The Andes
Venezuela: two workers shot in plant sit-in
Two striking workers were shot dead during a confrontation with the authorities at the Mitsubishi auto factory in the eastern Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui.
The Andes
Colombia: FARC release four prisoners
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released three captured police agents and one soldier to a humanitarian mission in the jungles of the southern Colombian department of Caquetá.
Central America
SOA protesters get prison terms
Five activists were sentenced to two-month prison terms for trespassing on the US Army’s Fort Benning base on Nov. 23 as part of an annual protest against the School of the Americas.
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Europe
Far right tries to hijack British labor dispute
Strikes have broken out across the UK in support of a walkout by Lincolnshire energy workers angry at the use of foreign workers. But the xenophobic British National Party is attempting to exploit the issue.
Africa
Kenya: disaster reveals desperation
From the BBC News, Feb. 1: Scores killed in Kenya oil fire At least 111 people have died in Kenya after an overturned petrol tanker caught fire on a highway and exploded. Reports say the fire broke out after hundreds… Read moreKenya: disaster reveals desperation
Inner Asia
Jew driver
China is denying claims aired by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that up to a million Muslim Uighurs have been detained in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang region. But Beijing appears to be imposing harsh surveillance and restrictions on freedom of worship on Muslims throughout China, even requiring those making the pilgrimage to Mecca to be fitted with GPS tracking devices. Yet such methods almost always prove counter-productive, leading to resentment that only fuels the unrest that Chinese authorities are responding to. This week saw mass protests in Weizhou, Ningxia province, after authorities attempted to demolish a newly built mosque which they said had not received construction permits. After days of protest, authorities backed down and agreed to postpone the demolition. (Photo of protest at Weizhou Grand Mosque from Weibo via BBC News)
Africa
Obama brother busted for ganja in Nairobi
George Obama, half-brother of President Barack Obama, was arrested for possession of one joint in Nairobi on Friday. He is denying the charge against him. Kenya has some of the world’s harshest marijuana laws.
North America
Obama and Lincoln: our readers write
In the inevitable Lincoln-Obama analogy, it is largely forgotten that Lincoln was only pushed to emancipation by the Civil War. Will Obama similarly be radicalized in office by historical circumstance?
The Andes
Venezuela: gunmen ransack Caracas synagogue
A group of 15 gunmen took over the oldest synagogue in Caracas Friday night, ransacking the sanctuary, desecrating Torahs and spray-painting walls with anti-Semitic slogans.
Africa
Japan sends destroyers to Somali coast; Islamists taking over on mainland
Tokyo is preparing to dispatch destroyers to protect Japanese vessels from pirates off Somalia. Meanwhile, the Shabab militia is taking over positions evacuated by departed Ethiopian troops.
Europe
Swiss police clash with Davos protesters
Swiss police clashed with protesters against the World Economic Forum, firing tear gas and arresting 60 in Geneva after officers equipped with a water cannon blocked the planned route of the march.