UNITED STATES ANOTHER CLOSE CALL, this time in Times Square, as Pakistani-born American attempts to detonate car bomb. BLAIR RESIGNS, ending tumultuous and controversial tenure as Director of National Intelligence. ARIZONA BOYCOTTED by a number of cities over SB 1070; the Left protests effort to curb the spillover from Mexico’s drug war as a number of other states consider similar legislation. ICE DIRECTOR PONDERS REFUSAL to act on referrals from Arizona as Governor Jan Brewer pleads for more helicopters. NATIONAL GUARDSMEN DEPLOYED to border.
PARAGUAY PEOPLE’S ARMY OF PARAGUAY GUERRILLAS, trained by FARC, terrorize and kidnap, forcing a state of emergency in an anti-terror crackdown.
COLOMBIA ARMY EXPLOSIVES COMMANDER BLOWN UP by landmine as he tried to dismantle explosives the FARC had used to blow up power plant in residential areas. Nearly 7500 have been killed with landmines since 1990. FARC-BASQUE SEPARATIST ALLIANCE ETA exposed to Spanish authorities.
CHILE PAKISTANI TERRORIST BUSTED as he enters with traces of TNT on his hands, and 300,000 pesos in cash.
NICARAGUA NARCO LABS COMING? Drug cartels scope out the territory. CIVIL WAR BREWING? Opposition plans rebellion, condemning left wing leader Daniel Ortega.
GREECE MASSIVE PROTESTS AND RIOTS break out as debt crisis forces austerity budget and European Union bailout.
UNITED KINGDOM LABOUR OUT! A Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition takes over.
SPAIN THREE ETA TERRORISTS CONVICTED for 2006 bombing that killed two.
RUSSIA CONTRACTS GO FORWARD as S-300 missiles go to Iran in spite of UN sanctions. YOURE BLINDING US! “BLUE LIGHT” PROTESTS break out as Russian citizens object to flashing blue lights on fat cats’ cars.
SOMALIA RUSSIANS MISTREATED PIRATES, Somalis claim. Russians had stormed a captured ship, retaken it, then set pirates adrift. 14 KILLED in fighting in Mogadishu as pro-government forces and insurgents exchange gunfire and mortar barrages.
SEYCHELLES PIRACY COURT to be established in Bob Menard’s old 20th century stomping ground.
ZIMBABWE BENNETT ACQUITTED! MDC leader cleared of terrorism charges which kept him out of office. PRIME MINISTER TSIVANGIRI receives award from National Democratic Institute.
LIBYA DÉTENTE AS TRADE DEAL with the United States signed.
MEXICO CALDERON—TAKE CARE OF YOUR DRUG LORD ASSASSINS, don’t attack Arizona, and demand comprehensive immigration reform and new assault weapons ban. 15, including child, slaughtered by drug lords in one incident. TWO HUMANITARIAN WORKERS killed in attack in Oaxaca
EL SALVADOR ARIZONA LAW ATTACKED by El Salvador, and protested outside US Embassy. 1,473 HOMCIDES as of 3 May, a higher total than most U.S. states have in a year.
ECUADOR COCAINE IN FAKE BANANAS – would-be smugglers caught by drug-sniffing dog. HUNGER STRIKE! Ecuadorian immigration advocate Oswaldo Cabrera plans protest against Arizona’s SB 1070.
SUDAN TURABI ARRESTED! Opposition leader arrested prior to multi-party elections. SOUTH SUDAN inaugurates president.
KENYA PIRATES BEWARE – Kenya agrees to fight piracy. IS REAL-ESTATE BOOM a byproduct of $100 million paid to Somali pirates?
IRAQ ELECTION DEADLOCK CONTINUES, as terror attacks kill dozens.
AFGHANISTAN BAGRAM AND KANDAHAR ATTACKED! Attacks by insurgents wound some troops, kill one contractor.
PAKISTAN US DRONE ATTACKS continue. FACEBOOK AND YOU TUBE BLOCKED over depictions of the Muslim prophet Mohammed. ARRESTS OF WOULD BE BOMBERS in Times Square plot.
THAILAND BLOODY RIOTS ERUPT as military brutally forces “Red Shirts” to surrender after a two-month standoff that paralyzed the country. “RED SHIRT WEAPONS CACHE” publicized by Thai authorities.
SOUTH KOREA CRISIS ESCALATES—CORVETTE WAS TORPEDOED, South Korea claims. U.S. OFFERS MILITARY AID
NORTH KOREA WE DIDN’T SINK IT, North Korea claims, vowing all-out war if they are attacked.
YEMEN SOMALI PIRATES TO BE EXECUTED for hijacking oil tanker. RUSSIAN MARINE COMMANDOS STORM hijacked ship, pirate killed, 23 crewmen rescued. VOA REPORTER BOOTED out.
JAMAICA STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED as 27 die in drug gang–cop firefight over threatened extradition of drug lord “Dudus” Coke to the United States.
JAPAN U.S. TROOPS STAY! Japanese PM extends deployment, citing uncertain situation.
EGYPT 26 HEZBOLLAH-CONNECTED TERRORISTS CONVICTED for planning attacks in the Sinai, Gaza Strip and Suez Canal.
TURKEY PKK HIDEOUTS TARGETED in air attacks and incursions into northern Iraq. Kurdish terror group held responsible for 40,000 deaths since their murderous campaign was launched in 1984.
IRAN DEATH SENTENCE to five PKK members, 9 killed in crackdown. HIKERS REMAIN IMPRISONED after visit by mothers. DEAL STRUCK with Brazil and Turkey for uranium enrichment. BUSHEHR GOING OPERATIONAL, despite UN sanctions.
CHINA SB 1070 DISSED by US State Department during talks with China, State Department scrambles to cover its butt. DON’T BLAME GUNS, MURDERERS ARE MURDERERS. SCHOOLS ATTACKED by knife-wielding attackers. CRACKDOWN ON ACTIVISTS heats up.
BURMA STATE DEPARTMENT NOT SATISFIED with results of outreach to Burma. RESPONSE? Additional sanctions are imposed. USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS out of control, UN says.
Article by Dr. Martin Brass