Honduran teacher Ilse Ivana Velásquez Rodríguez died in a Tegucigalpa hospital from injuries she received when riot police attacked a demonstration of thousands of teachers.
Observers said Haiti’s March 20 presidential and legislative runoff elections were relatively calm—at least in comparison to the chaotic first round on Nov. 28.
The US ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, has resigned following embarrassing revelations about US-Mexican relations, starting with WikiLeaks’ publication of diplomatic cables from the US embassy.
As air-strikes continue on Libya, Tripoli accused both Allied forces and the rebels of breaking a ceasefire—but rebel sources said Qaddafi’s troops continued to attack their western enclave of Misurata, with atrocities against residents.
Israeli warplanes launched air-strikes on targets across the Gaza Strip, injuring at least 17 people including seven children—hours after Hamas pledged to commit to a truce if Israel stops bombarding the Strip.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalif announced that “a foreign plot” against the small Gulf state has been foiled, while opposition leaders charged that Washington had given the regime a “green light” for repression.
Hamas’ armed wing announced that it would commit to a truce if Israel stops bombarding the Gaza Strip. However, the al-Qassam Brigades vowed to retaliate if Israel continues to attack the besieged enclave.
Tanks were deployed in the Yemeni capital, surrounding the presidential palace and defense ministry, as top generals and tribal leaders pledged allegiance to the “revolution” against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Tripoli announced a new ceasefire in the face of Western air-strikes—but government attacks on rebel-held Misurata continued. The regime claimed civilian casualties from the strikes, while rebels accused the regime of atrocities.
Yemen declared a state of emergency as Syrian security forces again fired on demonstrators, killing at least one. Thousands meanwhile marched for democratic reform in Casablanca, Rabat and other cities across Morocco.
The Arab League protested the “shelling of civilians” by Allied forces in Libya as International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo warned Tripoli officials of war crimes prosecution.
Disgraced NPR exec Ron Schiller merely stated the obvious by calling the Tea Party movement racist—but then went on to engage in a racist trope himself with his canard that the media is “owned” by the Jews.
