Southeast Asia
Burma frees 452 (political?) prisoners
Burma freed 452 prisoners ahead of Obama’s visit, but the National League for Democracy denounced the move as empty, saying that no political prisoners were included.
Palestine
Egypt holds four-way talks on Gaza violence
Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi announced that emergency talks are progressing toward a ceasefire in the recent escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel.
Palestine
Anger sweeps West Bank, Jewish dissident censored
As protests over the Gaza assault rocked the West Bank, Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism, was barred from speaking at a Jewish book festival in Atlanta.
Afghanistan
Treasury Department sanctions Taliban ‘kingpin’
The US Treasury Department sanctioned a senior Taliban official for his alleged role in the Afghan opium trade, saying the traffic is used to finance violence.
Afghanistan
US in Afghanistan beyond 2014: Gen. Dunford
The next commander of US forces in Afghanistan is prepared to testify that he wants to see a significant US military presence in Afghanistan after the end of 2014.
Planet Watch
Record $4.5 billion settlement with BP in Gulf spill
British Petroleum agreed to pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to felony misconduct for its role in the devastation caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
East Asia
China: changing of the guard —amid same old repression
Xi Jinping was chosen as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party amid stepped-up repression and a wave of labor unrest in the Fujian and Zhejiang industrial zones.
Africa
Kenya: cattle rustlers bring war to Rift Valley
Hundreds of villagers fled as Kenya mobilized military forces to hunt for cattle rusters after bandits killed over 30 local police officers in Samburu district, Rift Valley province.
Europe
Joint strike actions across Europe
A “European Day of Action and Solidarity against Austerity” marked the first time strike action was held simultaneously across four countries: Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal.
Palestine
Israel launches new assault on Gaza
Israel’s armed forces launched multiple air-strikes across the Gaza Strip, after killing Ahmad al-Jaabari, the head of Hamas’ military wing the Qassam Brigades.
Greater Middle East
Riots rock Jordan, protests shake Kuwait
Riots over rising prices exploded across Jordan, while the oposition held a mass rally in Kuwait to oppose an electoral law aimed at extending the power of the royal family.
North Africa
Libya: undocumented foreign nationals face abuse
Undocumented foreign nationals in Libya are at risk of exploitation, arbitrary and indefinite detention, and even torture, Amnesty International reports.