Tens of thousands of Syrians returned to the streets in towns and cities across the country for the first Friday protests of Ramadan, declaring their support for residents of Hama, where some 200 have been killed in a military crackdown over the past week.
Outside the media spotlight, youth in Belarus continue “social network” protests, including a series of silent demonstrations throughout the country—despite attacks by plainclothes police and the arrest of leaders.
Militant West Bank settlers have joined the Tel Aviv tent town protest, pitching a line that aggressive settlement of the Occupied Territory is the solution to the crisis. Will the protest movement take the bait?
A Guatemalan court convicted and sentenced four former soldiers to 6,060 years in prison each on war crimes charges related to the 1982 Dos Erres massacre, in which 250 unarmed peasants were killed by the military.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is under fire for recent brutal raids against immigrant families from California to Virginia. Obama has called off the ICE workplace raids, but continued so-called “anti-gang” sweeps.
Twelve Israeli settlers accused of setting fire to Palestinian mosques, property and vehicles have been slapped with restraining orders limiting their movement in the West Bank, the military announced on the recommendation of Shin Bet.
Saif Qaddafi, the dictator’s son, announced an alliance with Libya’s Islamists to defeat the rebels—after the regime had for months portrayed the rebels as Islamist extremists. Hugo Chávez hailed Qaddafi in a speech: “Live and be victorious. We’re with you.”
US forces are accused of slaying a tribal sheikh and several other civilians near Tikrit—just as the Baghdad regime announced negotiations to keep US forces in Iraq past the Dec. 31 deadline established by the Status of Forces Agreement.
US drones struck for the first time in 19 days in Pakistan’s tribal agencies, killing four “militants” in an attack on a compound in South Waziristan. That same day, US drones killed 15 presumed al-Qaeda militants in south Yemen.
Bolivia and South Korea have agreed to a joint venture to exploit the lithium battery business sector, the state-run Korea Resources Corp (KORES) announced July 31. KORES has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bolivia’s state-owned mining corporation COMIBOL to… Read moreBolivia enters lithium deal with South Korea
Francisco Contreras, Peru’s recently retired chief of staff warns that Iran’s growing ties with Bolivia mask support for terrorist groups in South America. Bolivian police meanwhile announced the cracking of a Sendero Luminoso cell from Peru.
The newly negotiated free trade agreement between Colombia and Mexico formally went into effect, with the two nations also pledging stepped up cooperation on military and security matters.
