanity” when it shot three people in the back and killed a man with a blow to the head during the March 1 raid on a guerilla camp in Ecuador, Quito’s Interior Minister Fernando Bustamante… Read moreEcuador accuses Colombia of extrajudicial executions
Colombia has for the first time extradited an imprisoned paramilitary leader to the US to face drug-trafficking charges. Bogotá agreed to the extradition of Carlos Jiménez Naranjo AKA Macaco because he was found to be continuing to run his criminal… Read moreColombia extradites paramilitary leader
Brazilian federal police May 5 occupied the indigenous reserve of Raposa/Serra do Sol, in the Amazonian state of Roraima, after 10 indigenous people were shot in an attack a day earlier. Three of the wounded were in serious condition and… Read moreBrazilian police occupy Amazon indigenous reserve
A Brazilian court sentenced the accused killer of American missionary Sister Dorothy Stang, to 28 years yesterday—but acquitted rancher Vitalmiro Moura, known as “Bida,” who was accused of having ordered the killing. Rayfran das Neves Sales confessed to the 2005… Read moreAccused mastermind acquitted in murder of Amazon defender
Protesters blocked New York’s Queensboro, Triborough, Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and the Holland and Queens-Midtown tunnels May 7 to express outrage at the acquittal of three police detectives in the fatal 50-bullet shooting of unarmed Sean Bell at his his… Read moreSean Bell protesters block Manhattan arteries
Federal agents raided a Phoenix gun store May 6 in the biggest weapons bust in years. Authorities said the store was a source for at least 650 high-powered weapons, including 250 AK-47 automatic weapons, smuggled to Mexican drug cartels. The… Read moreArizona gun bust linked to Mexican cartels
In El Paso County, TX, commissioners voted 3-to-1 May 5 for a resolution demanding a halt to construction of the border wall, asserting it would interfere with the region’s long-established way of life. Thousands cross the border daily between El… Read moreEl Paso passes resolution against border wall
A fence designed to separate the Roma from the majority community in Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic, has received approval from the local planning office. The remaining obstacle seems to be who will pay for the construction. People from the housing… Read moreAnti-Roma separation wall moves ahead in Czech Republic
Some 300 Tibetan protesters, including many Buddhist monks and nuns, tried to storm the Chinese Embassy in Nepal May 8, kicking the metal gates and throwing banners inside the fortified compound before police pushed them back. More than 200 were… Read more200 Tibetan protesters arrested in Nepal
Nepal’s Maoist leader, known as Prachanda—whose party won the most seats in last month’s Constituent Assembly elections on an anti-monarchist platform—says he has received indications from the royal palace that King Gyanendra is willing to meet him to discuss the… Read moreNepal: Maoists to meet with king?
Brendan J. Cassar, chief of UNESCO’s cultural program in Afghanistan, has—for the moment—backed denials by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) denial that their soldiers damaged remains of the Bamiyan Buddha statues (destroyed by the Taliban seven years ago) by… Read moreAfghanistan: ISAF troops destroy Buddhist artifacts?
In the face of growing violence, NATO is considering ending its rotating command for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. NATO commander Gen. Bantz Craddock of the US said “it would be better if we had one country… Read moreUS to take control of NATO Afghan force?
