World Watch: Tensions in Libya

* Middle East: According to the Libyan media “multiple arrests” were made in relation to the recent deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

* World: According to UNICEF child mortality rates have sharply declined over the past decade reportedly “amid gains in health care, education, development programs and economic progress”.

* Russia: Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suggested the early release of three members of the Pussy Riot collective controversially sentenced to two years in prison for ''hooliganism motivated by religious hatred''.

* Afghanistan: Residents in Karachi paid their respects to over 260 employees of a garment factory who died as a result of a massive fire on Tuesday.

Video Source– YouTube via Associated Press (“The U.S. Is deploying two warships to the Libyan Coast, following the attack on a U.S. consulate that killed the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three others.”)

Online Sources – Voice of America, CNN, Sydney Morning Herald, BBC News

World Watch: Srebrenica

* Bosnia: Over five hundred victims of the infamous 1995 Srebrenica massacre were buried though “bodies of the victims are still being found in mass graves throughout eastern Bosnia.”

* Afghanistan: Demonstrations took place in Kabul condemning the public execution of a woman accused of adultery last month.

* Spain: Thousands of coal miners from around Spain gathered in Madrid to protest against austerity measures that are part of a “soft bailout” from the E.U.

* Space: The Hubble Space Telescope discovered a fifth moon orbiting around the dwarf planet Pluto.

Video Source– YouTube via Journeyman Films

Online Sources – USA TODAY, ABC News, Reuters, BBC News

Weekend World Watch: The Long Road Ahead in Yemen

* Yemen: At least twenty-six people were killed in a car bombing that occurred hours after Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was sworn in as the country’s new president.

* Italy: Judges dismissed the bribery case against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi though he continues to face charges of corruption and sex with an underage prostitute.

* Pakistan: Authorities began demolishing the residence where U.S. special forces killed ex-Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden last year.

* Afghanistan: NATO withdrew its personnel working in Afghan ministries in Kabul after two U.S. officers were killed amid heavy protests.

Video Source– YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources – USA TODAY, Reuters, BBC News, Bloomberg

World Watch: Criminal Minds

* Syria: President Bashar al-Assad and other members of his regime may be responsible for “widespread human rights violations” and possible crimes against humanity according to a U.N. report issued on Thursday.

* World: German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked for forgiveness for the state’s role in botching up the investigation into a “neo-Nazi killing spree”, while U.S. President Barack Obama apologized for the burning of copies of the Koran at a military base in Afghanistan.

* India: The government has come under fire for opposing and then backing a Supreme Court ruling that decriminalizes gay sex.

* Somalia: Representatives from over fifty countries are meeting in London in order to discuss the security and future of Somalia.

Video Source– YouTube via Associated Press (“Amateur footage purportedly showing more shelling in the Baba Amr area of Homs, Syria was posted on the internet by activists on Thursday.”)

Online Sources – Voice of America, IOL, BusinessWeek, BBC News, The Guardian

World Watch: The Not-So-Beautiful Game

* Egypt: Clashes have taken place between Cairo police and mourners angry at military authorities in the aftermath of a deadly soccer riot on Wednesday in Port Said.

* Space: International astronomers concluded that a new planet located about twenty-two light years from Earth might be able to support life.

* Europe: At least one hundred people are dead as a result of cold spell that has hit several European countries.

* Afghanistan: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta indicated that troops could withdraw early from Afghanistan in 2013 though it remains to be seen if NATO forces will do the same.

Video Source– YouTube via Al Jazeera English (” Egypt has declared three days of mourning for the more than 70 people who died at a football stadium amid violent clashes between rival supporters in the northern city of Port Said.”)

Online Sources – The Guardian, National geographic, TVNZ, USA TODAY

World Watch: Etta and Johnny

* U.S.: The world of music is in mourning after the deaths this week of critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Etta James and “godfather of rhythm and blues” Johnny Otis.

* Italy: While the captain of the capsized Costa Concordia continues to face intense scrutiny over his role in the accident, the ship’s owners may soon face a class-action lawsuit in the U.S.

* Nigeria: At least seven people are dead in the northern city of Kano reportedly due to sectarian attacks.

* Afghanistan: France halted its military operations in Afghanistan and threatened to pull out its troops after four French soldiers were killed in combat on Friday.

Video Source– YouTube via rovingeye2

Online Sources – CNN, The Telegraph, BBC News, Voice of America, The Guardian

World Watch: #2011

* World: #egypt, #japan, and #superbowl were some of the top Twitter hashtags of 2011 according to data from the social networking service.

* Afghanistan: At least fifty-nine people were killed by two bomb attacks aimed at Shi'ite Muslim followers.

* Russia: Moscow police arrested hundreds of protesters denouncing possible fraud by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his ruling United Russia party in recent parliamentary elections.

* Democratic Republic of the Congo: Officials announced that “technical difficulties” would delay the results of the country’s tense-filled presidential elections.

Image Source – Flickr via shawncampbell (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources – CBS News, PC Magazine, Voice of America, BBC News

World Watch: Barely breathing

* Greece: Prime Minister George Papandreou barely won a confidence vote though he may have to soon step down due to the county’s economic crisis.

* Afghanistan: U.S Army Major General Peter Fuller was fired from his role in a military training program after he allegedly made “inappropriate” comments against the Afghani government.

* U.S.: Federal authorities are investigating a Texas family law judge who was secretly videotaped abusing his then-teenage daughter in 2004.

* Liberia: Opposition candidate Winston Tubman said that he would not participate in next week’s presidential runoff.

Image Source – Via Flickr user Πρωθυπουργός της Ελλάδας (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Online Sources- USA TODAY, Bloomberg, MSNBC, BBC News

World Watch: Beyond Gadhafi

Note: The major news headline of today was the death of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi. There have been other important pieces of news from around the world, however, which we will highlight in today’s “World Watch”.

* Spain: Representatives of militant Basque separatist group ETA claimed that they will halt their decades-long armed campaign.

* Afghanistan: At least 115 suspected insurgents were reportedly killed over the past week by NATO and Afghan forces.

* Philippines: Colleagues of the late Father Fausto Tentorio have accused the army of killing the “great advocate for disadvantaged people.”

* Denmark: A study by Danish researchers has raised doubts over the rumored links between cell phone use and brain cancer.

Video Source – YouTube user europapress

Online Sources- Reuters, MSNBC, Al Jazeera English, ABC News

World Watch: Hope against HIV

* Spain: Researchers deemed the results of a prospective HIV vaccine as “promising” after a test of twenty-four healthy subjects found that all but two of them developed an “immune response” to HIV.

* U.S.: The Department of Justice urged the Supreme Court to review the healthcare changes passed under the Affordable Care Act.

* Philippines: Recovery efforts have begun after Typhoon Nesat killed at least 21 people and left numerous villages flooded.

* Afghanistan: According to a U.N. report there have been over 7000 attacks in Afghanistan over the past three months, a spike of 39% compared to the same period in 2010.

Image – India Talkies (“HIV vaccine design program launched in India.”)

Online Sources- BBC News, The Telegraph, MSNBC, Reuters

World Watch: War$

* U.S.: Spending on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as operations in Pakistan could cost nearly $4 trillion according to a study by Brown University researchers.

* China: A lawyer for recently freed artist Al Weiwei said that he would appeal a $1.85 million tax bill sent by authorities.

* Libya: French officials admitted that they’ve sent weapons to Libyan rebels despite the possibility that such actions would break a U.N. resolution.

* Greece: The parliament approved a staunch austerity plan that could lead to a joint E.U./International Monetary Fund bailout.

Image – Al Jazeera English
Online Sources- Voice of America, MSNBC, Reuters, The Guardian

World Watch: Withdrawal

* Afghanistan: President Barack Obama will reportedly announce tomorrow that 30,000 troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by November 2012.

* Greece: The Greek parliament approved by a very narrow margin a vote of confidence in the government led by prime minister George Papandreou.

* Syria: The E.U. may extend sanctions against Syria while several people died during clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters.

* U.S.: In a rare unanimous vote all 100 members of the U.S. Senate backed Leon Panetta's nomination to become defense secretary at the end of this month.

Image – Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images via The Guardian (“A US soldier from Viper Company (Bravo) on guard in Khost province in the east of Afghanistan on 21 June as President Barack Obama plans to withdraw troops.”)
Online Sources- CNN, Voice of America, Reuters, The Guardian

World Watch: Up in smoke

* World: According to a study released today people who are heavy smokers in middle age greatly increase their risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia later in life.

* U.S.: The largest U.S. arms sale ever took place last week when Saudi Arabia purchased up to $60 billion in military aircraft.

* Indonesia: “No immediate reports of damage or injuries” have been mentioned after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that shook off the western Indonesian island of Sumatra today.

* Afghanistan: President Hamid Karzai admitted that he received cash from Iran yet tried justifying it by claiming that “friendly” countries like the U.S. do the same thing.

Image – CBC (“The brain is not immune to the long-term consequences of smoking two packs of cigarettes per day, the researchers found. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press).“)
Online Sources- MSNBC, Al Jazeera English, Reuters, CNN

World Watch: Nine years and counting

* Afghanistan: As U.S.-led coalition troops continue their ninth year in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai confirmed reports that his government was talking with Taliban commanders.

* Hungary: Authorities are worried that a second reservoir could break in the same industrial plant where a “toxic tsunami” killed four villagers last week.

* China: Human rights activists are concerned over the safety of the wife of jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo who was placed under house arrest after she visited her husband.

* Iran: Two journalists who tried to interview an Iranian woman sentenced to death for adultery were themselves arrested.

Image – CBS News (“Trucks carrying fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan burn following an attack by militants in the remote Mitri area, 112 miles southeast of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province on October 9, 2010.”)
Online Sources- Voice of America, BBC News, MSNBC, Al Jazeera English

World Watch: Building blocks

* World: The 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was given to three scientists in recognition of their groundbreaking work on carbon atom binding.

* Afghanistan: Afghani offices denied reports suggesting that the government has engaged in “high-level talks” with the Taliban.

* Indonesia: At least 64 people died and an estimated 3000 were displaced as a result of flash flooding and hard rainfall.

* Congo: Authorities arrested a rebel commander whose troops raped over 300 Congolese villagers approximately two months ago.

Image – Christian Science Monitor (“The winners of the 2010 Nobel Prize for chemistry are announced Wednesday in Stockholm, Sweden: Richard Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi, and Akira Suzuki.”)
Online Sources- MSNBC, CNN, The Guardian, Al Jazeera English

World Watch: Gridlock

* China: A “mini-economy” of food vendors and “opportunists” has grown amidst a 60-mile traffic jam that has lasted almost two straight weeks.

* Pakistan: Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis continue to be stranded and in dire need of help as floodwaters continue to rise.

* U.S.: The Wikileaks website published a February 2010 C.I.A. report that examined how nations could view the U.S. as an "exporter of terrorism".

* Afghanistan: 55 people including 49 schoolgirls were treated in a Kabul hospital after supposedly being poisoned.

Image – The Guardian (“A cleaner picks up waste beside the Beijing-Zhangjiakou highway in north China's Hebei province. Roadworks are blamed for causing the 60-mile jam that has lasted 10 days. Photograph: Alexander F. Yuan/AP”)
Online Sources- Vancouver Sun, The Guardian, BBC News, CBC

Sorry Bolivia, There's a New Kid on the Block

Bolivia recently jumped into the headlines as a potential, albeit somewhat cautious "Saudi Arabia of Lithium."

As the NY Times covered last year, Bolivia was confident that it would soon hold huge sway over the multinational producers who'll need lithium for to produce their gadgets:

“We know that Bolivia can become the Saudi Arabia of lithium,” said Francisco Quisbert, 64, the leader of Frutcas, a group of salt gatherers and quinoa farmers on the edge of Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. “We are poor, but we are not stupid peasants. The lithium may be Bolivia’s, but it is also our property.”

But today the New York Times reported on a surprising discovery that Afghanistan may hold up to $1 trillion worth of lithium and other precious metals, some of it in Taliban-controlled areas across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. Lithium is a critical component in batteries for cellphones and a host of other personal electronics, but global demand is expected to really jump when we all start driving electric cars.

The rush to mine Afghanistan's lithium - for better or worse - is officially on. China has spent years building its green tech industry and seemingly has no qualms about going anywhere and partnering with anybody to access the natural resources that drive its growth. And given the whole war thing, the US might like to get it some lithium, too. Not to mention Afghanistan, who would like to export something besides poppy (heroin) and the occasional dried nut.

So where does this all leave Bolivia? La Razón, a Bolivian daily, is leading its website with government spokesperson Iván Canelas saying the Afghanistan discovery will have no effect on Bolivia's lithium development plans.

Those plans, up to now, have tended to the realm of "resource nationalism" and have shown significant concern about the benefits of foreign investment. Referring to Bolivia's long history of being a mineral-rich country with extremely uneven development, President Evo Morales said his country need "partners but not patrons."

The "resource curse" - the corruption, instability and inequality that often results when poor countries becoming major producers natural resources - is well documented.

With today's announcement, Bolivia may have fallen from its perch as the "Saudi Arabia of lithium," but perhaps that's better than settling for being the "Nigeria of lithium."

Image Source: NY Times

Online Sources: Green Beat/Venture Beat, Vanity Fair, La Razón (Bolivia), Reuters, Reuters Africa, Wikipedia, Council on Foreign Relations

World Watch: Under siege

* Thailand: Shortly after negotiations failed Thai troops began a crackdown of anti-government protesters by breaking through a fortified camp in Bangkok run by the “Red Shirts”.

* Malawi: A gay couple was convicted of “unnatural acts” and may face a maximum jail sentence of fourteen years.

* Afghanistan: Seven Afghan militants were killed in an attack on troops stationed at the Bagram military base.

* Israel: Citing the “complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, musician Elvis Costello cancelled a pair of planned concerts later this year.

Video Source– YouTube
Online Sources- BBC News, MSNBC, New York Times, Voice of America

World Watch: Revelations

* U.K.: A British court ordered the release of intelligence information related to a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who claimed that he was tortured.

* Iraq: Officials have ordered the expulsion of 250 people linked to security firm Blackwater.

* Ukraine: Former Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich appears to have won Ukraine’s presidential election.

* Afghanistan: At least 165 people died as a result of a series of avalanches.

Image – MSNBC ("Former Guantanamo detainee Binyam Mohamed in a picture taken in London in 2000, prior to his detention.")
Online Sources- Reuters, Guardian UK, CNN, BBC News

World Watch: Why did Mehmet do it?

* Turkey: Mehmet Ali Agca- the man who shot Pope John Paul II in a failed 1981 assassination attempt- was released from prison earlier today.

* Ukraine: Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich won Sunday’s presidential election but will have to face Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in a February runoff.

* North Korea: The government said it would refuse to return to stalled nuclear disarmament negotiations until international sanctions are lifted.

* Afghanistan: Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers assaulted Kabul in what one news source described as “the worst attack on the city in nearly a year.”

Image – Guardian UK (“Mehmet Ali Agca waits in a military hospital in Ankara. Photograph: Reuters.”)
Online Sources- Guardian UK, AHN, BBC News, Reuters