The Andes
Peru: endgame in Cajamarca struggle?
Even establishment voices in Peru are calling for a suspension of the Conga mining project, as Cajamarca region remains under a state of emergency for another month.
The Amazon
Brazilian appeals court suspends Belo Monte dam
A Brazilian court suspended construction of the controversial Belo Monte dam project on the Amazon’s Xingu River, finding that indigenous people had not been properly consulted.
Greater Middle East
UN: Syria government has committed war crimes
Syrian forces and their supporting Shabbiha fighters have committed “war crimes and gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,” a UN report finds.
Greater Middle East
Egypt: court sentences 14 Islamists to death
A court in Egypt sentenced 14 Islamists members of the jihadist organization al-Tawhid wal-Jihad to death for their roles in a series of attacks in northern Sinai.
East Asia
China and Japan can’t stop fighting World War II
The 67th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender saw a confrontation with Chinese activists over the contested Senkaku Islands in the oil-rich East China Sea.
Europe
New Franco-Intifada: plus ça change…
The new Socialist president of France, François Hollande, is emulating his reactionary predecessor Sarkozy in his response to a new uprising by immigrant youth.
North Africa
General strike shuts birthplace of Tunisian uprising
A general strike shut down Tunisia’s Sidi Bouzid region—birthplace of last year’s uprising—to demand the release of detainees and the resignation of the governor.
North Africa
Mali: intervention, power-sharing —or ‘national liberation’?
As West African powers mull whether to invade Mali’s Islamist-held north or work out a power-sharing deal, young Malians are forming ad hoc militias to “liberate the north.”
Africa
Somali pirate negotiator gets 12 life sentences
A US court in Virginia sentenced convicted Somali pirate negotiator Mohammad Shibin to a dozen life sentences for piracy, hostage taking, kidnapping, conspiracy, and other charges.
Mexico
Did Romney donor’s casino launder drug money?
The US is investigating possible money laundering through a Las Vegas casino company owned by US billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a major donor to the Republican Party.
The Caribbean
Dominican Republic: residents protest new Barrick Gold mine
Local residents protested against the Barrick Gold Corporation’s giant Pueblo Viejo gold mine, which they said is contaminating water and affecting their health and their crops.
Southern Cone
Chile: students occupy schools to demand reform
Students occupied public high schools in Santiago in the latest protest against the privatization of Chile’s educational system that started under the Pinochet dictatorship.