An Cosantóir

10 | world strategic picture Serbia's presidential elec- tion beating Boris Tadic. Mr Nikolic used to be an extreme nationalist but has changed his tune, vow- ing to promote integration with the EU and promising to be a good neighbour in the Balkans. at the World Trade Or- ganisation against import restrictions by Argentina. Tomislav Nikolic won The EU filed a complaint EUROPE AFRICA along the Armenian and Azerbaijan border. Three Armenian soldiers were killed in the worst violence for several years. Another person was killed in the disputed Armenian enclave of Nagomo- Karabakh. In a visit to the region by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, she warned of 'disastrous consequences' if fighting spread. and 17 killed when an earthquake hit the north- ern Italian region of Emilia Rommagna on May 29th. Skirmishes broke out 80,000 protesters took to the streets of the capital Tbilisi, against President Mikheil Saakashvili who has been in power since the 2003 Rose Revolution. Hundreds were injured In Georgia, as many as Sudanese border with South Sudan eased as troops were withdrawn. However some troops still remain in the oil rich disputed region of Abyei. Nigeria experienced beria, Charles Taylor, was sentenced by a Special Court using the facili- ties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to 50 years in prison for helping rebels during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Tensions along the Former president of Li- Lebanon's capital, after eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kid- napped in Syria. The Free Syrian Army said government forces were responsible. In Lebanon people are divided over the upris- ing in Syria. tional Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), formally declared its independence from Mali in April, and last month it announced that it had joined forces with Ansar Dine. The MNLA cooled this alliance when the two could not agree on how it would share power, but Mali, one of Africa's poorest coun- tries, is now in a state of protracted limbo. its worst air disaster in two decades. At least 153 people died when a Dana Air jet flying from Abuija, crashed into a busy dis- trict in Lagos. The separatist Na- An Cosantóir July/August 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie escalated; the Free Syrian Army reported it would no longer abide by the UN and Arab League ceasefire. They reportedly killed 100 government soldiers in one clash. On June 6th, 78 people were slaughtered in a village near Hama. In one incident Syrian government forces and militia, killed over 100 civilians mainly women and children in the town of Houla. The unrest is now into its 15 month, outright Civil War seems imminent. Protests broke out in Beirut, MIDDLE EAST The conflict in Syria has Minister, Manmohan Singh, paid a visit to President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi. India and Myanmar share a border and long held ties. Miss Suu Kyi went on to visit Thailand, the first time she left Myanmar since 1988. Accusations of espionage In Myanmar, Indian Prime ASIA tion Nepal's Assembly was dis- solved, after it failed to agree on a constitution. There is a division whether to split the country along ethnic lines. After two Tibetans set erupted in Japan after the Japa- nese police informed the media that they were investigating a Chinese diplomat. The Chinese have denied they were spying. Despite four years of delibera- themselves on fire outside the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, the Chi- nese security forces reportedly arrested around 600 people. tial elections saw Muhammad Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood receiving 25% of the vote. Former President Hosni Mubarak and former interior minister, Habib al-Adli, were sentenced to life in prison for their role in the brutal suppression of protesters in last year's uprising. It was announced that Mr Mubarak has suffered a stroke and is in a coma but he remains in "critical but stable condition" in prison. In Baghdad a suicide bomber, Egypt's first round of presiden- presumed to be a Sunni, killed at least 18 civilians outside the headquarters of a Shia religious foundation. Panetta toured Asia. He said that by 2020 three fifths of Americas naval assets will be located in the Pacific, compared with only 50% today. bombers in Kandahar, Afghani- stan, killed 22 civilians. Kandahar has suffered the worst in the Taliban's' spring offensive which began in April. US Defence Secretary, Leon killed Abu Yahya al-Libi, a senior Al-Qaeda figure. He has been described as the groups 'general manager' A US drone strike in Pakistan . Two days later suicide

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