North Africa
General strike rocks Tunisia
Thousands massed in Tunis for the funeral of slain opposition leader Chokri Belaid, with the city shut down in a general strike called by the main union federation, the UGTT.
North Africa
ICC orders Libya to extradite Qaddafi spy chief
The International Criminal Court ordered Libyan officials to hand over Abdullah Senussi, former intelligence chief for Moammar Qaddafi, and allow him to meet with his lawyer.
Palestine
Israel can ‘improve’ war crime probes: report
A committee investigating Israel’s 2010 Gaza flotilla raid found that the IDF’s own war crimes investigations meet international standards, but that there is still room for “improvement.”
The Amazon
Brazil: Amazon peoples declare against hydro
The Munduruku indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon charge that the government is militarizing their lands to quell opposition to mega-scale hydroelectric projects.
The Amazon
Guyana: miners win ruling over indigenous groups
A judge in Guyana's high court ruled that indigenous groups do not have the right to expel legally titled miners from their traditional lands, sparking protests.
The Andes
Bolivia: indigenous demand autonomy from state
Bolivia’s Aymara indigenous alliance CONAMAQ is charging that the ruling Movement to Socialism is seeking to divide their organization, warning of a potential for violence.
The Andes
Peru: miners block Pan-American Highway
Informal miners in Peru’s Arequipa region declared an open-ended civil strike, blocking the Pan-American Highway at various points before being cleared by the National Police.
The Andes
Peru: villages to hold referendum on Conga project
Villages in the area to be impacted by the Conga gold mine in Peru’s Cajamarca region announced that they will hold a referendum on the project—in defiance of Lima.
The Andes
Peru: Uchuraccay massacre recalled
Peru’s Press Association recalled the 1983 massacre of eight journalists at the Andean village of Uchuraccay, where they themselves were investigating reports of massacres.
Central America
Costa Rica upholds ban on open-pit mining
Costa Rica’s Constitutional Tribunal unanimously rejected a case brought by the country’s Mining and Industry Association challenging the 2010 ban on open-pit mining.
Watching the Shadows
Press was prone on drones, but cover blown
The media are abuzz with reports that the CIA has a secret drone base in Saudi Arabia—but the New York Times and Washington Post admit they sat on the information for two years.
North Africa
Tunisians protest Islamist counter-revolution
Tunisia’s Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali announced that he will dissolve the Islamist-led administration and form a new “technocrat government” as protests rock the country.