Southern Cone

Chile: government meets students with repression

Chile’s militarized carabineros police used water cannons and tear gas to stop an unauthorized march by student strikers one day after talks between the government and the students broke off.

Iraq

Iraq’s last Jews forced to flee in WikiLeaks blowback?

Pulitzer-winning reporter Roy Gutman writes from Baghdad that an Anglican priest is working with the US embassy to convince the remaining nine Jews in Iraq to flee the country, because their names appeared in cables published by WikiLeaks.

Mexico

Mexico: Mata Zetas jack up Veracruz body count

Another 32 bodies were found in three houses in the Mexican port city of Veracruz, the latest in a series of attacks on presumed members of Los Zetas narco-network by a rival group calling itself the Mata Zetas, or Zeta Killers.

Southeast Asia

Indonesia: police fire on striking Papua mine workers

Police fired on striking workers at a mine run by US-based Freeport McMoran in Indonesia’s Papua region, leaving at least one dead. The workers, mostly indigenous Melanesians, are demanding that their wage of $1.50 an hour be raised to $12.50.

Oceania

Oil from stricken ship fouls New Zealand beach

Oil from a tanker ship stuck on a reef has started to wash up at New Zealand’s popular Mount Maunganui beach. In a race to avert disaster, salvage teams are pumping oil from the leaking ship, ahead of forecast gale-force winds and swells.

North Africa

Tunisia: Islamists clash with riot police

Riot police in Tunis used tear-gas to disperse hundreds of young Islamists who fought back with stones, knives and sticks. At least 40 were arrested. The Islamists were protesting against the ban on women who wear the niqab enrolling in university.

Greater Middle East

Egyptian blogger on prison hunger strike

Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad has been on hunger strike for 48 days to protest his imprisonment on charges of criticizing the armed forces. HIs appeal hearing has been repeatedly postponed in what Reports Without Borders calls a stalling tactic.

Greater Middle East

Egypt: 20 dead as mobs attack Coptic protesters

At least 20 are dead after a march of 10,000 Copts on Cairo’s state TV building was attacked by stone-throwing counter-protesters. The protesters were angered by the latest attack on the Coptic Church, at the village of Merinab in Aswan.

Afghanistan

Afghans hold anti-US rally to mark 10-year war anniversary

Hundreds of Afghans marched through Kabul on the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the US military campaign in their country, to condemn the United States forces as occupiers and demand the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops.

The Amazon

New oil deal for indigenous peoples in Peru, Bolivia?

Peru leased its first five oil contracts since passing a law designed to protect the country’s indigenous peoples, while Bolivia has unveiled an investment fund through which the Guaraní people will access proceeds from local oil development.