ONS: 04 January 2012

By TRG Alerts Admin

KEY STORYLINES

TOP STORY

The leader of an armed rebel group stated he would escalate attacks on Assad loyalist forces if the Arab League monitors did not improve their performance.
The Syrian opposition is divided over how to deal with the continuation of the crackdown, despite the presence of observers.
Coverage: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, AFP

AFRICA

Region: The Kenyan military reported killing three Al Shabab militants during clashes in Somalia. (AP)
Egypt: A final day of voting in parliamentary elections took place. (Al Jazeera)
Libya: The government named retired general Yousouf al-Manqoush as head of the armed forces. (Reuters)
Nigeria: Gunmen attacked a police station in northern Nigeria, killing at least one. (AFP)
Rwanda: Two people were killed and 18 wounded in a grenade attack on a Kigali market. (Reuters)

AMERICAS

Guatemala: Authorities reported deaths from violent crime declined in 2011, despite an apparent increase in drug cartel activity. (AFP)
Jamaica: Opposition People’s National Party defeated the incumbent Labor Party in parliamentary elections by a wide margin. (AP)
Mexico: The army captured seven members of the Los Zetas cartel in Matamoros. (EFE)

ASIA

Afghanistan: The Taliban confirmed it agreed to open a political office in Qatar to facilitate negotiations. (NYT)
Indonesia: The government announced plans to construct 24 guided-missile boats over the next 12 years. (Xinhua)
Korean Peninsula: A South Korean think-tank reported in its estimate, North Korean military strategy was superior to the South’s. (Reuters)
Pakistan: Security forces killed 16 militants in two clashes. The first took place in Kurram agency while the second occurred in Balochistan, northeast of Quetta. (Xinhua)

EUROPE

Belarus: US President Obama signed into law additional sanctions on Belarus. (RIA Novosti)
Germany: A political scandal surrounding President Wulff intensified due to new allegations of media suppression. (WSJ)
Turkey: Authorities seized 179 kg of heroin in Edirne province in the northwest of the country. (Xinhua)

MIDDLE EAST

Iran: The US rejected Iran’s warning over the redeployment of an aircraft carrier to the Gulf of Hormuz. (Al Jazeera)
Iraq: A series of bombings on the homes of police officers in Baghdad killed at least two and wounded at least nine. (AP)
Yemen: At least nine al-Qaeda militants and two Yemeni soldiers died in clashes in Zinjibar. (AP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Internet Censorship: Hackers are looking to circumvent Internet censorship laws like the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S. by building their own, satellite-based Internet. (ReadWriteWeb)

WORLD

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (05JAN)

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