ONS: 23 July 2012

by TRG Alerts Admin on July 23, 2012

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: Madagascar’s army quelled a mutiny at a military barracks near Antananarivo
AMERICAS: In Colombia, a FARC attack on the country’s largest oil pipeline halted operations
ASIA: In Afghanistan, a gunman wearing an Afghan army uniform killed at least three ISAF contractors in Herat.
EUROPE: Fears of Spanish sovereign debt sparked a slump in the European stock market.
MIDDLE EAST: Iran’s top commander of the Republican Guard’s naval forces stated the country had no plans to close the Strait of Hormuz.
TECHNOLOGY: Amazon announced plans to establish a digital media development center in London.

TOP STORIES

Iraq: Wave of attacks across the country killed at least 91, wound at least 161

At least 19 separate bombings took place in Baghdad, Kirkuk and elsewhere.
At least 15 Iraqi soldiers were killed and an interior ministry official was targeted in Baghdad.
Both Sunni and Shiite population centers were struck.
The attack is the deadliest single day of violence in the country since 2010 and raised fears that sectarian conflict might reignite in the country.
Coverage: Reuters, Al Jazee ra, AFP, AP

Regime forces drove opposition fighters out of two Damascus districts a week after a major insurgent assault began on the city.
Intense fighting was reported in major cities across the country.
The US was reportedly employing behind-the-scenes tactics to weaken the Assad regime.
The EU strengthened its arms embargo on the government.
The Arab League called for Assad to step down, and offered him a “safe exit” from the country if he did so.
Coverage: WSJ, Al Jazeera, Reuters, CBS, AP, CNN, BBC

AFRICA

Region: A senior official of Sudan’s ruling party stated his country desired a peace deal with South Sudan, but blamed Juba for the impasse in negotiations. (Reuters)
Madagascar: The army quelled a mutiny at a military barracks near Antananarivo. (Reuters)
Rwanda: President Kigali said the US decision to suspend military aid to Rwanda because of concerns over evidence it is supporting a mutiny in the neighboring DR Congo is based on incorrect information. (AFP)
Somalia: Al Shabaab executed three of its members, allegedly for spying for the US and the UK. (Reuters)

AMERICAS

Colombia: A FARC attack on the country’s largest oil pipeline halted operations. (EFE)
Cuba: Dissident figure Oswaldo Paya died in a car accident in the eastern part of the country. (EFE)
Mexico: Thousands marched in protest against Enrique Nieto’s presidential election victory. (Reuters)

ASIA

Region: Pakistan launched rocket attacks on villages in northeastern Afghanistan. (NYT)
Afghanistan: Gen. Allen, top commander of US and NATO forces in the country, stated the troop withdrawal had reached its halfway point. (AP)
Afghanistan: Five NATO troops were killed in three separate insurgent attacks across the country and at least three ISAF contractors were killed by a gunman wearing an Afghan army uniform in Herat. (Reuters)
China: The defense ministry announced plans to establish a military garrison on a disputed island in the South China Sea. (AFP)
Korean Peninsula: Korea Resources Corp., a South Korean state-run resources developer, said it held working-level talks with officials of the North’s National Economic Cooperation Federation at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in September and December last year. (Kyodo)

EUROPE

Russia: President Putin signed into law a controversial measure restricting the activities of NGOs operating in the country. (AP)
Spain: Fears of Spanish sovereign debt sparked a slump in the European stock market. (WSJ)
Turkey: The military sent batteries of ground-to-air missiles to the border with Syria, boosting its firepower as rebels in Syria seized several border posts. (AFP)
Turkey: A soldier was killed and eight wounded by a PKK grenade attack in the southeastern part of the country. (Xinhua)

MIDDLE EAST

Region: Israeli PM Netanyahu stated his country had evidence tying Hezbollah to the suicide bombing at a Bulgarian seaside resort last week that killed five Israeli nationals. (WSJ)
Iran: Top commander of the Republican Guard’s naval forces stated the country had no plans to close the Strait of Hormuz. (AP)
Yemen: Authorities defused a bomb planted at an intelligence service building in Aden. (Reuters)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Digital Media: Amazon announced plans to establish a digital media development center in London, stating the city was the “obvious choice.” (Telegraph)

WORLD

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (24JUL)

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