Morning Brief: Bombing hits central Damascus

Posted By Joshua Keating Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 9:36 AM

Top news: At least 35 people were killed in a car bombing in central Damascus on Thursday. The bombing struck near the ruling Baath Party's headquarters, which is also close to the Russian embassy. Central Damascus has been relatively insulated from the violence sweeping the rest of the country, though the al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat al-Nusra has claimed credit for several bombings around the city in recent weeks.

The blast follows a deadly attack on a Damascus football stadium and a mortar attack on a presidential palace in the city earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Russia and the Arab League offered to broker talks between Bashar al-Assad's government and the rebels.

U.S.: The Pentagon warned that 750,000 civilian employees could face furloughs if mandatory budget cuts come into effect on March 1. The furloughs would likely come in the form of four-day workweeks.

Middle East

  • Former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni has joined Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet as justice minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians.
  • Hundreds of Palestinian protesters are clashing with Israeli troops near a West Bank checkpoint.
  • Women were sworn in to Saudi Arabia's Shura Council for the first time.

Europe

  • Bulgaria's parliament accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Boiko Borisov.
  • Italian police made an arrest related to the ongoing soccer match-fixing scandal.
  • Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy promised a "second wave" of economic reforms.

Asia

Africa

Americas




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Morning Brief: Italy gears up for election, Berlusconi eyes return

Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, February 20, 2013 - 9:37 AM

Top news: With elections in Italy approaching this weekend, the country's politicians are in an all-out sprint to the finish, as the most recent polls indicate that Italians are likely to vote into office a center-left coalition that may leave Silvio Berlusconi out of power.

Berlusconi, who was ousted from power to make way for the technocrat Mario Monti, has in recent months made a brief political comeback, exploiting a weak economy to cast himself as a tax-cutting savior of the Italian economy. So far, that pitch has fallen on deaf ears, and the most recent polls show the no-drama center-left candidate Pier Luigi Bersani in the lead, a scenario that will likely result in a coalition government with Monti.

But two upstart political movements make the outcome of this election difficult to predict. The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, a group led by a former comedian named Beppe Grillo, and the Northern League, a group seeking greater autonomy for the country's north, a relative newcomers to Italian politics, and if they slightly exceed expectations at the polls they may torpedo the expected outcome of a center-left coalition that would include Monti.

If the center-left fails to cobble together such a coalition, the most likely outcome is a grand coalition, one that would in all likelihood include Berlusconi in some role, returning Il Cavaliere to European politics.

U.S. military: Marine General John Allen said that he plans to retire and will decline his nomination to serve as the supreme allied commander in Europe, one of the military's most prestigious posts. Allen, who has most recently served as head of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, said he planned to step down because his wife is suffering from a severe illness. Allen had been under investigation for emails sent to Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite connected to David Petraeus, the disgraced former CIA director, but Pentagon investigators cleared Allen of any wrongdoing.

Middle East

  • Tunisia's prime minister resigned after failing to form a new government amid ongoing turmoil in the country on the heels of the assassination of a leftist opposition leader.
  • A large rocket attack on the rebel-controlled city of Aleppo killed at least 19.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added his first coalition partner as he seeks to form a new government, tapping Tzipi Livni as his justice minister.

Asia

  • Visiting a the site of the 1919 Amritsar massacre, British Prime Minister David Cameron laid a wreath for victims and called the episode "shameful."
  • China rejected a request by the Philippines to seek U.N. arbitration over disputed island claims in the South China Sea.
  • Japan posted a record trade deficit in January as the government carried out aggressive monetary expansion to jumpstart the country's sluggish economy.

Europe

  • The Bulgarian government resigned amid nationwide protests over government austerity and high electricity prices, making the government the latest to fall in the eurocrisis.
  • Continuing protests over government cuts, Greeks poured into the streets for the year's first general strike.
  • BMW has recalled 720,000 cars worldwide over an electrical problem that may result in unexpected stalling.

Africa

  • Islamist militants abducted a French family of seven, including four children, in northern Cameroon.
  • The French defense minister said that his country's troops will begin their withdrawal from Mali within weeks.
  • Police claimed to have found testosterone in the home of Oscar Pistorius, the legless sprinter accused of killing his model girlfriend. 

Americas

  • Interpol said it had arrested nearly 200 people in an operation aimed at combating illegal logging and timber trafficking across Central and South America.
  • A U.S. congressional delegation met with Cuban President Raul Castro and were told they would receive access to an imprisoned American, Alan Gross.
  • Amid an ongoing investigation into the country's war with Maoist rebels, officials in Peru returned to their families the remains of 26 people caught in the crossfire between Shining Path rebels and government forces.



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Morning Brief: Report details aggressive hacking operations by Chinese army

Posted By Elias Groll Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - 10:17 AM

Top news: A series of bold, highly aggressive cyber attacks have been traced to a single unit in the Chinese army, headquartered in a drab office building outside of Shanghai, according to a new report that details a spate of attacks directed at the United States government, major companies, and infrastructure.

According to The New York Times, U.S. officials have been aware of the hacking group -- officially known as People's Liberation Army Unit 61398, unoficially as "Comment Crew" -- for some time, but the report by Mandiant, an American security firm, makes public detailed allegations against the Chinese army and accuses it of carrying out attacks against major U.S. firms, stealing proprietary information like negotiating strategies, and illicitly obtaining blueprints to the American oil and gas infrastructure.

While Chinese officials denied the allegations, the Mandiant report argues that if the hacking activity in Shanghai is not the work of Unit 61398, then “a secret, resourced organization full of mainland Chinese speakers with direct access to Shanghai-based telecommunications infrastructure is engaged in a multiyear enterprise-scale computer espionage campaign right outside of Unit 61398’s gates.”

The Mandiant report is likely to put a chill on relations between the United States and China as U.S. officials are preparing to inform their counterparts that Chinese hacking activity threatens the fundamental relationship between Beijing and Washington.

Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez returned from cancer treatment in Cuba and is ensconced in a military hospital in Caracas receiving treatment as he recovers from surgery. Continuing to impose a veil of secrecy over Chavez's recovery, the Venezuelan government did not release any photos of Chavez's arrival as he was spirited into the country during the pre-dawn hours. While Chavez's return to Venezuela is likely to aid his political allies, it does little to clarify the country's ongoing constitutional crisis.

Middle East

  • The Obama administration may revisit its decision about supplying Syrian rebels with arms, a move it rejected late last year.
  • Some 800 Palestinians in Israeli jails joined in a hunger strike in solidarity with four inmates on a long-term hunger strike.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the North Korean nuclear test shows that "sanctions alone will not stop" Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Asia

  • The first time in six year, civilian casualties in Afghanistan dropped, according to a U.N. report, which noted that most civilian deaths are attributable to insurgent groups.
  • Afghan intelligence officers arrested a senior Pakistani Taliban commander in eastern Afghanistan.
  • At least 15,000 Shiite Muslims demonstrated in the streets of Quetta following a bombing at a produce market that killed 89. 

Africa

  • Mamphela Ramphele, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, has formed a new political party to challenge the ruling African National Congress.
  • A Kenyan court ruled that Uhuru Kenyatta, who is charged with crimes against humanity for his role in the violence that followed 2007's election, can participate in next month's election. 
  • South African prosecutors detailed charges against Oscar Pistorious, the Olympic runner, of first degree murder.

Europe

  • A meeting of European foreign ministers renewed sanctions against Syria but rejected a move to arm Syrian rebels.
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron promised cooperation in the investigation of alleged bribes offered to secure a helicopter contract between an Anglo-Italian firm and India.
  • Armed robbers at the Antwerp, Belgium, airport made off with over $50 million in diamonds after a daring raid.

Americas

  • Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa comfortably won reelection to a second term and vowed to continue the "citizen's revolution."
  • Protesters in Brazil supporting the Cuban government blocked a screening of a documentary  featuring Yoani Sanchez, the Cuban dissident who has just begun a world tour following the easing of travel restrictions.
  • A delegation of American lawmakers led by Sen. Patrick Leahy arrived in Cuba to assess political developments in the country.



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Morning Brief: GOP delays vote on Hagel nomination

Posted By Ty McCormick Friday, February 15, 2013 - 9:43 AM

Top news: Senate Republicans blocked an effort Thursday to move to a final vote on President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the defense department, former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), delaying the confirmation process by at least another 12 days. Republicans denied that the action constituted a filibuster, saying they simply needed more information about Hagel's past, particularly about the speeches he has given since leaving the Senate in 2009. Once that information is provided, at least three Republican senators -- John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Richard Burr -- say they indent to vote for cloture.

Most analysts believe Hagel will eventually be confirmed, but the delay means that he will miss a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels next week. "It's just unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes at a time when I'm still presiding over a war in Afghanistan and I need a secretary of defense who is coordinating with our allies," Obama said Thursday in a Google chat forum. "What seems to be happening, and this has been growing over time, is the Republican minority in the Senate seems to think that the rule now is that you need to have 60 votes for everything. Well, that's not the rule."

Thursday's vote (58 to 40) broke down almost exactly along party lines, exposing yet again the extent to which the Senate's bipartisan traditions have been eroded in recent years. Fear of conservative primary challengers among senior Senate Republicans has stoked partisan tensions further, Democrats say, as those facing reelection in 2014 rush to toe the tea party line.

Russia: A meteorite exploded over central Russia Friday, raining debris down on the city of Chelyabinsk and injuring more 500 people. No fatalities were reported.  

Africa

  • South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius is due to appear in court Friday on murder charges.
  • The Malian government announced that presidential elections will be held on July 7.
  • In the span of eight days this month, pirates attacked three vessels off the coast of Nigeria.

Middle East

  • Syrian rebels claimed Thursday to have taken control of the eastern province of Hasaka.
  • Police killed one protester and injured dozens more on the second anniversary of the uprising in Bahrain.
  • A court in Kuwait acquitted five activists accused of insulting the emir on Twitter.

Asia

  • Representatives from 27 Pakistani political parties called Thursday for the government to enter peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban.
  • South Korea has been unable to detect any radioactive isotopes from North Korea's nuclear test, stymying efforts to determine whether a plutonium or uranium-based device was used.
  • Gen. Lloyd Austin, President Obama's nominee to lead the U.S. Central Command, supported keeping a larger Afghan force after 2014 than the current NATO plans call for. 

Americas

  • Bolivian President Evo Morales called for the release of three soldiers arrested by Chilean authorities in January.
  • Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said Thursday that she would take additional steps to prevent foreign capital flows from pushing the country's currency higher.
  • A top Mexican security official said Thursday that the government will ask the United States to shift anti-drug aid away from intelligence and training and toward social programs.

Europe

  • Serbian authorities uncovered a plot to bring down a plane carrying Prime Minister Ivica Dacic.
  • Spanish authorities arrested 11 members of a cybercrime network that was spreading ransomware designed to extort money from victims.
  • The Eurozone economy shrank .6 percent in the final quarter of 2012 as Germany reported worse-than-expected output numbers.



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Morning Brief: Syrian troops bombard rebel strongholds in Damascus

Posted By Ty McCormick Thursday, February 14, 2013 - 9:41 AM

Top news: Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad intensified their bombardment of Sunni Muslim districts in and around Damascus Wednesday in an attempt to reverse recent rebel gains. Syrian jets bombed the neighborhood of Jobar in the southeast of the capital, as well as the southern suburb of Daraya, which is located along a critical highway to Jordan. Meanwhile, rebels captured the eastern town of al-Shaddadeh after several days of heavy fighting that left roughly 100 Syrian troops and 30 members of the Nusra Front dead.

In Washington, newly confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry remained optimistic about the possibility of persuading Assad to agree to a political settlement. "We need to address the question of President Assad's calculation currently," he said after a meeting with the Jordanian foreign minister.  "I believe there are additional things that can be done to change his current perception. I've got a good sense of what I think we might propose."

Iran: Iranian authorities recently attempted to purchase 100,000 ring-shaped magnets for use in nuclear centrifuges, the Washington Post reported. The sheer number of magnets, which would allow Iran to expand the number of centrifuges it operates by a factor of five, has led some analysts to conclude that the Islamic Republic is planning a major expansion of its nuclear program, though it is not clear if the order was filled.

Africa

  • Kenyan presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta requested Thursday that his trial for crimes against humanity be delayed because of late disclosure of evidence. 
  • French troops uncovered roughly 1,700 pounds of explosives Wednesday in the northern Malian city of Gao.
  • The date for Zimbabwe's constitutional referendum has been tentatively set for March 16, according a government minister.

Middle East

  • Egyptian forces flooded tunnels under the border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in an effort to shut down smuggling operations.
  • Iran indicated that progress had been made in nuclear negotiations with the IAEA, but that a framework agreement has yet to be finalized.
  • Syrian rebels killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander near the town of Zabadani, a few miles from the Lebanese border.

Asia

  • Thai troops killed at least 16 Islamist militants early Wednesday as they attempted to storm a  military base in Narathiwat province.
  • A NATO airstrike in the Kunar province of Afghanistan killed at least 10 civilians, mostly women and children.
  • Japan's economy contracted 0.1 percent in the final quarter of 2012.  

Europe

  • German authorities discovered horsemeat in frozen lasagna and have begun removing the product from supermarket shelves.
  • Pope Benedict received a standing ovation after his final public mass at St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
  • British police arrested six people in connection with the phone-hacking scandal at News of the World.

Americas

  • Clashes Wednesday between Colombian soldier and FARC rebels left at least seven soldiers dead and five injured.
  • Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday that Hugo Chavez is undergoing "delicate" and "complex" treatments following his cancer surgery in Cuba.
  • Chilean authorities arrested 20 Mapuche Indians following clashes with police in the southern city of Collipulli.



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Morning Brief: Obama lays out modest foreign policy vision

Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - 9:40 AM

Top news: President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he will withdraw 34,000 troops from Afghanistan within a year, seek aggressive action to combat climate change, and negotiate a trade deal with Europe, laying out a modest foreign policy agenda in the first State of the Union address of his second term.

Along with the troop reduction in Afghanistan, Obama pledged that a residual force would remain in the country to combat al Qaeda. Though the troop drawdown represents an important step in ending the U.S. presence there, Obama made only fleeting mention of administration's ongoing use of drone strikes in countries like Yemen and Pakistan, saying only in a veiled reference that "we must enlist our values in the fight" and "forge a durable legal and policy framework to guide our counterterrorism operations."

On climate change, Obama encouraged Congress to pass a cap-and-trade regime to regulate carbon emissions and threatened that if it failed to take action the White House would bypass Congress to  aggressively pursue regulations that would cut emissions.

As part of a package of initiatives to boost job growth, Obama announced that he would seek a trade deal with Europe, which, if signed, would be the largest bilateral trade deal ever. Wednesday morning European and American officials announced that they would begin negotiations as early as this summer.

Syria: Heavy fighting is underway in Damascus as rebels have launched an assault on the capital and government forces are striking back hard with airstrikes and artillery to rob the rebels of their foothold in the capital city.

 

Middle East

  • Egyptians marked the two year anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak with angry protests in the streets of Cairo against his successor.
  • With the death toll in Syria now over 70,000, Qatar handed over control of the Syrian embassy in that country to the opposition.
  • Iran is set to meet with I.A.E.A. inspectors to discuss the country's nuclear program.

Asia

  • North Korea's neighbors upped their military preparations and initiated a new round of diplomatic maneuvers in response to the latest North Korean nuclear test.
  • The Australian foreign minister has ordered a review into the handling of a prisoner who died in Australian custody and is believed to have been a Mossad agent.
  • A Tibetan protester set himself on fire and ran down a street in the capital, Kathmandu, chanting anti-Chinese slogans, making him the latest in a string self-immolations to protest Chinese rule there.

Europe

  • Pope Benedict XVI said in his weekly audience that he had resigned "for the good of the church."
  • Italy's former spy chief Niccolo Pollari was sentenced to ten years in jail for his role in the 2003 C.I.A. rendition of a terror suspect.
  • The lower house of the French legislature passed sweeping legislation to allow same-sex marriage and to permit same-sex couples to adopt children.

Americas

  • An official at the Guantanamo Bay prison admitted that a hidden microphone had been placed in a meeting room used by prisoners and their attorneys but insisted conversations between them had not been monitored.
  • Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto unveiled a long-awaited program for combatting drug violence, announcing that he will spend $9 billion on social programs to combat violence.
  • Police in southern Chile clashed with members of the Mapuche indigenous group, which has been engaged in a long-running property rights dispute with the government.

Africa

  • With a constitutional referendum and elections looming later this year, Zimbabwe's election chief resigned, citing poor health.
  • A Somali journalist held without charges for speaking out on behalf of a reporter arrested on charges stemming from a rape accusation against government forces was freed.
  • The Malian government said that it is "hesitant" at the prospect of a U.N. peacekeeping force in the country.



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Morning Brief: North Korea conducts third nuclear test

Posted By Ty McCormick Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - 9:25 AM

Top news: North Korea confirmed Tuesday that it has carried out a third nuclear test in defiance of U.N. resolutions. According to the state-run KCNA news service, authorities tested a "miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously."  The underground nuclear explosion, the first under Kim Jong-un, comes on the heels of two long-range rocket launches in the new leader's first year in office.

The test drew criticism from around the world, including from China, Pionyang's only major ally, which said it was "strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed" to North Korea's behavior. Beijing also summoned its North Korean ambassador in protest.

Pionyang fired back with a statement saying, "The U.S. and their followers are sadly mistaken if they miscalculate the DPRK would respect the entirely unreasonable resolutions against it. The DPRK will never bow to any resolutions." The statement further characterized the prospects for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula as "gloomy."

Afghanistan: As the 2014 withdrawal deadline approaches, the Pentagon is peddling a plan that would keep roughly 8,000 troops in Afghanistan after the NATO mission ends, the Washington Post reports. The U.S. contingent would then shrink to between 3,500 and 6,000 troops in 2016, and then as low as 1,000 by 2017, according to one option that is under consideration. 

Africa

  • Gen. Souleymane Kelefa Diallo, the head of Guinea's armed forces, died Monday in a plane crash in Liberia.
  • Mali has not yet green-lighted a U.N. peacekeeping mission, the U.N. deputy secretary general said on Monday.
  • Hundreds protested in Kigali Monday after a U.N. tribunal acquitted two cabinet ministers accused of plotting the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Asia

  • The head of the Kumbh Mela festival organizing committee resigned after a stampede in northern India that left at least 36 people dead.
  • A government panel in Afghanistan acknowledged widespread torture of detainees, but denied that there is a "systemic problem."
  • Police fatally shot at least eight people in during election violence in the Indian state of Assam.

Middle East

  • Syrian rebels on Tuesday captured a military airport near Aleppo, according to opposition sources.
  • Libya will close its borders with Tunisia and Egypt in advance of the two-year anniversary of Muammar al-Qaddafi's ouster.
  • Israel on Monday approved 90 new homes in Beit El, a major Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

Europe

  • British health officials said Monday that a SARS-like virus has infected a patient in Manchester, bringing the number to 10 confirmed cases globally.
  • A methane gas explosion at a coal mine in northern Russia killed as many as 18 miners.
  • Georgia's interior minister accused President Mikheil Saakashvili of "artificially" provoking violence during his annual address to the nation.

Americas

  • Colombian ELN rebels said Monday that they want proof that their German prisoners are not spies before they enter negotiations.  
  • Latin America is home to the world's largest Catholic population, but there is little chance the next pope will hail from the region, according to experts. 
  • Jamaica's prime minister announced plans for its second debt swap in three years because of a "serious economic crisis."



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Morning Brief: Pope Benedict XVI announces he will resign

Posted By Elias Groll Monday, February 11, 2013 - 9:48 AM

Top news: Pointing to an ailing "mind and body," Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign, the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church to do so since 1415. 

“In today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me,” the pope said. “For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St. Peter.”

Appointed in 2005, at the age of 78, Benedict XVI -- born Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria, Germany -- was the oldest pope appointed since the 18th century, and the last few years of his tenure have been marked by declining health and increasing frailty. But during his tenure, Benedict guided the church through an ever-widening sexual abuse scandal, and though his response to the crisis has been criticized, he met with victims and apologized for the abuse.

Benedict's resignation sets the table for a papal conclave in mid-March that is likely to see a heated argument over the church's future. The church has seen its power wane in Europe, but is on the rise in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and the appointment of a non-European pope would represent a watershed moment in the church's history as it seeks to maintain its position into the 21st century.

United States: A National Intelligence Estimate -- a report summarizing the consensus views of U.S. spy agencies -- has concluded that the United States faces a sustained cyber-espionage effort undertaken largely by China and aimed at stealing commercial secrets. Much of the Chinese effort has been directed at U.S. companies -- including finance, information technology, and aerospace firms -- and the report concludes that the hacking constitutes a threat to U.S. competitiveness.

Middle East

  • Members of the Tunisian president's party threatened to resign their cabinet posts -- then withdrew the threat -- amid an ongoing political crisis.
  • Talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year long protest movement in Bahrain began between the government and opposition factions.
  • A leader of the Syrian opposition said that the failure of the government to accept his offer to enter talks sends a "very negative" message.

Asia

  • General Joseph Dunford took command of American and international forces in Afghanistan, making him the 15th and likely last general of the decade-plus long war.
  • On the heels of a life sentence for Abdul Kader Mullah on war crimes charges, hundreds of thousands are protesters massed in the streets of Dhaka demanding the death penalty.
  • Amid accusations he did not receive a fair trial, a Kashmiri charged with carrying out a 2001 attack on India's parliament was hanged.

Europe

  • Russian authorities placed Sergei Udaltsov, a prominent opposition leader, under house arrest and banned him from using the internet.
  • Germany's education minister resigned Saturday after her university withdrew part of her thesis after it was discovered she had plagiarized parts of it.
  • A scandal over the use of horsemeat as a substitute for beef widened to 16 countries.

Africa

  • Malian troops carried out house-to-house searches in search of rebel fighters in the northern town of Gao.
  • Rebels carried out the second suicide attack in two days against French and Malian force in Gao.
  • More than 100 people were killed in South Sudan after one tribe attacked another that was moving cattle.

Americas

  • U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to argue during his State of the Union address in favor of reducing his country's nuclear arsenal, and White House officials are likely to reduce the number of deployed warheads to just over 1,000. 
  • Mexican authorities said they had captured the head of security for Joaquin Guzman, Mexico's most wanted drug lord better known as "El Chapo."
  • Venezuela devalued its currency in a move aimed at shoring up the country's import reliant economy.



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Morning Brief: Brennan defends drone program at confirmation hearing

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, February 8, 2013 - 9:33 AM

Top news: CIA Director Nominee John Brennan defended the Obama administration's drone program in his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday, saying attacks are only carried out "as a last resort, to save lives when there is no other alternative." Brennan also stated that the administration needs to "acknowledge it publicly" when civilians are killed in drone attacks, something it has almost never done. He was noncommittal about the idea of setting up a special court to review drone strikes, calling it "certainly worthy of discussion."

The hearing for Brennan, a former CIA agent and currently the White House's top counterterrorism advisor, came shortly after the Obama administration agreed to allow the House and Senate Intelligence committees to review the classified legal memos used to justify the drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen turned al Qaeda leader, in 2011. Brennan was criticized by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chair of the intelligence committee, for the administration's insistence that the drone program remain classified. "Well I think that rationale, Mr. Brennan, is long gone," she said. 

Brennan was also questioned on the CIA's past use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods, which he declined to describe as torture, but called "reprehensible" and "something that should not be done." Brennan has defended these methods in the past.

The hearing was repeatedly interrupted by activists from the anti-war group Code Pink and at one point the committee room was cleared.  

Tunisia: The country's ruling party rejected a proposal by the prime minister to form a new government as tens of thousands gathered to mourn slain opposition leader Chokir Belaid.  

Middle East

Asia

  • China has denied that one of its ships flashes its radar at a Japanese naval vessel. 
  • A Chinese court sentenced a man to 13 years in prison for inciting a monk to self-immolate. 
  • A bomb blast outside a mosque killed 10 in the Pakistani city of Kalaya.

Africa

Americas

  • An investigation has found that a Mexican teenager was shot in the back by U.S. border patrol agents last year. 
  • Former Haitian leader Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier failed to attend a hearing at his trial for crimes against humanity.
  • Mexican regulators have fined Carlos Slim's TelMex $52 million. 

Europe

  • EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to reach a budget deal. 
  • Vladimir Putin fired the vice president of Russia's Olympic committee over a behind-schedule ski jump. 
  • Eugene Delacroix's famous painting of "Liberty Leading the People" was defaced in the Louvre, reportedly with a graffiti tag referencing a 9/11 conspiracy theory.



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Morning Brief: Tunisia's ruling party rejects plan to from caretaker government

Posted By Ty McCormick Thursday, February 7, 2013 - 9:36 AM

Top news: Tunisia's ruling Islamist Ennahda party on Thursday rejected a proposal by its own party chief, Prime Minister Hamdi Jebali, to form a nonpartisan unity cabinet following the assassination of a leading member of the opposition. "The prime minister did not ask the opinion of his party," Ennahda Vice President Abdelhamid Jelassi told Reuters. "We in Ennahda believe Tunisia needs a political government now. We will continue discussions with other parties about forming a coalition government," he said.

The killing on Wednesday of Chokri Belaid, a fierce critic of the ruling party, triggered protests across the country and led to the death of one policeman in Tunis. In response, the prime minister announced that he would replace his government with a nonpartisan technocratic cabinet until elections could be held. The apparent rebuke from his own party injects additional uncertainty into Tunisia's already fraught political environment, stoking fears that the North African country could descend into chaos like its neighbors to the east.

War on Terror: The White House on Wednesday ordered the release of two previously classified memos that discuss the legal justification for killing American citizens abroad. The announcement came on the eve of John Brennan's confirmation hearing to replace Michael J. Morell, the current acting director of the CIA.

Middle East

  • Iran's supreme leader on Thursday rejected a proposal for direct nuclear talks with the United States.
  • Syrian rebels attacked military checkpoints in Damascus Wednesday, dimming the prospects of negotiations between the parties.
  • The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Iran's state broadcasting authority, cyber police, and a major electronics producer.

Africa

  • Gabon reported that more than 11,000 elephants have been killed by ivory poachers in the country since 2004.
  • Nigeria's four main opposition parties formed a coalition Wednesday in an effort to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan's ruling party.
  • Josephy Kony's Lord's Resistance Army killed 51 people in 2012, according to a new report.

Asia

  • Chinese authorities detained 70 people in ethnic Tibetan regions in an apparent crackdown on self-immolations.
  • Protesters clashed with police Wednesday at the University of Delhi, where Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat, was delivering a speech.
  • Japan's Foreign Ministry claimed that two Russian fighter jets briefly entered Japanese airspace on Thursday near the northern island of Hokkaido.

Europe

  • French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for a U.N. peacekeeping mission to take over for African-led forces in Mali by April.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Akhmed Bilalov, the vice president of Russia's Olympic Committee, over delays in construction for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
  • The European Parliament approved substantial reforms to the EU Common Fisheries Policy, including measures to prevent overfishing.  

Americas

  • FARC rebels called for the legalization of coca and marijuana in peace talks with the Colombian government.  
  • Rights groups urged Haitian authorities not to drop criminal charges against former President Jean-Claude Duvalier.
  • Canada will consider stripping dual citizens linked to terrorism of their Canadian citizenship.



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Morning Brief: In effort to improve ties, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in Cairo

Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, February 6, 2013 - 9:38 AM

 Iran/Egypt: The first Iranian leader to visit Egypt in more than 30 years, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived Tuesday in Cairo for a three-day visit aimed at improving ties between the two countries, which have long been hampered by regional rivalries and sectarian feuding.

Iran broke off diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1980 after Anwar Sadat granted diplomatic recognition to Israel, and suspicions between the two countries only deepened as Hosni Mubarak cultivated ties to the West and Iran positioned itself as one of the United States' main antagonists in the region. But that calculus has been upended by the Arab Spring, which has left Iran looking for new allies in the region as its partnership with Syria flounders amid that country's ongoing civil war.

Still, the manifest difficulties of Iran positioning itself as a revitalized regional player were on clear display Tuesday in Cairo, where a Sunni religious leader leveled harsh criticism at Ahmadinejad for what he said was Shiite interference in Arab countries like Egypt and Bahrain and for discrimination against Sunnis in Iran. In a separate incident, a Syrian protester pelted the Iranian leader with a shoe, an act of protest for Iran's ongoing support of Bashar al-Assad.

Analysts expect that ties between the two countries are unlikely to warm significantly as Egypt remains heavily reliant on subsidies from Saudi Arabia and the United States, two countries loathe to see Egypt cultivate a closer partnership with Iran. 

War on terror: For the past two years, the United States has been operating a secret base in Saudi Arabia from which it has launched drone strikes in Yemen. Major U.S. media organizations have known about the base for over a year but declined to reveal its existence, citing requests from the Obama administration that public knowledge of the base would damage counterterrorism operations in neighboring Yemen and undermine the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia. The base's existence was revealed ahead of White House counterterror adviser John Brennan's planned testimony before the Senate Thursday, part of his confirmation process to become the next CIA director.

Middle East

  • Bulgarian officials said that a terrorist attack on Israeli tourists last July had been carried out by Hezbollah, raising pressure on the European Union to designate the group a terrorist organization.
  • Chokri Belaid, a prominent opponent to Tunisia's Islamist government, was assassinated in front of his home.
  • U.S. President Barack Obama plans to visit Israel this spring in what will be the first overseas trip of his second term.

Europe

  • The British House of Commons voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, sending the proposal to the House of Lords.
  • At least 25 European governments participated in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program, according to a report released by the Open Society Justice Initiative.
  • A gunman shot at and narrowly missed a prominent Danish critic of Islam.

Africa

  • Chadian soldiers entered the city of Kidal, Mali, the last remaining major town controlled by Islamist rebels.
  • France may begin to withdraw its troops from Mali within the next few weeks, according to the country's defense minister.
  • A woman who accused Somali security forces of raping her was sentenced to a year in jail for levelling a false accusation and insulting a government body.

Asia

  • China unveiled a package of reforms that will raise taxes on the wealthy increase workers' wages in an effort to narrow the gap between rich and poor.
  • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the move by a Chinese warship to lock its fire-control radar onto a Japanese frigate.
  • A powerful earthquake off the coast of the Solomon Islands generated a minor tsunami wave, damaged dozens of homes, and left several people missing and presumed dead.

Americas

  • A leaked memo detailed the Obama administration's legal justification for assuming sweeping powers to kill American al-Qaeda operatives anywhere in the world.
  • German officials confirmed that the two men captured by National Liberation Army rebels in Colombia are two German pensioners.
  • Argentina's foreign minister said that the Falklands Islands will be under his country's control within 20 years.



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Morning Brief: Syrian opposition offers Assad peaceful exit

Posted By Ty McCormick Tuesday, February 5, 2013 - 9:24 AM

Top news: Syria's opposition coalition indicated for the first time on Monday that it is willing to engage in dialogue with President Bashar al-Assad in order to end the 23-month-long conflict. The initial offer from opposition leader Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib did not have the full backing of the coalition, but rank-and-file members have since fallen into line behind the proposal, which would allow Assad to avoid prosecution if he leaves the country peacefully.

Khatib said the opposition would engage in dialogue only if the president released 160,000 political prisoners and renewed all passports of Syrian's living abroad, including those who oppose Assad. "We say we will extend our hand for the interest of people and to help the regime leave peacefully," Khatib said in an interview with Al Jazeera Monday. "It is now in the hands of the regime."

Also on Monday, rebels freed two Russians and an Italian in exchange for members of the opposition being held by the Syrian government. The foreigners had been captured on Dec. 12 as they travelled from Homs to a Russian military outpost on the port of Tartus.

Iran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Cairo Tuesday, marking the first time an Iranian president has set foot in Egypt since 1979.  Ahmadinejad will meet with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, head al-Azhar mosque and university, at an Islamic summit that begins Wednesday.

Middle East

  • An Iraqi suicide bomber attacked a government-backed militia on Monday, killing at least 22 people in the town of Taji, roughly 12 miles north of Baghdad.
  • A new video allegedly showed Syrian rebels executing four men accused of collaborating with government forces.
  • A spokesman for the EU's foreign policy chief said Tuesday that the United States, Russia, China, France. Britain, and Germany will hold a new round of nuclear talks with Iran on Feb. 26.

Africa

  • Suspected Nigerian pirates hijacked a French-owned oil tanker off the coast of Abidjan and took its 17 crew members hostage.
  • South Africa increased wages for farm workers by 52 percent following a violent strike in the Western Cape region.
  • South Sudanese troops failed to withdraw from the border with Sudan in time for Monday's deadline to create a buffer zone between the two states.

Asia

  • The government of Myanmar held peace talks with members of the rebel Kachin Independence Army in China on Monday.
  • The U.S. military lifted a ban on Kam Air, a major Afghan airline that was suspected of smuggling drugs.
  • Malala Yousufzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban last October, said in a video statement that she is recovering and remains focused on fighting for girls' education. 

Americas

  • National Liberation Army rebels in Colombia said Monday that they captured two foreigners who are thought to be from Germany.
  • The lower chamber of the Brazilian Congress elected Henrique Alves as its speaker on Monday, despite the fact that he is currently under investigation for corruption.
  • Argentina announced a price freeze on supermarket items Monday in an effort to curb inflation, which economists estimate could reach as high as 30 percent this year.

Europe

  • A Greek prosecutor ordered an investigation into allegations of police brutality Monday after authorities released digitally altered mug shots of four bank robbers.
  • Two Serbian children were injured in the northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica after a hand grenade was apparently lobbed at their home.
  • Rev. Justin Welby was sworn in as the new archbishop of Canterbury on Monday in a ceremony at St. Paul's cathedral in London.



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Morning Brief: Triumphant Hollande visits Timbuktu as French airstrikes continue

Posted By Elias Groll Monday, February 4, 2013 - 9:41 AM

Top news: French President Francois Hollande was hailed as a liberator Saturday during a visit  to Timbuktu, Mali, where he praised the military campaign to oust Islamist rebels while vowing that France would soon transfer responsibility for the mission to African forces.

Hollande has repeatedly stressed that the French military intervention in Mali would be short lived, but that commitment has in recent days run up against the reality on the ground, where Islamist rebels have ceded control of most of Mali's major cities but have likely taken refuge in the country's rugged mountains and caves. As a result, French airstrikes continued over the weekend as fighter jets bombed rebel training camps and arms and fuel depots. According to French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, the rebels "cannot stay there a long time unless they have ways to get new supplies."

Despite the continuing instability in the country, French forces said they would withdraw from Timbuktu on Thursday. That move would appear to signal a shift in the French strategy as it pivots from seeking control of Mali's major cities and tries to strike rebels who have taken refuge in remote parts of the country. Still, French forces do not control all of Mali's major cities. Though French forces control the airport at Kidal, but Tuareg rebels remain in control of the town. 

In a press conference at the French ambassador's residence, Hollande acknowledged the difficulties still facing the mission. "There is still a whole part of the north that remains unconquered ... There are terrorist elements concentrated in some areas of the country, others who are dispersed. There are risks of terrorism. So, we have not yet finished our mission," he said.

Iran: Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that Iran is open to direct talks with the United States and that his country welcomed the resumption of multilateral negotiations scheduled for Feb. 25. Western diplomats, however, downplayed the significance of the remarks, saying that Salehi carries little policy making influence in Tehran.

Middle East

  • The leader of the Syrian opposition met with representatives of the United States and Russia on the sidelines of a Munich security conference.
  • The Israeli army said it arrested 25 members of Hamas, including three parliamentarians, in overnight operations in the West Bank.
  • An Egyptian opposition party said one of its members had been tortured to death by police, the latest in a string of police brutality cases in Egypt.

Asia

  • Amid reports of an imminent North Korean nuclear test, the United States and South Korea held a joint a naval exercise.
  • A Vietnamese court sentenced 22 people to jail on subversion charges as the government continues a crackdown on dissent.
  • Huge crowds gathered in Pnomh Penh for the cremation of former king Norodom Sihanouk.

Africa

  • A U.N. court in Rwanda overturned the conviction of two former ministers on charges they were complicit in the country's genocide.
  • Niger confirmed that French special forces are guarding one of the country's largest uranium mines.
  • Rebels in Senegal's Casamance region killed at least four people, including one Frenchman, in an attack on a bank in southern Senegal.

Europe

  • The leader of Spain's opposition called on Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to resign amid allegations that he received under the table payments.
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said that banks that fail to "ring-fence" their risky banking activities from their day-to-day operations will be broken up.
  • Archaeologists confirmed that the remains of King Richard III have been found underneath a Leicester parking lot.

Americas

  • Paraguyan presidential candidate Lino Oviedo died in a helicopter crash north of the capital Asuncion.
  • According to National Assembly Speaker Diosdado Cabello, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's health is "clearly improving."
  • Cuban leader Fidel Castro was seen in public for the first time in several months when he voted in Cuban parliamentary elections.



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Morning Brief: Bombing hits U.S. embassy in Ankara

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, February 1, 2013 - 9:47 AM

Top news: On Friday morning, a suicide bombing at the U.S. embassy in Ankara, Turkey, killed at least one person and wounded several others. The bomber detonated at a checkpoint outside the embassy compound.

Turkey has been one of the main proponents of international intervention in Syria and hosting NATO troops who are operating a Patriot missile system along the Syrian border. 

Syria: Syrian officials deliverered a letter to the United Nations claiming its right to counterattack Israel after an apparent Israeli airstrike on Syrian territory on Wednesday. Israel has kept silent about the incident in what experts believe is a tactic to allow Syria to save face and avoid further conflict. There are conflicting reports about what, exactly, was hit during the attack. 

The U.N. High Council for Refugees has reached the opposition-held Azaz area of Northern Syria for the first time, where it says 45,000 people are living in makeshift camps. 

U.S. politics: Secretary of State nominee Chuck Hagel faced withering criticism during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Middle East

Asia

Europe

Americas

  • An explosion at the headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex, killed at least 25 people. 
  • The U.S. has put the head of Colombia's Los Rastrojos gang on its drug kingpin list. 
  • Clashes between Colombian soldiers at Farc rebels killed 9 ahead of a new round of talks.  

Africa




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Morning Brief: Israel bombs arms shipment inside Syria

Posted By Ty McCormick Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 9:27 AM

Top news: Israeli warplanes bombed a convoy of trucks near the Syrian border with Lebanon on Wednesday, apparently targeting a shipment of Russian-made SA-17 missiles being trafficked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The attack, which marked the first time since 2007 that Israel has carried out a raid inside Syria, prompted harsh condemnation from embattled President Bashar al-Assad, but no immediate retaliation.

Israel did not confirm the strikes, but on Sunday it deployed the Iron Dome missile defense system near Haifa, which saw heavy bombing during the 2006 war with Hezbollah. Earlier this week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials held a series of security meetings, and warned that the transfer of chemical weapons to Hezbollah could necessitate a preemptive strike.

The attack highlights Israel's increasing concern that Hezbollah will take advantage of the chaos in Syria to arm itself against the Jewish state. For its part, the Shiite militant organization condemned the strike and expressed "full solidarity with Syria's command, army, and people."

Iran: Iranian exports of crude oil rebounded to their highest level since European Union sanctions went into effect last July, in part because of Chinese demand. Western sanctions halved Iran's oil production in 2012, but increasing demand from China -- as well as the acquisition of new tankers -- has dampened their effect. According to Reuters, Iran shipped more than 1.4 million bpd in December 2012, up from a low point of less than 900,000 bpd last September.  

Africa

  • French forces took control of Kidal, the last major rebel stronghold in northern Mali.
  • Zimbabwe's finance minister appealed to international donors to help pay for upcoming elections after revealing that the government had only $217 left in its accounts.
  • Most of the ancient manuscripts housed in the northern Malian city of Timbuktu survived the city's occupation by Islamist militants.

Middle East

  • Iran told the U.N. nuclear watchdog in a letter that it plans to upgrade the uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz facility.  
  • Top Muslim Brotherhood officials and members of the Egyptian opposition held talks Thursday in an effort to halt ongoing violence.
  • The United Nations said that international donors have pledged more than $1.5 billion in aid to help civilians affected by the war in Syria.  

Europe

  • A Russian court upheld an Internet ban against members of the punk band Pussy Riot.
  • Anti-austerity protesters clashed with police in Athens Wednesday and stormed the Labor Ministry.
  • German authorities opened a new investigation into the 1944 massacre of 642 people by SS troops in the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane.

Asia

  • Fourteen people pleaded guilty to "encouraging mass violence" in eastern China last year where scores of police were hurt and government offices were stormed.
  • Chinese computer hackers have repeatedly attacked the New York Times' network over the last four months.
  • The South Korean satellite launched Wednesday successfully made contact with a station on the ground.

Americas

  • A magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked central-northern Chile on Wednesday, but no major damage was reported.
  • Cuba granted a passport to prominent anti-government blogger Yoani Sanchez.
  • FARC rebels in Colombia said they intend to continue capturing military personnel, despite warnings that it could undermine peace negotiations.



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Morning Brief: Amid continuing unrest, Egyptian army chief warns of state collapse

Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - 9:46 AM

Top news: Egyptians defied curfews in three major cities on Tuesday as clashes with police continued as the head of the Egyptian army warned that unrest could topple the state, the most pointed sign yet of exasperation from the country's most powerful institution.

In his most critical comments to date, Gen. Abdul Fattah el-Sisi, the defense minister, said that "political, economic, social, and security challenges" require united action since disagreements between the Islamist government and their opponents "on running the affairs of the country may lead to the collapse of the state and threatens the future of the coming generations." While there was no immediate indication that the military would move to seize power, el-Sisi's comments puts the military in a difficult bind as it is caught between the government's instructions to put down the unrest and Egyptian's unwillingness to restore calm to the streets.

Responding to a call by President Mohammed Morsy to join a national dialogue, prominent Egyptian politicians in the opposition bickered over who was responsible for the violence, and Mohammed el-Baradei, the former diplomat and failed presidential candidate, called for a unity government that would include members of the opposition.

Despite appealing for calm and granting the police extra powers, Morsy appeared powerless to stop the unrest, fueled by discontent over his regime's sluggishness to implement reforms and death sentences against a group of soccer fans that sent their families and hooligans into the street.

U.S. politics: The U.S. Senate confirmed John Kerry, the democratic senator from Massachusetts and former presidential candidate, as the next secretary of state in a an overwhelming vote, 94-3. Three Republicans -- John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas and James Inhofe of Oklahoma -- voted against the nomination. Kerry voted present.

Middle East

  • The bodies of at least 65 people, some with their hands tied behind their backs, were found along the bank of a river in Aleppo, Syria.
  • As the number of people who fled the conflict in Syria approaching 1 million, aid leaders are asking for a major boost in funding.
  • Israel said it will transfer tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority that it froze last year.

Asia

  • The government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, abolished a 25-year ban on public gatherings of more than five people.
  • South Korea successfully launched a satellite into space, putting an observational satellite into orbit, for the first time.
  • Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard called for a general election on September 14. 

Africa

  • French forces took control of the airport in Kidal, Mali, as they advance steadily northward.
  • A suicide bomber killed two outside the prime minister's residence at the Somali presidential palace.
  • A Dutch court rejected four out five allegations that oil-giant Shell was responsible for pollution in the Niger River delta.

Europe

  • In the latest sign of worsening relations between the two countries, Russia abanadoned a drug and crime-fighting agreement with the United States. 
  • Britain said it would increase aid to France and other African nations seeking to quell the Islamist uprising in Mali.
  • The downturn of the Spanish economy worsened during the last qurter of 2012 as output fell 1.8 percent on the previous year.

Americas

  • A judge at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay is weighing how much access to top secret areas of the detention facility to grant defense lawyers.
  • Mexican authorities have broken up a cult along the U.S.-Mexico border alleged to have run a sex-slavery ring.
  • Brazilian police said that the use of an outdoor flare likely started a fire at a nightclub in Brazil that killed at least 230.



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Morning Brief: France retakes Timbuktu, indicates Mali mission may be drawing to close

Posted By Ty McCormick Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - 9:35 AM

Top news: After French and African troops secured the historic city of Timbuktu, which had been under the control of militant Islamists since April 2012, French President François Hollande indicated that his country's involvement in Mali may be drawing to a close.  "We are winning this battle," Hollande said in televised remarks on Monday. "Now, the Africans can take over."

The assault comes less than 48 hours after French forces retook the city of Gao, which, like Timbuktu, is strategically important because of its airport. The militants are thought to have retreated to the Adrar des Ifoghas mountain range, north of Timbuktu, but officials also fear they may have melted away into the population. "They've seen that fighting us directly rarely ends well for them," a French military spokesman told the Wall Street Journal. "They're not stupid, and they are choosing a mode of action that avoids confrontation -- at least for now."

Prior to retreating, the militants set fire to the Ahmed Baba Institute, which contains thousands of priceless manuscripts dating back to the 13th century.

Counterterrorism: The U.S. Africa Command plans to establish a drone base somewhere in northwest Africa in order to increase unarmed surveillance missions in the region. "This is directly related to the Mali mission, but it could also give Africom a more enduring presence for I.S.R.," an anonymous military official told the New York Times, referring to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The most likely location for the base is Niger, which borders Mali to the east, but officials are also looking at Burkina Faso as a potential base of operations.

Africa

  • Fighting between South Sudanese soldiers and guards of a former rebel commander in the eastern town of Pibor left four people dead on Monday.
  • France asked its citizens to evacuate northern Nigeria following threats associated with the French intervention in Mali.
  • An attack by militants on an oil pipeline in Algeria's Djebahia region left two guards dead and seven others wounded.

Middle East

  • Yemeni security forces intercepted a boat filled with explosives and other weapons, potentially en route from Iran.
  • Protests in Egypt continued into the night Monday, despite official curfews and a temporary state of emergency.
  • The United Nations reported that some 700,000 refugees have fled Syria in the 22-month civil war.

Asia

  • The Philippine Congress approved a bill Monday compensating those who were brutalized or killed during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos.
  • A court in India ruled Monday that one of the six people accused in the deadly Delhi gang rape is a minor and should be tried accordingly.  
  • Flooding in northeast Australia Tuesday prompted roughly 1,000 helicopter evacuations.

Americas

  • A court in Guatemala ordered former dictator Efrain Rios Montt to stand trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
  • The U.S. State Department plans to shutter the office responsible for closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
  • Cuban President Raul Castro assumed the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Monday at a summit in Santiago, Chile.

Europe

  • Dutch Queen Beatrix abdicated Monday in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander, who will be sworn in on April 30.
  • Greece's finance minister said Monday that the probability of a so-called Grexit is "very small." 
  • A Moscow court on Monday scheduled preliminary hearings in the case against whistleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, even though he died in 2009.



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Morning Brief: Morsy declares state of emergency amid spreading unrest

Posted By Elias Groll Monday, January 28, 2013 - 9:37 AM

Top news: President Mohamed Morsy declared a state of emergency and a curfew in three major Egyptian cities, deploying one of the most hated tools of the Mubarak regime in order to quell rising unrest on Egyptian streets.

Clashes between police and protesters over the weekend left at least 50 dead and hundreds injured as critics of Morsy's government launched nationwide protests to mark the anniversary of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak from power and to protest what they view as an increasingly authoritarian government. With the situation already tense, a ruling issued by a court in Port Said that sentenced 21 defendants to death for a deadly soccer riot in February, 2012, caused protesters to take to the streets there, resulting in pitched street battles in which police opened fire on protesters. Taken together, the violence is some of the worst the country has seen in the two since Mubarak's downfall.

In a televised address Sunday, Morsy said that street-violence represented a potential counter-revolution and that he was acting in order to stop a blood bath. “There is no room for hesitation, so that everybody knows the institution of the state is capable of protecting the citizens,” he said. “If I see that the homeland and its children are in danger, I will be forced to do more than that. For the sake of Egypt, I will.”

Morsy's government, which has struggled to jump-start the languishing Egyptian economy and heal the social and political rifts exposed by the revolution, sent a bill to the Egyptian parliament on Monday that would give the military a greater role in maintaining law on order on the streets. The slow pace of reforms and the government's unwillingness to hold accountable individuals, particularly within the armed forces, have been key in sowing dissent and fueling explosive street protests. 

Brazil: At least 233 people were killed in a fire at a Brazilian night club in the city of Santa Maria.  Sparked by the band's pyrotechnics, the fire quickly swept through the club, leaving a panicked crowd composed mostly of local students little time to escape. Many of the doors to club had been locked, resulting in a mad scramble to the exit.

Middle East

  • Israeli officials said they would consider launching a pre-emptive strike to prevent Syrian chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
  • Iran denied foreign media reports that a major explosion had occurred at its underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo.
  • A brain scan carried out on former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has spent the last seven years in a coma, indicated significant brain activity. 

Africa

  • French and Malian forces seized control of the Timbuktu airport and roads leading to the city.
  • Islamist extremists set fire to a library in Timbuktu containing troves of ancient and historic manuscripts.
  • Though the effort has not yet received Security Council approval, U.N. officials are planning for an intervention force to combat rebels in Congo. 

Asia

  • In the latest of a series of belligerent statements in response to tightening U.N. sanctions, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un instructed top military and party officials to carry out “substantial and high-profile important state measures.”
  • The Philippine legislature approved a measure to award compensation to victims of abuses carried out by Ferdinand Marcos.
  • Toyota reclaimed its title as the world's largest automaker. 

Europe

  • Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi praised the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini as a good leader, drawing outrage and calls for Berlusconi's prosecution.
  • Around 100,000 people demonstrated in the streets of Paris to demonstrate in support of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, which French lawmakers will take up for debate on Tuesday.
  • Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the junior partner in the governing coalition, slammed British Prime Minister David Cameron's proposal for a referendum on continued UK membership in the European Union.

Americas

  • A group of U.S. Senators have agreed on the framework of a deal to overhaul the country's immigration system.
  • In one of the deadliest prison uprisings in Venezuela's history, at least 58 people were killed and another 46 were wounded.
  • Argentina and Iran agreed to establish a truth commission to investigate a bombing at a Jewish center nearly two decades ago in which several Iranians are believed to have been involved.



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Morning Brief: Reports of abuses emerge as Malian and French forces advance

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, January 25, 2013 - 9:36 AM

Top news: The Malian Army, assisted by French forces, has made its farthest push into territory controlled by Islamist rebels, taking the town of Hombori, which is 93 miles beyond the current line of control and 155 miles from the rebel stronghold of Gao. There are currently around 2,400 French troops in the country as well as 1,750 troops from seven African countries.  

Ansar Dine, the main militant group in Northern Mali, has reportedly split into two. The new splinter group -- Islamic Movement for the Azawad -- says it will seek negotiations with the government and fight against its former allies. It will be at least the sixth group fighting in Northern Mali. 

As Malian troops advance, accusations have emerged of summary executions and other abuses committed against suspected Islamist sympathizers. Witnesses have described an incident in which troops rounded up and killed those without national identity cards at a bus stop, around the time the French intervention began. The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights has called for an investigation of the incident.  

France's defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has admitted that "there's a risk" of abuses by Malian forces. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of the United States Africa Command says the Pentagon made mistakes in training Malian forces, failing to instill in them "values, ethics and a military ethos".

U.S. politics: Secretary of State nominee John Kerry passed smoothly through his Senate confirmation hearing.

Middle East

Asia

Americas

  • Cuba confirmed that it is testing a fiber-optic cable from Venezuela. 
  • A Farc spokesman says peace talks with the government are accelerating. 
  • A Frenchwoman who spent seven years in Mexican prison on kidnapping charges has been released.

Europe

Africa

  • Protesters are trying to block a weapons shipment to Zimbabwe from neighboring South Africa.
  • Peace talks between M23 rebels and the Congolese government may be on the verge of breaking down.  
  • The eldest daughter of Angola's president has become Africa's first female billionaire. 



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Morning Brief: Military opens combat roles to women

Posted By Ty McCormick Thursday, January 24, 2013 - 9:46 AM

Top news: Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is expected to announce Thursday that female service members will soon be allowed to serve in combat roles previously open only to men. The announcement follows the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay service members in 2011, and removes the final impediment to a fully inclusive military.

According to defense officials, the decision was made upon the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and will be fully implemented by 2016. For years activists and lawmakers have been pushing for the military to open combat roles to women, and last year the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon for its discriminatory policy. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash), outgoing head of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, called the decision "an historic step for equality and for recognizing the role women have, and will continue to play, in the defense of our nation."

Already, women represented 2 percent of casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, where counterinsurgency strategy made the front lines diffucult to discern. In 11 years of war, 84 women have been killed.

Benghazi: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified for six hours Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs committee on the State Department's handling of the deadly 9/11 terrorist attack in Libya's second city. She again acknowledged responsibility for the security lapses at the consulate, but delivered a spirited defense of the Obama administration's response to the crisis, dismissing Republican allegations of a White House cover-up and at times growing emotional during her testimony. At one point, when asked by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis) about shifting explanations for the attack, she pounded the table and demanded, "What difference, at this point, does it make?"

Middle East

  • A U.S drone strike in northern Yemen killed at least six members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, according to local sources.
  • The Muslim Brotherhood boycotted Jordan's first parliamentary election since the Arab uprisings began in 2011.
  • The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Wednesday that wheat and barley production in Syria has been halved since the conflict broke out 22 months ago.

Africa

  • South African police arrested 256 people during a protest in Sasolburg that left two people dead.
  • A rights group accused the Malian army of carrying out summary executions in the fight against Islamist militants for control of the north.
  • Kenya broke ground on a $14.5 billion project to build a new IT and business hub in Konza.

Asia

  • A Thai judge sentenced a former magazine editor to 10 years in prison for publishing articles that defamed King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
  • Japan reported a record high trade deficit of $78 billion for 2012.
  • A Japanese envoy told Chinese officials Wednesday that Japan wants to improve relations between the two countries. 

Americas

  • Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro claimed Wednesday that he is the target of an assassination plot.
  • Mexican authorities arrested 11 members of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel in connection with the recent killing and dismembering of 16 people.
  • A Mexican court ordered the release of Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman previously sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping.  

Europe

  • British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Wednesday to hold a referendum on UK membership in the EU by 2017.
  • Bosnia postponed its first census since the 1992-1995 war because of regional disagreements.
  • Portugal saw strong demand in its first bond sale since receiving a bailout in May 2011.



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Morning Brief: Netanyahu clings to power amid a disappointing Likud showing

Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - 9:45 AM

Top news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likely suceeded in holding on to power in Israeli parliamentary elections but emerged from the polls significantly weakened after his right-wing coalition lost seats in the Knesset, according to exit polls. With nearly all the votes counted, early reports indicate that each block received 60 of parliament's 120 seats, but because certain Arab parties are excluded from coalition building, it is likely Netanyahu will be asked to form a coalition government and retain his hold on the premiership.

The vote represents a powerful rebuke of Netanyahu, who called the election with the expectation that he would cruise to victory and consolidate political power with a right-wing coalition. The election's biggest victor is Yair Lapid, the leader of the centrist party, Yesh Atid, which won 19 seats in the legislature, second only to Likud's 31. A political newcomer, Lapid ran a charismatic and centirst campaign focused on domestic issues and on a call to integrate Israel's ultra-orthodox population, which has been growing at a rapid pace in recent years, into the army and workforce.

The messy process of coalition building now begins, and while Netanyahu is likely to remain as prime minister, he will have to cobble together a coalition on the heels of a humiliating election defeat. Netanyahu, who said he would like to form a broad coalition government, called Lapid and told him that "we have the opportunity to do great things together."

In remarks to his supporters after the announcement of initial results, Lapid sounded a similar note of unity, raising the possibility that a broad coalition government may be formed. "I call on the leaders of the political establishment to work with me together, to the best of their ability to form as broad a government as possible that will contain moderate forces from the left and right, the right and the left, so that we will truly be able to bring about real change," Lapid said.

United Kingdom: British Prime Minister David Cameron said that he would offer a referendum on continued UK membership in the European Union after his government has negotiated concessions in the terms of the country's membership. Cameron's Tories face an electoral challenge from the right in the UK Independence Party, which has been gaining in the polls recently and threatens to unseat the Conservative government. But the remarks, which came in a long-awaited speech and were aimed at shoring up the Conservative flank, elicited furrowed brows in European capitals. "You cannot do Europe à la carte,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. "Imagine the E.U. was a soccer club: once you’ve joined up and you’re in this club, you can’t then say you want to play rugby."


Middle East

  • Russia began evacuating its citizens from Syria, the latest indication of increasing skepticism in Moscow that the Syrian regime will maintain its grip on power.
  • Algerian forces searched the Sahara Desert for five foreign workers who disappeared during a hostage drama at a natural gas complex.
  • Jordanians are heading to the polls today to decide a parliamentary election boycotted by the largest opposition parties.

Asia

  • On the heels of a U.N. Security Council decision to tighten sanctions, North Korea hinted that it might conduct a test of a nuclear weapon.
  • Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Indian officials warned residents of war-torn Kashmir to prepare for a possible nuclear war.
  • Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin relinquished his position in the formal Chinese pecking order as he steps back during the country's ongoing political transition.

Africa

  • The United States began airlifting French forces to the Malian capital of Bamako in support of France's ongoing military operations in Mali.
  • Gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram killed at least 23 people in separate attacks in northeastern Nigeria.
  • Former Liberian President Charles Taylor began his appeal of the 50-year sentence delivered against him for war crimes.

Europe

  • European finance ministers have given the green light for 11 eurozone members to develop a financial transactions tax aimed at stemming speculative trading.
  • France and Germany marked the 50th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty, which helped reconcile the two formerly bitter enemies.
  • Three men have been arrested in connection with a Rotterdam art heist last October.

Americas

  • Venezuelan government officials said President Hugo Chavez is in good spirits and recovering but declined to say when the embattled president would return from Cuba.
  • U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify today on Capitol Hill about the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
  • Water supply in the Chilean capital of Santiago is being restored after flash flooding forced the closure of sanitation plants and left some two million people without water.



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Morning Brief: Obama vows to take on climate change in inaugural speech

Posted By Ty McCormick Tuesday, January 22, 2013 - 9:29 AM

Top news: In his second inaugural address Monday, President Barack Obama vowed to take on climate change in the next four years, saying that America must lead the transition to sustainable energy sources. "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," he said. "Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms."

"The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries -- we must claim its promise. That's how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure -- our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God," he said.

The White House has not yet rolled out the specifics of its second-term climate agenda, but analysts believe that a major legislative push to curb greenhouse emissions is unlikely. Instead, it is thought the president could take a series of executive actions to address climate change, including tightening emissions standards at existing power plants and nixing the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from the tar sands in Alberta to multiple locations in the United States. The Pentagon is also expected to take additional steps toward reducing carbon emissions.

Mali intervention: French and Malian forces recaptured the central Malian towns of Diabaly and Douentza Monday, pushing the Islamist militants back into the north of the country. France has deployed 2,150 ground troops to Mali, as well has helicopters and fighter jets, while Chad and the West African bloc ECOWAS have sent roughly 1,000 troops. That number is expected to grow to 5,000 in the coming weeks.

Middle East

  • Benjamin Netanyahu looks poised to win his third term as prime minister in Tuesday's parliamentary election in Israel.
  • Algeria's prime minister defended his country's aggressive response to the recent hostage crisis, even as the death toll rose to 37 foreigners.
  • The first of six NATO Patriot missile batteries arrived in Turkey Monday. They are expected to be deployed along the Syrian border.

Africa

  • Soldiers stormed Eritrea's Ministry of Information Monday in an apparent attempt to oust President Isaias Afwerki, but government forces quickly quashed the rebellion. 
  • Pirates seized a Nigerian-owned tanker off the coast of Abidjan, taking 16 crew members hostage.
  • An Ivory Coast prosecutor charged former youth minister Charles Ble Goude with war crimes and murder for his role in the 2011 post-election violence.

Asia

  • Five Taliban suicide bombers stormed the headquarters of the Kabul traffic police Monday, igniting a gun battle that left three officers dead.
  • The trial of five men accused in the deadly New Delhi gang rape is scheduled to begin Thursday.
  • A Bangladeshi tribunal sentenced Muslim cleric Abul Kalam Azad to death for war crimes committed during the country's 1971 independence war.

Europe

  • Russia's Emergency Services Ministry announced Monday that it will send two airplanes to Beirut in order to evacuate roughly 100 Russians fleeing Syria.
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday that the United Kingdom will consider sending additional transport and surveillance assistance to French forces fighting in Mali.
  • The new high-speed railway connecting Amsterdam and Brussels has suspended service because of a series of technical problems.

Americas

  • FARC rebels ended their two-month long unilateral ceasefire amid ongoing peace talks with the Colombian government in Cuba.
  • Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is expected to return from Cuba in the "coming days," according to his brother.
  • A helicopter crash in Sao Paulo, Brazil left the pilot dead and three passengers injured.



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Morning Brief: Algeria kidnappers make new threats as rescue operations continue

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, January 18, 2013 - 9:51 AM

Top story: Efforts to free hostages taken at the In Amenas gas installation in Algeria are apparently ongoing, according to the British government, amid conflicting of the number of casualties and the number of hostages still at risk. Algerian state radio is reporting that 18 militants were killed in a military raid yesterday, which was apparently launched without the consultation of the governments whose citizens are also being held at the facility, and resulted in the deaths of some of the hostages. 

British Prime Minister David Cameron said that "less than 30" British citizens were still at risk at the facility.  The Japanese government said that three of its citizens escaped but 14 are still unaccounted for. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that "somewhere in the vicinity" of 7 or 8 Americans were taken hostage. He also said that about 100 people total were at the facility when it was attacked, which contradicts Algerian reports that 600 Algerian workers were freed in Thursday's raid. 

There are also reports that a U.S. aircraft has landed nearby to evacuate U.S. citizens and that an American predator drone is monitoring the site. 

A spokesman for the group behind the attack, called Al Mulathameen, warned of more attacks to come, saying Algerians should “keep away from the installations of foreign companies, because we will suddenly attack where no one would expect it.” The attack on In Amenas was in retaliation for the French intervention to combat Islamist militants in Mali. 

Authorities believe that the veteran Algerian Jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar -- one of the senior leaders of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb until he broke with the group last year -- is the mastermind of this latest attack.

Mali: The Malian government dispatched troops to keep the town of Banamba out of rebel hands. Meanwhile, West African troops arrived in the country for the first time to support French and local forces. About 100 Togolese troops have already arrived and more are expected from Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. 

Middle East

  • A large explosion hit Aleppo, Syria, which state media blamed on a "terrorist group."
  • Thousands gathered in Diyarbakir, Turkey to honor the three Kurdish activists who were killed in Paris last week. 
  • Gunmen ambushed a Lebanese government minister's convoy. 

Europe

  • The Russian government says it will allow U.S. adoptions in their final stages to go through. 
  • Greece's former finance minister is being investigated for removing two of his relatives from a list of tax cheats. 
  • In a now-delayed speech, Prime Minister David Cameron will warn that Britain may "drift towards" exiting the EU if concerns are not addressed. 

Asia

Africa

Americas




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Morning Brief: French fight against rebels in Mali intensifies

Posted By Elias Groll Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 9:31 AM

Top news: France's military campaign in Mali intensified on Wednesday as its forces pushed north in an attempt to dislodge Islamist rebel groups, bringing French troops into direct combat with rebels who appear to have dug in and prepared for an extended fight.

Continuing a two-pronged assault with air strikes and a ground assault, French forces alongside Malian troops ringed the town of Diabaly, where militants have spread throughout the population and continued air-strikes have failed to rout the rebels. Fighting to expel the rebels from the city took place for much of the day Wednesday, but as of Thursday morning it appeared the rebels had managed to hold on to the city amid continuing reports of French airstrikes there. Meanwhile, the French army launched strikes against the rebel-held town Konna, whose capture first sparked the French intervention.

In an attack that may confirm French fears of international reprisals in response to its intervention in Mali, a tense hostage crisis has developed in Algeria, where militants struck a BP gas field and took several foreigners hostage, including some Americans. Some 15 to 25 foreigners are said to have escaped, but the standoff between the militants and the Algerian government, which is considering considering inviting an international force, continues unabated.

Pakistan: Citing a lack of evidence, Pakistan's anti-corruption chief refused to arrest the country's prime minister on corruption charges, further inflaming a growing political crisis in the country. The decision comes as a radical cleric and thousands of protesters have laid siege to the capital and demanded that the government be dissolved.

Africa

  • The Somali militant group al-Shabab said it has killed captured French intelligence agent Denis Allex.
  • The U.S. government plans to extend official recognition to the government of Somalia.
  • Al-Qaeda linked gunmen killed five and wounded another three in a restaurant shooting in eastern Kenya.

Asia

  • Hong Kong's chief executive unveiled a series of proposals aimed at alleviating the city's chronic housing shortages and pollution.
  • Torrential rains inundated the Indonesian capital Jakarta, killing at least four and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.
  • Amid concerns for human rights abuses, the American military in Afghanistan has suspended the transfer of prisoners to some Afghan prisons. 

Middle East

  • A string of bombings in Iraq targeting Shiite pilgrims killed 22.
  • A poll gives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line bloc a comfortable lead ahead of elections next week.
  • Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy attempted to defuse a controversy over seemingly anti-Semitic remarks uttered in 2010. 

Europe

  • Amid a debate over the UK's future in the EU, Labour leader Ed Milliband warned that Prime Minister David Cameron is leading the country toward an exit from the EU.
  • Thousands of people turned out for the funeral for three PKK activists killed in Paris.
  • A Russian court denied a request by a member of the punk band Pussy Riot to defer her jail term until her son is a teenager. 

Americas

  • While ailing Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez remains incommunicado in Cuba, the Venezuelan government published a decree Wednesday bearing his signature.
  • U.S. aviation regulators -- in addition to several of their international counterparts -- grounded the new Boeing Dreamliner amid safety concerns.
  • Guatemalan police are investigating the murder of two young girls whose bodies were dumped in the streets of the country's capital.



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Morning Brief: French forces prepare for ground offensive against Mali rebels

Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - 10:02 AM

Top news: French troops prepared to launch a ground assault against Islamist militants in Mali amid reports that the rebels have dispersed throughout the population, raising the possibility that French ground forces face a protacted ground operation against a hardened insurgency.

After five days of airstrikes, the French military has been unable to dislodge the rebels, who are reported to have stockpiled weapons and supplies in caves around the country. Initial reports from Mali indicated that the French forces were seeing a great deal of success against the enemy, striking large columns of forces moving south, inflicting large casualties, and fueling optimistic assessments that the rebels would be quickly routed. But the rebels have since scattered and remain in control of the town of Konna, the seizure of which provoked the French intervention.

French forces will now begin a ground assault to drive the rebels north and will likely target the town of Diabaly. The push north is likely to French forces in "direct combat" with the Mali rebels, according to Edouard Guillaurd, the chief of staff of the French army. France has committed about 1,700 troops to the mission, with about 800 deployed in the country. While France has said that it does not plan an extended military deployment in Mali, the African forces slated to take over responsibility for the French mission are not expected to be ready for weeks.

Syria: Following deadly explosions at university in Aleppo that killed over 80 people, the Syrian army launched an offensive against rebels in the city. It is unclear who was responsible for the blast, which occurred as students were taking exams, and both sides of the conflict have accused the other of carrying out the attack.

Africa

  • The Somali militant group al-Shabab said that they plan kill captured French intelligence Denis Allex in response to a failed raid by French commandos to free the man.
  •  Islamist militants from Mali kidnapped at least eight foreigners at a BP facility in southern Algeria.
  • Somali police arrested a journalist after she wrote a story about a woman who claimed she had been raped by government security forces.

Asia

  • Pakistan's highest court ordered the arrest of the country's prime minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, as a radical cleric gathered thousands in the capital for anti-government protests.
  • Suicide bombers struck the headquarters of the Afghan intelligence service, setting off a powerful blast in one of Kabul's most heavily guarded districts.
  • A Pakistani soldier was killed in the disputed border territory Kashmir, which has seen sporadic exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops during the last 10 days. 

Middle East

  • Three powerful car bombs in Kirkuk that targeted the political leadership of the Kurdish autonomous region in Iraq's north killed at least 19 people and wounded another 200.
  • A secret State Department cable concluded that the Syrian government likely used chemical weapons in a deadly attack on Homs on Dec. 23.
  • U.N. investigators began a new round of talks with Iranian officials aimed at restarting an investigation into whether Iran tested atomic bomb triggers.

Europe

  • A helicopter crashed into a crane in central London and crashed onto the street amid the morning, killing two.
  • The German economy contracted by .5 percent in the last quarter of 2012, according to figures released Tuesday.
  • A member of the punk band Pussy Riot has asked a Russian court to defer her two-year sentence until her son is a teenager.

Americas

  • In response to last year's deadly shooting at a Connecticut school, U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to unveil today a proposal to overhaul American gun laws.
  • Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro stood in for ailing President Hugo Chavez and delivered the state-of-the-nation report to the national legislature. 
  • Cuba's health ministry acknowledged 51 new cases of cholera in the country's capital.



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Morning Brief: France steps up Mali intervention

Posted By Ty McCormick Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 10:04 AM

Top news: France on Tuesday ramped up its military operation in Mali, where militant Islamists have taken over the north of the country and are pushing south toward the capital, Bamako. French warplanes carried out airstrikes in the strategic village of Diabaly, which was overrun by militants Monday, and moved a column of armored vehicles into the capital. French President François Hollande, who is in the United Arab Emirates attempting to drum up Arab support for the operation, has already ordered 750 troops into Mali and says he will increase that number to 2,500. 

France's intervention, backed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council, has attracted broad-based support, including promises of military trainers from the European Union and logistical support from the United States, Canada, and Germany, among others. American surveillance drones are currently deployed in Mali, but U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday the United States has not reached a decision about whether to assist with air transport and midflight refueling.

West African nations have promised an additional 3,300 troops as part of a U.N.-authorized ECOWAS mission, but they have yet to arrive in Bamako. The head of ECOWAS in Bamako told Reuters that troops from Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Guinea are due to arrive within a week.

Pakistan: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on corruption charges, causing the Pakistani stock market to fall 3 points and plunging the country deeper into turmoil in the lead-up to elections. The order from chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry came just as popular cleric Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri rallied protesters outside Parliament to call for the government's ouster.

 

Africa

  • Suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram killed two Nigerian policemen Monday at a checkpoint in the northern Kano state.
  • Militants abducted four Chinese railroad workers in Sudan's North Darfur, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
  • A major mining company announced plans to cease production at four mines in South Africa, a move that could eliminate roughly 14,000 jobs.

Asia

  • Gen. Bikram Singh, India's chief of army staff, threatened retaliation against Pakistan for the Jan. 8 killing of two Indian soldiers in Kashmir.
  • President Hamid Karzai announced that the United States had agreed to provide Afghanistan with its own fleet of unarmed surveillance drones.
  • Shiites in the Pakistani city of Quetta finally agreed to bury the victims of last week's bombing attacks, after provincial leaders were sacked.

Middle East

  • The Iraqi government released more than 300 prisoners Monday in attempt to placate Sunni demonstrators.
  • More than 50 countries called on the U.N. Security Council to refer the crisis in Syria to the International Criminal Court.
  • A train carrying military recruits derailed south of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, leaving 17 dead.

Europe

  • Gunmen opened fire on the headquarters of Greece's governing New Democracy party, but no one was hurt.
  • A court in Milan rejected former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's bid to postpone his trial until after the February election.
  • A court in Austria sentenced former interior minister and Euro MP Ernst Strasser to four years in prison for accepting bribes. 

Americas

  • Brazilian officials urged Venezuela's government to hold new elections if President Hugo Chavez dies.
  • FARC rebels said their ceasefire will expire on Jan 20, as negotiations with the Colombian government continued in Cuba.
  • Gunman assassinated Carlos Enrique Castillo Medrano, the mayor the eastern Guatemalan town of Jutiapa.



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Morning Brief: France launches strikes in north Mali to halt Islamists' advance

Posted By Elias Groll Monday, January 14, 2013 - 10:14 AM

Top news: French fighter jets struck targets in the north of Mali on Sunday as France launched a military intervention to halt the advance of Islamist rebels. France has deployed 400 troops to the country, and seven other countries have vowed to aid the effort aimed at combating a well-armed that rebel movement that amid political turmoil has consolidated control of a swath of territory larger than Afghanistan.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that the strikes had succeeded in stemming the rebels' advance and promised that France would not get dragged into prolonged military interventions in its former colony.

The rebel movement in Mali's north, which defense officials have said has ties to al-Qaeda, has emerged as a serious challenge to the Malian government, arming itself with weapons from Libya following the fall of Muammar al-Qaddafi. French defense officials said over the weekend that the rebels were better armed than expected and that a French helicopter pilot had been killed in the fighting. In a statement, the French defense ministry said that its fighter planes had destroyed "numerous targets in northern Mali near Gao, in particular training camps, infrastructure and logistical depots which served as bases for terrorist groups." U.S. officials said that they are likely to support the French mission by providing surveillance drones and other limited assistance.

Despite pummelling by French forces, Malian militants say that they remain defiant. "Our jihadists are not a bunch of sheep waiting to be slaughtered inside a closed pen," Oumar Ould Hamaha, a rebel commander, told the Associated Press. "Listen closely to me. Our elements are constantly on the move. What they hit is a bunch of cement. France is going to reap the worst consequences possible from this. Now no French person can feel safe anywhere in the world. Every French national is a target." 

 Egypt: An Egyptian court overturned Hosni Mubarak's life sentence and ordered a retrial to consider charges stemming from his involvement in the deaths of protesters during the uprising against his regime.

Asia

  • The United Nations human rights chief called for an international commission to investigate human rights abuses in North Korea.
  • A roadside bomb in Pakistan's North Waziristan region killed 14 soldiers and wounded at least another 25.
  • Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that his government will reach a decision by the end of the year on whether to grant legal immunity to U.S. troops who stay past the 2014 end of the NATO mission.

    • Middle East

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push forward with a controversial West Bank housing settlement on a strip of land known as E-1.
  • A Syrian government airstrike killed at least 13 people, including eight children, in an early morning attack on a Damascus suburb.
  • With more than 600,000 having fled the country, the International Rescue Committee said that Syria faces a "staggering" humanitarian catastrophe.

    • Europe

  • British Prime Minister David Cameron said he did not support a referendum on the United Kingdom's continued membership in the European Union but added that he will try to renegotiate the country's membership agreement.
  • In an event billed as a "March Against Scoundrels," thousands of Russians took to the streets to protest a ban on the adoption of Russian children by Americans.
  • A protest Sunday drew over 300,000 to the feet of the Eiffel Tower to express opposition to French President Francois Hollande's plan to legalize same-sex marriage.

    • Africa

  • In a daring raid, French commandos failed to liberate an intelligence agent held hostage by Somali militants.
  • President Obama informed Congress that U.S. warplanes entered Somali airspace in support of the failed French raid there.
  • The Central African Republic reached a peace deal with rebels that will allow President Francois Bozize to stay in office until 2016.

    • Africa

  • As his supporters staged rallies across the country, the Venezuelan government announced that Hugo Chavez is responding favorably to treatment for a respiratory infection.
  • On Saturday, Haiti quietly marked the third anniversary of the earthquake that killed more than 300,000.
  • As authorities continue prepare the city for the coming World Cup and Olympic games, Police in Rio de Janeiro engaged in a tense stand-off Saturday with a settlement of indigenous people.



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    Morning Brief: Islamists advance in Mali as France vows intervention

    Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, January 11, 2013 - 9:46 AM

    Top news: Islamist rebels are advancing into territory held by the Malian government and appear to have taken the central town of Konna, which previously represented the outer limit of the military's control. The Malian Army has now retreated to a nearby airbase. “We have taken the town of Konna. We control Konna, and the Malian Army has fled. We have pushed them back,” said a spokesman for Ansar Dine, the rebel group. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of the U.S. Africa Command, described it as a "significant change in the situation."

    The U.N. Security Council held an emergency session last night, convened by France, to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali. The U.N. approved the deployment of an African force to Mali in December, but troops are not expected to be on the group until next September. Mali's interim president, Dioncounda Traore, sent a request for more immediate assistance to French President Francois Hollande and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

    Speaking this morning, Hollande vowed that France would intervene to stop any further advance by rebels in its former colony. "We are faced with a blatant aggression that is threatening Mali's very existence. France cannot accept this," he said. "We will be ready to stop the terrorists' offensive if it continues." French officials declined to comment on unconfirmed reports that aircraft carrying western soldiers landed at the airbase near Konna on Thursday night.

    Venezuela: Though Hugo Chavez is still being treated in Cuba and was unable to attend his inauguration yesterday, thousands of his supporters turned out for a rally in his support. 

    Asia

    • Dozens were killed in a bombing claimed by a Baluch separatist group in Quetta, Pakistan. 
    • Japan's government approved $116 billion in economic stimulus. 
    • China has reportedly sent troops to its border with Myanmar.

    Middle East

    Europe

    • The European Central Bank said the eurozone shows signs of stabilizing after keeping a key rate unchanged. 
    • Russia says a new law banning U.S. adoptions won't go into effect for another year. 
    • Turkey's prime minister blamed the deaths of three Kurdish activists killed in Paris this week on an internal feud. 

    Africa

    Americas

    • Mexico's new ambassador to the United States said he hopes Washington will impose new gun control laws. 
    • U.S. lawmakers have released documents showing bribery by Wal-Mart in Mexico. 
    • Cuba's new loosened travel laws will go into effect on Monday. 



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    Morning Brief: Venezuelan court says delay of Chavez's inauguration legal

    Posted By Ty McCormick Thursday, January 10, 2013 - 9:52 AM

    Top news: The Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled Wednesday that the postponement of President Hugo Chavez's inauguration is legal and that the president and vice president can remain in office. Chavez, who has been in Cuba receiving medical treatment for nearly a month, was unable to return for his Jan. 10 inauguration ceremony. The ruling represents a major blow to the opposition, which had called for National Assembly leader Diosdado Cabello to take over as caretaker president and for new elections to be held within 30 days. Chavez has said that Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be his successor.

    The Obama administration, meanwhile, has made an effort to open backchannel communications with Caracas in order to plan for a future without Chavez. "Regardless of what happens politically in Venezuela, if the Venezuelan government and if the Venezuelan people want to move forward with us, we think there is a path that's possible," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. "It is just going to take two to tango."

    Syria: Syrian authorities freed more than 2,100 prisoners Wednesday in exchange for the release of 48 Iranians who had been in rebel captivity since August. The swap was orchestrated by Turkey and Qatar and possibly indicates Iran's growing influence over the embattled Assad regime, analysts say. Also Wednesday, international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi told Reuters that Assad could not be part of a transitional government. The comments were the closest he's come to calling for Assad to step down.

    Asia

    • The private American delegation led by Bill Richardson and Eric Schmidt urged North Korea to halt missile tests and widen Internet access.
    • Chinese exports rose by 14 percent last year, as opposed to the 4 percent that was forecast.
    • A court in Vietnam sentenced 14 bloggers, writers, and activists to jail terms that range from 3 to 13 years.

    Africa

    • Sudanese rebels took control of two towns in the Darfur region Wednesday amid heavy fighting. 
    • Seleka rebels and the government of the Central African Republic began peace talks Wednesday, but neither side appeared ready for a ceasefire.
    • South African police dispersed striking farm workers with rubber bullets in the town of De Doorns, roughly 60 miles east of Cape Town.

    Middle East

    • Opponents of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki demanded he appear before parliament for questioning Wednesday in an attempt to force a no confidence vote. 
    • Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Cairo in an attempt to heal the rift between the two factions.
    • Egypt's ultraconservative salafi Al-Nour party elected Younis Makhyoun as its new leader.

    Americas

    • Mexico's new government introduced a new law to keep track of drug war victims and compensate their families.
    • A prosecutor in Brazil agreed to analyze testimony tying former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to a corruption scandal that led to several convictions last year.
    • Grenada's prime minister dissolved parliament on Wednesday, paving the way for a new general election.  

    Europe

    • Greek police arrested 100 squatters in Athens Wednesday, setting off protests across the city.
    • Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon urged Britain not to distance itself from the European Union.
    • Four Polish soldiers who were previously acquitted of killing eight Afghan civilians in 2007 went on trial for a second time in Warsaw.



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    Morning Brief: Amid brewing constitutional crisis, Venezuela delays swearing in of Hugo Chavez

    Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - 10:30 AM

    Top news: Still battling complications from cancer surgery in Cuba, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will not return to his country in time to be sworn in for his fourth term at a scheduled Thursday inauguration, a delay that is likely to pitch Venezuela into a constitutional crisis.

    In a statement read to the National Assembly Tuesday, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said that "the medical team working to reestablish [Chavez's] health agrees that the postoperative recovery period should extend past Jan. 10, and so he will not be able to appear before the National Assembly on that date." In response, the legislative body approved an unlimited absence for the ailing Chavez.

    Chavez has not been seen or heard from in nearly a month and is reportedly battling a respiratory infection stemming from an operation to treat cancer. In his absence, Chavez's allies have moved to consolidate control of the government. Earlier this week, the legislature elected Diosdado Cabello, a Chavez ally, as the head of the National Assembly. If Chavez is unable to return, Cabello will temporarily assume power and be charged with setting up new presidential elections.

    The dispute now turns on two differing interpretations of the Venezuelan constitution. Chavez's allies claim that a provision of the constitution allowing the president to be sworn in before the supreme court as an alternative to the national legislature indicates that there is no hard deadline for the president to assume office. The opposition disputes that interpretation and has called for the country's supreme court to step in and settle the matter. "There is no monarchy here, and we aren't in Cuba," Henrique Capriles, a state governor who was defeated by Chavez at the polls in October, said Tuesday. 

    Syria: In the largest prisoner swap since the start of the Syrian conflict, the government began releasing more than 2,000 prisoners in exchange for a group of 48 Iranians held by Syrian rebels.

    Asia

    • A tentative deal has been reached to end a newsroom strike over censorship controls at a southern Chinese newspaper.
    • The White House said that it is considering not leaving a residual force in Afghanistan following the end of the NATO mission in 2014.
    • One of two Indian soldiers killed in an attack by Pakistani forces was beheaded.

    Europe

    • Amid a debate over the United Kingdom's future in the European Union, business leaders are urging Prime Minister David Cameron not to "risk" the country's membership.
    • Business morale rose for the second straight month in the eurozone, which also saw rising unemployment.
    • Polish prosecutors opened an investigation to examine allegations that a Swedish artist used ashes from a Nazi deathcamp in Poland in a painting.

    Africa

    • Ahead of peace talks with the government, M23 rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire.
    • Police arrested 50 striking farm workers amid a confrontation between laborers and police in an area of South Africa vital to the country's wine production.
    • A massive fire struck a waterfront slum in Lagos, Nigeria.

    Americas

    • Colombia's attorney general reopened an investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe's ties to right-wing paramilitary groups during his time as a state governor.
    • According to a domestic newspaper report, former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva will be investigated over allegations that he knew about a cash-for-votes scheme.
    • Four people were mauled to death by wild dogs in Mexico.

    Middle East

    • Egyptian President Mohammed Morsy will mediate talks between Fatah and Hamas aimed at implementing a unity pact between the two groups.
    • A winter storm has brought miserable conditions to refugee camps for those who have fled the war in Syria.
    • With Egypt rapidly running out of cash amid efforts to prop up its currency, Qatar stepped in to offer the country an additional $2.5 billion in aid.



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