Palestine
Gaza truce announced; bombing continues
Israel launched new air-strikes across the Gaza Strip, even as Egypt’s foreign minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced a ceasefire to end eight days of violence.
Africa
Pressure on Rwanda over role in Congo war
Anti-Rwanda protests were held across the Democratic Republic of Congo after Rwanda-backed rebels took the eastern city of Goma. UN “peacekeepers” failed to defend the city.
Palestine
More West Bank clashes as Gaza assault goes on
Mourners clashed with Israeli troops at funerals in Hebron and Ramallah as Palestinians across the West Bank continue to protest the Israeli assault on Gaza.
Afghanistan
Afghan president claims US violating detainee pact
President Karzai said US forces are capturing and holding Afghans in violation of a detainee transfer pact and, that US forces should turn over that responsibility to Karzai’s forces.
The Caribbean
Haiti: students protest killing by police agent
Students paralyzed much of downtown Port-au-Prince with a week of protests after a police agent shot a student dead during a university function.
The Caribbean
Dominican austerity protests spread abroad
Dominicans continue to protest at home and abroad against a package of tax increases supposedly intended to fight a $4.7 billion fiscal deficit.
Southern Cone
Chile: Pascua Lama mine suspended over safety
Barrick Gold Corporation had to suspend some operations at its troubled Pascua Lama mine after inspectors found unsafe levels of fine particles in the air.
Mexico
Mexico: ‘labor reform’ passes; economists ‘upbeat’
The Mexican Senate passed a controversial “labor reform” after stripping out articles to promote union democracy; pro-business economists promise new growth for Mexico.
The descent of the Colombian army
A new and long-awaited report on civilian killings by the Colombian military from 2002 to 2010 argues convincingly that the spike of state violence during those years grew directly from the policies of “Democratic Security” that attempted to militarize all… Read moreThe descent of the Colombian army
Iraq
Iraq exports Islamist militants to Syria?
Arabic-language news services report that 15 accused al-Qaeda members who recently escaped from a prison in Tikrit, Iraq, are now leading insurgent groups in Syria.
Palestine
Gaza: Israel approaching ‘genocidal threshold’?
Ariel Sharon’s son in the Jerusalem Post calls for “flattening Gaza” and invokes Hiroshima, as Operation Pillar of Cloud continues. Over 100 Palestinians have been killed in the air-strikes.
North America
‘Occupy the Farm’ evicted in East Bay
A UC Berkeley research field in Albany that had been planted with winter greens by Occupy activists was ploughed under at the order of university authorities.