World Watch: Deadline

* Libya: Rebels gave besieged leader Muammar Gaddafi a deadline of the Saturday to "peacefully surrender."

* Asia: The Food and Agriculture Organization warned of a possible resurgence of the H5N1 avian flu virus in several Asian nations.

* South Africa: Police in Johannesburg clashed with backers of Julius Malema, the head of the African National Congress' youth wing.

* India: A court ordered the postponement of the execution of three people convicted of participating in the 1991 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Image Source - AP via MSNBC ("Libyan rebel fighters prepare to patrol the village of Heisha on Tuesday.")
Online Source - BBC News, Al Jazeera English, Sydney Morning Herald, CNN

Daily Headlines: August 26, 2011 (Updated with video)

* Mexico: At least 52 people died in Monterrey after several individuals burst into a casino, doused it with a flammable liquid and started a massive fire. (Update: The above video from Mexican authorities shows how the incident started. At the 0:50 mark, at least nine people suspected of starting the blaze emerged from three autos at the entrance of the casino. Two minutes later some flames and heavy black smoke can be seen).

* Brazil: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Brazilian ethanol exports will likely be surpassed U.S. exports in the second half of this year.

* Latin America: Representatives from thirty-six Latin American and Asian states at a conference in Argentina called for greater economic cooperation between the two regions.

* Caribbean: At least six people on the island of Hispaniola including four on the Dominican Republic died due to heavy rains and winds from Hurricane Irene.

Video Source - poliiticamx1 via YouTube (Hat tip: El Espectador).
Online Sources- AFP, Xinhua, Reuters, MiamiHerald.com

World Watch: Eyes on the prize

* U.S.: Rest in peace Dorothy Height; the civil rights pioneer whose world spanned about seven decades died Tuesday at the age 98.

* Spain: Ex-International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch is in a Barcelona hospital and in “very serious” condition.

* Iran: A Pentagon report claimed that Iranian officials sold weapons to Hezbollah and views the rebels as “an essential partner for advancing its regional policy objectives''.

* World: The havoc wrecked on European travel by the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano has had effects around the world including tourism in South Asia.

Image – Washington Post
Online Sources- NPR, NBC Sports, The Age, BBC News

World Watch: Another natural disaster

* Asia: Disaster teams from several Asian countries are heading towards Fiji after an untold number of deaths due to Cyclone Tomas.

* Sri Lanka: Is Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war finally over?

* Iraq: Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi holds a slim lead in parliamentary elections over current PM Nouri al-Maliki.

* Russia: The U.N. has blasted environmental problems in construction projects for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

Image – ABC Online (“There is significant damage to schools and hospitals and dozens of homes have been destroyed” as a result of Cyclone Thomas hitting Fiji.)
Online Sources- Guardian UK, BBC News, Times Online, ABC Online

World Watch: Solemnity in Mumbai

* India: Vigils and other commemorative actions are being held in memory of the three-day siege in Mumbai which began one year ago this Thursday.

* Middle East: In a surprising about-face Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a ten-month suspension in the edification of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

* Philippines: Police have arrested twenty men suspected of participating in a politically-motivated massacre earlier this week that killed 57 people.

* Saudi Arabia: Worries of the swine flu and heavy rains may deter some Muslims from traveling to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage according to Saudi officials.

Image – BBC News
Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC News

World Watch: Rising sun

* Asia: U.S. president Barack Obama declared that his country will pursue a “renewed engagement with Asia Pacific nations” but warned countries like China and Myanmar to improve their respective human rights situations.

* Europe: The E.U. has emerged from its worst recession in decades though some countries are still languishing economically according to data released yesterday.

* Pakistan: At least sixteen people died after suicide bombers attacked two locations including the regional headquarters of Pakistan’s intelligence agency.

* South Africa: President Jacob Zuma pledged a crackdown on crime ahead of next year’s World Cup yet also said that “no police officer has a license to kill.”

Image – New York Times (“President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan during a joint press conference in Tokyo on Friday.”)
Online Sources- Voice of America, CNN, MSNBC, New York Times

World Watch: Death and destruction

* Indonesia: According to the U.N., over 1,000 people died from Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude quake while thousands are still missing and possibly deceased.

* Philippines: About 50,000 Filipinos have been evacuated ahead of Typhoon Parma which is supposed to hit the country on Saturday.

* U.S.: The unemployment rate rose to 9.8% last month; the highest mark since 1983.

* Middle East: Hope has grown for the possible release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier held by Hamas since June 2006.

Image- Guardian UK (“A family grieves this loss of a relative killed in the earthquake as they identify the body in Padang.”)

Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, BBC News, The Telegraph

World Watch: Wave of mutilation

* Asia: Several hundred people have supposedly died as a tsunami caused by a massive underwater earthquake swept over several South Pacific islands.

* Middle East: The U.N.’s Human Rights Council is debating a report that condemns Israel for its military operation in Gaza earlier this year and criticizes Palestinian militants of targeting innocent civilians.

* Switzerland: Film director Roman Polanski could remain in custody for weeks while officials decide whether or not to extradite him to the U.S. and stand trial for the 1977 rape of a minor.

* U.S.: The Senate Finance Committee defeated an amendment that would’ve included the public option on the panel’s health care reform proposal.

Image- ABC News (“Christopher Moore of NOAA looks at computer graphs at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, concerning the earthquake and tsunami that hit American Samoa September 29, 2009”)
Online Sources- csmonitor.com, MSNBC, BBC News, Voice of America

World Watch: August 10, 2009

* Spain: Police are after two female members of Basque separatist group ETA who are suspected of participating in a July 30 bombing that killed two Civil Guard officers.

* Iraq: A pair of truck bombings claimed the lives of at least 51 Iraqis and left over 250 people injured.

* Asia: A series of strong storms has hit the Asia-Pacific region and have so far killed several dozen people.

* Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe has had its share of ups and downs in the six months since rivals Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to share power according to the Guardian UK.

Image- The Telegraph (“Police near La Rigoletta restaurant where a bomb went off (on Sunday) causing minor damage in Majorca.”)
Online Sources- Guardian UK, AFP, BBC News, Times Online

Daily Headlines: April 9, 2009

* U.S.: Ex-CIA operative and militant Luis Posada Carriles will be retried in August on immigration fraud charges.

* Colombia: Economist Nouriel “Dr. Doom” Roubini may be mostly in the news for blasting Jim Cramer yet he also warned that Colombia will face a “difficult year” financially.

* Chile: Experts worry that the rumbling Llaima volcano could build up pressure and renew its eruptions.

* Venezuela: “China is the biggest engine that exists to lead the world beyond the crisis,” said President Hugo Chavez during a stop in Beijing.

Image- New York Times (Luis Posada Carriles is accompanied by his daughter in this 2007 photo).
Online Sources- Globe and Mail, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, Bloomberg, Prensa Latina

Daily Headlines: April 7, 2009

* Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez’ trip to Asia continued with the signing of several major energy deals with Japan.

* Latin America: Stocks throughout the region slipped yesterday partly due to fears of a Brazilian recession.

* Chile: Could ex-President Eduardo Frei regain the Chilean presidency in December’s elections?

* Costa Rica: Chinese police broke up a human trafficking ring after noticing a surge in visa applications to the Costa Rican embassy in Beijing.

Image- AP (“Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at the latter's official residence in Tokyo Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Kazuhiro Nogi, Pool)”).
Online Sources- CNN, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, forbes.com, Javno

Daily Headlines: February 10, 2009

* Mexico: A new law published yesterday calls for the creation of a national phone registry that includes capturing fingerprints of suspected criminals.

* Latin America: China may be upping its investments in Latin America yet Morgan Stanley warms that the economic slump in Asia may cause “aftershocks” in the Americas.

* Central America: Countries in the region are worried that U.S. immigration raids are dumping thousands of criminals into already crime-infested areas.

* Venezuela: Police have arrested eleven suspects- including a policeman who served as a bodyguard for a local rabbi- for the recent attack on a Caracas synagogue.

Image- abc.net.au
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Reuters, Bloomberg, chicagotribune.com, Xinhua, MSNBC

Daily Headlines: April 25, 2008

* Mexico: Congrats to Guillermo del Toro who was picked by Peter Jackson to direct a pair of future “Hobbit” prequels.

* Brazil: A Brazilian drug firm and nonprofit group have united to develop a new malaria treatment that is expected to be distributed throughout Latin America and Southeast Asia.

*Guatemala: “TV Maya” recently launched in Guatemala with the aim of promoting indigenous Mayan culture.

* Cuba: The island’s state-run telephone firm said that over 7400 new cell phone accounts were established in the first 10 days Cubans were allowed access to the service.

Image- Los Angeles Times (“Guillermo del Toro will take on the future "Hobbit' prequels, while Peter Jackson is still basking in the success of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Jackson and New Line handpicked Del Toro.”)

Sources- PR.inside.com, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, Voice of America