Iraq
Turkish special forces intervene in Iraq
The Turkish military carried out a ground operation against PKK guerillas in northern Iraq, followed by airstrikes in the Kandil Mountains along the border.
Palestine
Chomsky sloppy on Gaza —and timid on Palestine’s future
Noam Chomsky, writing on his visit to the Gaza Strip, gets numerous facts wrong. But worse is his acceptance of the "two-state solution," a betrayal of secular-democratic principles.
Iraq
Court dismisses torture suit against Rumsfeld
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that two US citizens cannot sue former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld for alleged torture by US soldiers in Iraq.
Watching the Shadows
Haiti: Hidden costs of the industrial zone
Workers’ rally outside the Port-au-Prince industrial park, Oct. 8. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill Clinton, US special envoy to Haiti, were both on hand for the opening of the new Caracol Industrial Park, a 617-acre tax-exempt… Read moreHaiti: Hidden costs of the industrial zone
North America
Montana voters: corporations are not people
In a landslide victory, Montana voters approved an initiative stating “that corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human beings.”
North America
Obama’s re-election: more historic than 2008?
Obama was re-elected with a shrinking minority of the white vote compared to 2008. This bodes poorly for the GOP's future, and also explains its radicalization.
Watching the Shadows
ACLU urges Obama to close Gitmo in second term
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called on US President Barack Obama early on the morning after his re-election to shut down the Guantánamo Bay military prison.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: 700 Kurdish prisoners on hunger strike
Thousands held demonstrations in Ankara, Istanbul and Diyarbakir to show solidarity with Kurdish political prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Turkey.
Palestine
Turkish court opens trial against Israeli commanders
A Turkish court opened a trial in absentia for Israeli military commanders accused of killing nine Turkish citizens aboard a ship attempting to pass through the Gaza blockade in 2010.
The Caribbean
Caribbean: will Sandy force real discussion of climate change?
The relation of climate change to extreme weather remains controversial in the US, but it seems to be widely accepted by government officials in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean
Cuba: Sandy latest in decade of devastating storms
Economic damage from Sandy was extensive, with banana, coffee, bean and sugar crops ruined in the eastern region; 11 were killed, and thousands of homes destroyed.
The Caribbean
Jamaica: Sandy won’t affect IMF austerity plan
Hurricane Sandy hit eastern Jamaica directly, causing severe damage to crops and public infrastructure, but the IMF won’t give up its insistence on austerity measures.