World Headlines 12/10/12

AFRICA

NIGERIA (High)

Shell rejects liability claim: The Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell has rejected claims by four Nigerian farmers that it should pay compensation for damage to their land. The farmers are suing the company in a civil court in the Hague, claiming oil spills ruined their livelihoods. However, Shells' lawyers say the company cannot be held liable because most spills were caused by criminal damage. If the case is successful, it has the potential to pave the way for thousands of other compensation claims.

SOMALIA (High)

Somali Pirates free Greek-owned Ship: Pirates have released the Greek-owned bulk carrier Free Goddess and its 21 Filipino crew members after holding the vessel for more than eight months. The carrier, which was held at Garad, a haven in Puntland, is now heading to Salalah, Oman for fuel, water and a crew change. According to pirates in Garad, they released the carrier after accepting $5.7 million in ransom money, though this amount has yet to be independently verified. While incidents involving pirates decreased in the first half of 2012, the commander of EU's anti-piracy task force has warned that pirates may become more active now that the monsoon period has ended.


AMERICAS

GUATEMALA (Moderate)

Guatemalan soldiers arrested over Totonicapan protest killings: An army colonel and eight soldiers accused of killing indigenous demonstrators during a protest last week have been arrested. Prosecutors claim the soldiers opened fire, killing six demonstrators who had blocked a motorway during a protest over electricity prices in Totonicapan, west of the capital. While President Otto Perez Molina initially denied military involvement, investigators discovered more than 100 shells at the scene from a type of ammunition used exclusively by the military. Since then, the president has declared that the army would no longer be deployed at civilian protests.

UNITED STATES of AMERICA (Low)

US Treasury targets El Salvador gang MS-13: The US Treasury has designated MS-13, a violent gang set up by El Salvador immigrants in the Los Angeles area, as a "transnational criminal organization." This move allows the authorities to seize assets from the MS-13 gang, and makes it illegal for American citizens and banks to do any business with them. While the group has thousands of members across the US, Canada, Mexico and Central America, much of the money it generates is sent back to El Salvador, where its leadership is based.


ASIA & THE PACIFIC

INDONESIA (Low-Moderate)

Bali commemorates ten-year anniversary of deadly bombing: Commemorations have been held on the Indonesian island of Bali to mark the bombings ten years ago that killed 202 people from 21 different nations. The bombs, blamed on the Jemmah Islamiah militant group, ripped through Paddy's Irish Bar and the nearby Sari Club in the popular Kuta tourist district of Bali. While memorial services were held in Jumbaran, Bali, security was tight as police warned of possible attacks against visiting dignitaries.

PAKISTAN (Moderate-High)

Pakistanis observe a day of prayer: People in Pakistan have been observing a day of prayer for the recovery of a 14-year old girl shot in the head by Taliban gunmen. The victim, Malala Yousafzai, was transferred to a critical care unit at a military hospital in Rawalpindi on Thursday. While the Taliban have said they would target the girls' education activist again, accusing her of promoting secularism, the shooting has prompted outrage and protests across Pakistan.


EUROPE & THE FSU

NORWAY (Low)

European Union wins Nobel Peace Prize: The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its 2012 peace prize to the 27-nation European Union for promoting peace, democracy and human rights over six decades in an award viewed as a morale boost as the bloc struggles to resolve its economic crisis. This award also seemed to highlight the competing visions of Europe as both a historical unifier and prying overlord, recalling deep strains within the bloc over economic measures to resolve the euro crisis. Meanwhile, others expressed bafflement at the EU receiving the award, as the bloc struggles to agree on the euro.

TURKEY (Low-Moderate)

Fighter planes sent toward Syrian border: Turkey sent two fighter planes toward its border with Syria after a Syrian military helicopter bombed the Syrian border town of Azmarin. Meanwhile, Syria has accused Turkey of lying over its claim that a Syria-bound plane forced to land in Ankara was carrying Russian-made defense equipment. Russia also denied the aircraft had illegal cargo on board, and said the interception by Turkish military jets put the lives of the passengers "in danger."

UNITED KINGDOM (Low)

Royal Marines arrested on suspicion of murder: The Royal Military Police arrested seven Royal Marines on suspicion of murder in Afghanistan last year, according to the Ministry of Defence. This incident, which took place when 3 Commando Brigade was based in Helmand, followed an "engagement with an insurgent" and no civilians were involved. It is thought this is the first time UK servicemen have been arrested on such charges during the conflict. With tensions still high after the recent anti-Islam video released in the USA, troops in Afghanistan will be on alert, as the Taliban may use these arrests to try to bolster support for the insurgency.


MIDDLE EAST & N. AFRICA

EGYPT (Low-Moderate)

Egyptian judges attack Morsi on ousting prosecutor-general: President Morsi announced he was reassigning prosecutor-general Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, a figure from the Mubarak era, as Vatican envoy. Mahmoud refused to be removed from his position, citing a law barring the president from firing the prosecutor or other judicial officials. The effort to reassign Mahmoud is one of Morsi's first steps to put his mark on Egypt's bureaucracy and legal system. Minor clashes have been reported as Muslim Brotherhood supporters and rival, anti-government protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

ISRAEL (Low-Moderate)

Hezbollah claims it flew Iranian-designed drone into Israel: Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group and political party Hezbollah, announced Thursday that his fighters had assembled and piloted a drone that flew 35 miles into Israel on Saturday, calling the flight an unprecedented achievement in the history of the resistance. Just hours before his declaration, Israel's PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Hezbollah in the episode. Still, Nasrallah's speech was closely watched due to fears that Hezbollah, a longtime ally of Syria and Iran, could provoke a clash with Israel to distract attention from Syria's open conflict.

JORDAN (Low)

King Abdullah swears in caretaker government: The new cabinet, headed by independent politician Abdullah Ensour, took office on Thursday, a week after the House of Representatives was dissolved. The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Islamic Action Front, has threatened to boycott the upcoming elections, which will occur within the next four months.