Gadhafi killed in hometown of Sirte

LIBYA: After months of searching, ousted Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gadhafi was found and killed in his hometown of Sirte on Oct. 20, the New York Times reported. Questions remain on the exact nature of Gadhafi’s death. One of Gadhafi’s sons, Muatassim, was also confirmed dead after the conflict. Libyans across the country celebrated in the streets with cheers and gunfire once news of the dictator’s death spread. Graphic images of Gadhafi’s lifeless body have been posted online and broadcast by several news stations.

Greece protests turn violent

GREECE: The worsening debt crisis in Greece has made the Socialist government vote for tough new austerity measures to ensure bailout funding continues, the New York Times reported. The measures outline deep wage and pension cuts, layoffs for public sector workers and changes to collective bargaining rules that have left Greek citizens outraged. These new measures have turned a general labour strike into violent demonstrations pitting anarchist groups against pro-Communist groups while police stay relatively uninvolved. The austerity measures were approved as provisions of a $150 billion bailout plan outlined last year by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Iran disagrees with U.S. claims of planned assassination

IRAN: Heidar Moslehi, Iran’s intelligence minister, has dismissed allegations that Iranian agents were involved in a plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S., the Washington Post reported. The two men accused of the plan have been charged in New York federal court. Moslehi argued the U.S. investigation into the case had “major contradictions and shortcomings” and questioned the use of “such absurd claims as evidence.” The Iranian government has denied any connection to the two men. The plan was foiled when one of the men tried to hire an undercover FBI agent to carry out the assassination on the ambassador.

Harper to appoint new judges to Supreme Court

CANADA: Stephen Harper is set to appoint two new judges to the Supreme Court of Canada, both of whom are aligned with the Conservative government’s tough on crime stance, according to the Globe and Mail. Madame Justice Andromache Karakatsanis and Mister Justice Michael Moldaver have beaten out 12 others who had been nominated by the Department of Justice in August. The final stage of the process is a parliamentary hearing that will likely have both judges’ defend their perceived vulnerabilities. The appointees will join the two other judges that Harper had previously selected for the Supreme Court.

Turkey retaliates against Kurdish rebel attacks

TURKEY: The Turkish government has deployed almost 10,000 elite soldiers in the country’s largest offensive against Kurdish rebels since 2008, the Globe and Mail reported. The conflict, which is occurring in the southeast corner of Turkey and in northern Iraq, was sparked by Kurdish raids on eight of Turkey’s military and police outposts. The raids killed 24 Turkish soldiers and injured 18 others. Iraq’s government has not supported the Kurdish rebel attacks and has promised to stop the group from using Iraqi territory for other attacks. Turkey is home to a large Kurdish minority who began advocating for independence from the country in 1984.

Published in Volume 66, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 26, 2011)