Latin America
Indigenous tribe clashes with Columbian police forces
Columbian police forces have forcefully removed an indigenous tribe from a mountainous region they were occupying, with more than 20 people injured. The tribe took an army post on Cerro Berlin on Tuesday, forcing soldiers to leave. Anti-riot police were subsequently sent to the area. The tribe says that they want to armed forces to leave because it instigates violence from the Farc rebels. Cerro Berlin is in the Cauca province where Farc rebels are dominant. The area is used as a key drug smuggling area.
Africa and Middle East
Violence increases in Syria
There has been an increase in violence around the area of Damascus. The violence comes amidst Wednesday’s reported suicide bomb. The bomb killed three top figures of the al-Assad regime; the defense minister, the President’s brother-in-law and head of Mr. Assad’s crisis team. It is said to be one of the worst attacks since the Syria conflict began. The London based NGO, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, has claimed that after today more than 150 people had died in the 16-month crisis. After Wednesday the Syrian government has said it will get rid of “criminal and murder gangs”. It leaves further questions on what should or can the international community do as the urgency of events appears to heighten, with a White House Spokesman saying that President Assad is loosing control.
UK supports EU in lifting Zimbabwe sanctions
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said that it supports the EU notion to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe in a bid to encourage free and fair elections, the BBC has learned. President Robert Mugabe and 100 plus of his closest alliances are currently subjects of restrictions on their assets and travel within the European region. EU ministers are due to meet on Monday over the decision, although the UK has explicitly said it plans on maintaining such restrictions on President Mugabe himself.
Europe
Men cleared of Riot Deaths
Eight men have been found not guilty of the deaths of three people during the Birmingham riots last summer. The three died when a car hit them, after they reportedly went to the streets to protect local businesses from the mania. Mr Justice Flaux said that the accident was a “tragic and pointless” loss of lives, adding that what happened in across UK cities last year “should never be repeated”.
‘Suicide Bomber’ blasts Israeli bus in Bulgaria
Officials have said that the bombing of an Israeli tourist bus in Bulgaria was appears to have been undertaken by a suicide bomber with fake US documents. Atleast seven have died, with 34 injured at the attack in Burgas airport. The Israeli defence minister has said that Lebanese Hezbollah is to blame, under Iranian auspices. The Iranian President, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement “Israel will respond forcefully to Iranian terror”.
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