World Watch: Protest vs. Repression

* Ethiopia: According to Amnesty International at least ninety-seven people have died and hundreds were injured over the weekend after security agents fired against anti-government protesters in the Oromia and Amhara regions.

* Turkey: Turkish authorities detained at least ten foreign nationals as part of a crackdown after a failed July 15th coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

* Japan: Regulators in Japan raided the offices of online retail giant Amazon as part of an antitrust investigation.

* World: Oil futures closed at their highest point in two weeks as a result of speculation over an “informal” meeting next month of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries member states.

YouTube Source – France 24 English

Online Sources – UPI, CNBC, USA TODAY, The Independent

World Watch: Melting Away

* Antarctica: A new scientific study found that methane gas trapped beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet could impact the global climate if the ice were to thaw.

* Iran: During his visit to the Nonaligned Movement conference in Tehran, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon expressed “serious concerns on the human rights abuses and violations” in Iran.

* Asia: Envoys from Japan and North Korea will hold talks for the first time since 2008 and that could improve diplomatic relations between both Asian states.

* India: A court upheld the death sentence of Pakistani national who was convicted for a series of attacks in Mumbai nearly four years ago.

Video Source– YouTube via user 7NEWS

Online Sources – Christian Science Monitor, BBC News, CBS News, The Guardian

Daily Headlines: July 11, 2012

* Paraguay: Organization of American States chief Jose Miguel Insulza said that Paraguay should not be suspended as a member due to the recent ouster of Fernando Lugo.

* Ecuador: Gustavo Cortez, editor of Ecuador’s El Universo newspaper, alleged that recent criticism from President Rafael Correa was “a (verbal) attack in violation of his rights”.

* U.S.: Dominican outfielder Melky Cabrera was named All-Star Game MVP after hitting a home run that helped the National League win 8-0 over the American League.

* Argentina: The Argentine government filed a compliant with the World Trade Organization over U.S. and Japanese restrictions on some food imports.

Video Source – YouTube via teleSUR

Online Sources- Bernama, SI.com, Huffington Post, Mercopress

World Watch: Sing Your Life

* Norway: Some 40,000 people gathered in Oslo and sang en masse “Children of the Rainbow”, a popular children's song that mass murderer Anders Breivik insulted last week.

* Liberia: An international tribunal in The Hague convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone's civil war.

* Japan: “Increasing competition from casual gamers playing on their smartphones” has been cited as one of the reasons behind Nintendo posting its first annual loss last year.

* Syria: The Local Coordination Committees of Syria opposition group claimed that they’ve identified the bodies of 462 people killed since a U.N. mission entered the country ten days ago.

Video Source– YouTube via HAAJHA

Online Sources – BBC News, Voice of America, Christian Science Monitor, CNN

Weekend World Watch: Remembrance

* Japan: A minute of silence was held on Sunday on the one-year anniversary of a major earthquake and tsunami that killed over 15,800 people, left numerous towns in ruins and raised questions over the Japanese nuclear power industry.

* Uganda: The Kony 2012 campaign has raised plenty of global attention to the abuses committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army but will it help bring positive changes to Uganda?

* Spain: Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in dozens of Spanish cities to protest against government-backed austerity plans.

* Syria: Ex-U.N. secretary general left Syria after failing to broker a deal with the government to end their crackdown on civilian opposition and rebels.

Video Source– YouTube via Associated Press

Online Sources – The Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, The Telegraph, USA TODAY

World Watch: Money Woes

* Europe: European Union leaders are supposedly close to reaching a deal for greater regional fiscal discipline as well as an agreement over a second Greek bailout.

* Iraq: Several Iraqi government officials are none too pleased over the alleged use of "unarmed aerial vehicles" (also known as drones) by the U.S. in Iraq’s territory.

* Canada: Three members of a family where convicted of murdering four female siblings in a 2009 “honor killing” that was described by a judge as "cold-blooded (and) shameful".

* Japan: New government data revealed that the Japanese population would decrease by one-third by 2060 due to low birth rates coupled with a rapidly aging populace.

Image Source– Flickr via Images_of_Money (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources – ABC News, UPI, CBS News, The Guardian

World Watch: Mubarak on Trial

* Egypt: Prosecutors in the case of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak requested that he be sentenced to death via hanging.

* Japan: A 593-pound bluefin tuna was sold at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market for a whopping $736,000.

* Iraq: At least sixty-eight people were killed as a result of a series of bombings reportedly targeting Shia Muslims.

* Middle East: A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that the next round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians will take place on Monday.

Video Source– YouTube via euronews

Online Sources – CNN, CBS News, Al Jazeera English, Reuters

World Watch: Money, money, money

* World: Stock markets around the world surged on Thursday reportedly due to investor optimism over a deal aimed at halting Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

* Kenya: Are representatives of “extremist group Al-Shabaab” seeking negotiations with the Kenyan government?

* Middle East: Twenty-six people including an alleged spy were involved in a prisoner swap between Israel and Egypt.

* Asia: Japanese insurance companies could pay as much as $2.5 billion to clients in flood-ravaged Thailand.

Image – Via Flickr user Stefan (“Tokyo Stock Exchange.”) (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Online Sources- The Telegraph, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg

World Watch: Presidential problems

* World: Clashes broke out at the trial against former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak while ex-president Jacques Chirac of France faces a maximum ten-year prison sentence if convicted of corruption.

* Africa: The U.N. warned that as many as 750,000 people could die in the upcoming months due to a famine that originated in Somalia.

* Libya: Authorities in China denied a report by Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper alleging that Chinese firms were planning to sell $200 million in weapons to deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

* Japan: At least 34 people died as a result of one of the worst typhoons to hit Japan in recent years.

Image – Reuters via The Guardian (“Riot police clash with anti-Mubarak protestors on the first day of the former Egyptian president's return to trial.”)

Online Sources- Voice of America, euronews, MSNBC, CNN, BBC News

World Watch: Crisis in Syria

* Syria: Government repression continued against protesters and opposition activists while the E.U. backed an embargo on Syrian oil exports.

* U.S.: Could another recession soon hit the already weakened and struggling U.S. economy?

* Japan: New Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda pledged "swift fiscal reforms" while also seeking economic growth.

* Britain: Rupert Murdoch will receive a raise even though an illegal wiretapping scandal shook his media empire.

Image Source - Sky News

Online Sources - CNN Money, Reuters, BBC News, CSMonitor.com, Voice of America

Weekend World Watch: Change for India

* India: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare said that he will end his thirteen-day hunger strike after the Indian parliament agreed to his main demands.

* World: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde urged governments to "act now" in order to avoid "seeing the fragile recovery derailed."

* Pakistan: According to an unnamed "senior Obama administration official" Al Qaeda's second-in-command was killed in a raid in Pakistan.

* Japan: Prime Minister Naoto Kan resinged from his post amidst dismal approval ratings and anger over the government's handling of March's earthquake and tsunami.

Online Sources - BBC News, CBS News, Reuters
Image Source - AP via New York Times ("A girl waved an Indian flag and another sang a patriotic song beside Anna Hazare, who was on a hunger strike in New Delhi against corruption.")

Weekend World Watch: Japan’s Cinderella story

* Japan: In one of the biggest upsets in women’s soccer history a plucky and determined Japanese squad beat the U.S. to capture the Women’s World Cup.

* Britain: The media phone hacking scandal has claimed the scalps of Scotland Yard police chief Sir Paul Stephenson and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks.

* Egypt: Ex-president Hosni Mubarak is believed to be in stable medical condition and not in a coma as was originally rumored.

* U.S.: The Chinese government is upset that U.S. President Barack Obama held private talks at the White House with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Image – Mike Hewitt/Fifa via Getty Images via The Guardian (“Japan players celebrate winning the women's World Cup after beating USA on penalties in the final.”)
Online Sources- USA TODAY, The Guardian, BBC News, The Independent

Daily Headlines: May 17, 2011

* Bolivia: The Bolivian government is expected to sign several oil and natural gas exploration deals with Russian energy firm Gazprom.

* Argentina: Japan officially withdrew from this summer’s Copa America in Argentina due to several factors including a recent major earthquake and tsunami.

* Brazil: A Brazilian court convicted two U.S. pilots for their role in a 2006 crash though they will not serve any time in prison.

* Canada: Canadian immigration officials are set to deport a gay Nicaraguan man who “made headlines” in 2007 after he was refused refugee status when authorities “doubted his sexual orientation because he hadn’t pursued men.”

Image – AP via BBC News
Online Sources- thestar.com, Bloomberg, Reuters, ESPN Soccernet

World Watch: Gone Gbagbo gone

* Ivory Coast: Disgraced former president Laurent Gbagbo may face “judicial proceedings” after he was detained by French and opposition forces.

* Japan: No tsunami warning was issued after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Japanese coast one month after a major tremor and tsunami killed an estimated 25,000 people.

* Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that a deadly bombing in the Minsk metro on Monday might’ve been a “gift from abroad.”

* France: Two Muslim women were arrested for peacefully protesting France’s ban on wearing face veils in public.

Image – Str/AFP/Getty Images via The Guardian (“Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo and his wife Simone after their arrest.”)
Online Sources- Busninessweek, USA TODAY, BBC News, The Guardian

World Watch: Gbagbo give up?

* Ivory Coast: France and the U.N. have set out a conditions for embattled leader Laurent Gbagbo to hand over the presidency though that may not save him from possible prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

* Japan: India suspended food imports from Japan due to concerns over radiation while the U.S. and the E.U. are considering similar restrictions.

* Libya: Rebel commander Gen. Abdul Fattah Younis blasted NATO efforts as “not doing anything” to help civilians under attack by forces loyal to President Muammar Gaddafi.

* Italy: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is not expected to appear in court on Wednesday when trial proceedings being in the “bunga bunga” sex scandal.

Image – Rebecca Blackwell/AP via CSMonitor.com (“New Forces soldiers loyal to Alassane Ouattara drive at a checkpoint at one of the principal entrances to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Tuesday.”)
Online Sources- Xinhua, BBC News, Times of India, Reuters

Japan drops out of Copa America

The destruction and devastation from last month’s major earthquake and tsunami off the Japanese coast affected numerous facets of the Asian country's society. The world of sport has not been immune from the consequences of the twin natural disasters including postponing the world figure skating championships that were to take place in Tokyo and delaying the start of Japan’s professional baseball league.

Japan’s top soccer league was also forced to put off the start of this season and no night games will be played due to the problems at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. An even tougher decision was made on Monday by the Japanese Football Association, which withdrew the country’s invitation to play in the Copa America hosted by Argentina. According to the BBC:

Japanese Football Association president Junji Ogura said: "The priority at this moment is to continue saving lives and rebuilding the country after the earthquake and tsunami.

"We are sorry to be pulling out because we recognize that we have advanced in football by being close to South American [teams]," Ogura added.

Speculation abounded over that would be the twelfth team to replace Japan in this year’s edition of South America’s premier soccer nation tournament. Julio Grondona, head of the Argentine soccer association (AFA) reportedly offered World Cup champions Spain the vacant spot. Yet Eduardo Deluca, secretary general of South America’s ruling soccer body (CONMEBOL), said that Spain was never under consideration and that “Costa Rica is the strongest option”.

Deluca added that a meeting would be held on Tuesday between representatives of CONMEBOL, AFA, and the firm that owns television rights to the tournament in order to decide who will take Japan’s place.

This year’s Copa America will take place in July and will be made up of the ten CONMEBOL countries and two invitees (Mexico and Japan’s replacement).

This wouldn’t be the first time that a Copa America team needed to be replaced post-haste; in 2001, Argentina dropped out with less than a week to go before the tournament’s start and was replaced by Honduras. The Central American team went on to surprisingly finish in third place including upsetting Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Image- Reuters
Online Sources- Reuters, BBC Sport, Who Ate All the Pies, El Espectador, Clarin, El Tiempo, asahi.com, Bloomberg

World Watch: Escape

* Ivory Coast: A humanitarian crisis is rapidly developing on the Ivory Coast as an estimated one million refugees are fleeing the country.

* Portugal: The E.U. is considering a hefty bailout for Portugal after legislators rejected government-backed austerity measures.

* Canada: The Conservative Party-led government was defeated today after a vote of no confidence in the Canadian parliament.

* World: Unrest in Libya and the recent natural disasters in Japan could hurt the global auto industry according to this article.

Image – Reuters via Al Jazeera English (“The UNHCR's estimates of the number of displaced nearly doubled in the past week amid ongoing fighting.”)
Online Sources- USA TODAY, Xinhua, Bloomberg, euronews

World Watch: Forgotten conflicts

* Ivory Coast: According to the BBC News, several U.N. aid agencies have warned that the escalating conflict in the Ivory Coast is leading to “forgotten humanitarian catastrophe.”

* Syria: Security forces could be to blame for gunfire erupting in Deraa where hundreds of protesters have been demonstrating for nearly a week.

* Libya: Fighter planes from countries including the U.S., Britain and France continue to attack Libyan military targets while the anti-government international coalition could be expanded to thirteen countries.

* Japan: Power has been restored to all six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that continues to be crippled after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

Image – Luc Gnago/Reuters via The Guardian (“Young supporters of Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo gather at a stadium at army headquarters in Abidjan to sign up for military service.”)
Online Sources- BBC News, Reuters, Voice of America, The Globe and Mail

World Watch: Radioactivity

* Japan: Authorities keep trying to control an ailing nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan while stocks worldwide tumbled due to fears over the Japanese economy.

* Libya: UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called for an "immediate ceasefire" though intense fighting continues between factions loyal to and opposed to Muammar Gaddafi.

* Iran: Could boxing legend Muhammad Ali help free two U.S. hikers imprisoned in Iran?

* World: European police uncovered what is believed to be the world’s largest child pornography network with an estimated 70,000 members.

Image – AP via The Guardian (“The severely damaged unit 4 of the Fukushima nuclear complex in northeastern Japan. Behind it, white smoke billows from unit 3.”)
Online Sources- MSNBC, Reuters, BusinessWeek, Al Jazeera English

World Watch: Mortality

* Japan: The death toll from Friday’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan rose to at least 3373 people though the country’s disaster preparedness system was credited with saving hundreds of lives.

* Bahrain: Hundreds of anti-government protesters were injured in clashes with domestic security forces and troops from neighboring Saudi Arabia.

* Italy: Prosecutors reportedly accused Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with having sex thirteen times with an under-age Moroccan teen.

* Ivory Coast: Violence has intensified between factions loyal and opposed to Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo.

Image – Kim Jae-Hwan/AFP/Getty Images via The Guardian (“Residents on a devastated street in Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture on Tuesday.”)
Online Sources- Xinhua, BBC News, Voice of America, BusinessWeek, MSNBC