CounterVortex

bilbao

The UN Human Rights Council released the Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, finding potential crimes against humanity committed by Israel. The report focuses on the seven-month period last year when the Gaza protest campaign known as the "Great March of Return and the Breaking of the Siege" was taking place. During this period, 6,106 unarmed protesters were shot by military snipers, resulting in 189 Palestinian deaths. (Photo: Ma'an News Agency)

Europe

Basque squatters mobilize to defend Bilbao community center

International solidarity actions will be held Saturday with a protest at Bilbao’s city hall to stop the imminent eviction and demolition of the Kukutza III Gaztetxea community center to make way for a housing development.

Palestine

UNESCO: East Jerusalem part of occupied Palestinian territories

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization released a statement confirming the occupied status of East Jerusalem, which is on UNESCO’s “World Heritage in Danger” list, of threatened sites of global significance.

Afghanistan

Suicide blast hits Kandahar mosque during mourning ceremony for Ahmed Wali Karzai

A suicide bomber struck Kandahar’s historic Red Mosque during a mourning ceremony for Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s slain half-brother, regional strongman Ahmed Wali Karzai, killing the province’s leading cleric.

Africa

Pirate attacks getting bigger, bolder: International Maritime Bureau

A new report by the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre finds that piracy on the world’s high seas has surged this year, and calls for concerted action by international naval forces.

Afghanistan

Has Pakistan really shut US drone base?

Pakistan publicly called a halt to US drone flights from Shamsi airbase near Quetta—yet drone strikes in Pakistan’s border regions have continued, presumably from other bases in Pakistan, or from the CIA base in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

North Africa

Libya: oil conspiracies behind bombardment; Berber rebels don’t care

The NATO powers hope a compliant post-Qaddafi regime in Libya will counter-balance the OPEC price hawks. This doubtless means little at the moment to Libya’s Berbers, who have won cultural freedom in their rebel zone, and face a massacre if Qaddafi prevails.

Greater Middle East

Egypt purges security forces as new Tahrir Square occupation gains momentum

Egypt’s ruling military council announced a purge of police officers accused of killing protesters in the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February, as Cairo’s Tahrir Square is again occupied by thousands of protesters.

Iraq

Iraq drafts harsh anti-protest law as Baghdad gets Tahrir Square movement

Rights groups protested a draft law in Iraq to ban demonstrations seen to violate the “public interest.” The law comes as opposition groups have launched a campaign of Friday protests in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Maliki.

South Asia