KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: AQIM is reportedly the richest affiliate of AQ, according to AFRICOM.
- AMERICAS: Cuban President Raul Castro offered to hold talks with the US. .
- ASIA: In Afghanistan, NATO reported Taliban attacks over the past three months had increased by 11 percent.
- EUROPE: Russia is holding discussions with Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles about the establishment of naval bases.
- MIDDLE EAST: Egyptian President Mursi met with Hamas PM Haniya, a move Hamas hailed.
- TECHNOLOGY: 10,000 people were arrested over the last four months in China for Internet crimes.
TOP STORY
- Syria: Reports circulated MP Ikhlas Badawi, a legislator from Aleppo, defected from the regime.
- Defected BRIG GEN Fayez Amr is trying to plot the downfall of the Assad regime from a refugee camp in Turkey, calling for an inclusive interim government to avert a descent into all-out civil war.
- The Pentagon said Islamist militants are probably active in Syria but they wield less influence on the ground than the other rebel forces.
- UN chief peacekeeper Ladsous said there is “no plan B” for Syria, urging all parties to implement the plan brokered by UN-AL envoy Annan to stop the deadly violence.
- Jordan reported Syrian troops had shot and killed a 3-year old child, fleeing from the fighting.
- Coverage: AP, AFP, AFP-1, AFP-2, AFP-3
AFRICA
- Region: AQIM is reportedly the richest affiliate of AQ, according to AFRICOM. (Reuters)
- DR Congo: Fighting around the town of Goma between rebels and security forces continued for the third consecutive day. (AJE)
- Ivory Coast: The UN extended its peacekeeping mandate in the country by a year, decreasing the size of the current force. (DPA)
- Mali: A US defense official says Washington is likely to weigh options ranging from military assistance to direct strikes to drive a growing al Qaeda presence out of Mali. (AP)
- Rwanda: FM Mushikiwabo said it was “regrettable” the US decided to cut military aid because of reports the Kigali government supported rebels, and promised it would soon be exonerated. (Reuters)
- Somalia: An explosion was heard near the site of the Somali constituent assembly meeting in Mogadishu. (Xinhua)
AMERICAS
- Region: Despite Venezuela’s claims of a crackdown on the drug trade, the NYT indicated the trade continued “unabated”. (NYT)
- Cuba: President Raul Castro offered to hold talks with the US. (AFP)
- Mexico: The Federal Investigation Agency was disbanded to be replaced by Ministerial Federal Police with a “new working philosophy.” (AFP)
ASIA
- Region: Japan’s DM Morimoto warned Tokyo could send troops to the Diaoyu/Senaku chain of East China Sea islands at the center of a territorial row with China if the simmering dispute escalated. (AFP)
- Region: Top Afghan security officials have promised tighter control over Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan to stop Tajik rebels receiving support from across the frontier. (Interfax)
- Afghanistan: NATO reported Taliban attacks over the past three months had increased by 11 percent. (AP)
- Korean Peninsula: The ROK and the DPRK marked the anniversary of the end of the Korean War. (AFP)
- Philippines: Clashes between Abu Sayyaf and government forces resulted in the death of 12 soldiers and four rebels. (AP)
EUROPE
- Moldova: Transdniestrian President Shevchuk says there are no prerequisites for ending the peacekeeping operation in the Transdniestrian conflict zone or changing its format. (Interfax)
- Russia: Moscow is holding discussions with Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles about the establishment of naval bases. (AP)
- Serbia: FM Jeremic resigned from his post, as negotiations around the structure of the new Serbian government continued. (Interfax)
- Turkey: Two soldiers were killed in an IED explosion in the southeast, an attack which was blamed on the PKK. (Reuters)
MIDDLE EAST
- Region: Egyptian President Mursi met with Hamas PM Haniya, a move Hamas hailed. (Reuters)
- Iran: The EU and Iran will continue nuclear talks “soon,” after previous negotiations failed. (AP)
- Iraq: The UNHCR called for “cooperation, patience and understanding” in a dispute involving Iranian exiles at a camp in Iraq who refuse to leave for a new transit centre. (AFP)
- Saudi Arabia: Police fired at Shiite demonstrators in Qatif. (AFP)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- China: 10,000 people were arrested over the last four months for Internet crimes. (USA Today)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report
- Hurricanes: Nothing to Report
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (28JUL)
- Global: Anniversary of attack on Japanese tanker in the Straits of Hormuz – 2010.
- China: Anniversary of the 8.3 earthquake that killed 200,000 people – 1976.
- Ireland: Anniversary of IRA declaring an end to its armed struggle – 2005.
- Pakistan: Anniversary of Airblue plane crash in Pakistan – 2010.
- Peru: Independence Day celebrated – 1824.
- Vietnam: US sends 50,000 troops – 1965.
END
