In the prelude to last week's APEC summit in Lima, the leaders of Canada and Colombia met in the Peruvian capital to sign a free trade agreement. "In a time of global economic instability free trade is more important than ever," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. "By expanding our trading relationship with Colombia, we are not only opening up new opportunities for Canadian businesses in a foreign market, we are also helping one of South America's most historic democracies improve the human rights and security situation in their country."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced on live television Nov. 27 that he would not permit "foreign commandos" to be contracted by opposition politicians, in response to rumors that the newly elected governor of Miranda state, Henrique Capriles Radonski, is planning to bring in Israeli military advisors to train the local police. In a telephone interview with the state TV program Dando y Dando, Chávez asserted that to take such a move without permission of the national government would violate the constitution. (Apporea.org, Venezuela, Nov. 27)

In a ceremony capping the first visit of a Russian president to Venezuela, Hugo Chávez met with Dmitri Medvedev aboard a Russian warship moored off the port of La Guiara Nov. 27, four days before joint military exercises between the two nations were set to begin. Hundreds of Russian sailors in white uniforms stood at attention as the two men boarded the ship to sign accords pledging cooperation in nuclear energy and oil exploration, as well as the purchase two Russian Ilyushin II-96 300 jets, a model often used for travel by Russian presidents. In recent years, Chavez's government has bought more than $4 billion in Russian arms, including Sukhoi fighter jets, helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.

A suicide bomber struck during Friday prayers at a Shi'ite mosque in Musaib, south of Baghdad, killing nine worshippers and injuring 15 the day after Iraq's parliament approved a pact allowing US troops to remain until 2011. The mosque was affiliated with Moqtada al-Sadr, who had just declared three days of mourning to protest the accord. Among those killed was an old woman begging for alms at the mosque's entrance. In July 2005, more than 70 were killed at the same mosque when a suicide bomber detonated a truck loaded with explosives and cooking gas near the building.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the right-wing BJP arrived in Mumbai Nov. 28 to pay public last respects to police officers killed fighting the militants who attacked India's financial capital, and announce Rs 1 crore ($2 million) compensation to the families. But the widow of the most senior officer to lose his life in the fighting, Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, has refused to accept the compensation offer. Karkare was killed by Mohammad Ajmal Mohammad Amin Kasab, the only militant arrested in the three-day terror attack, who has been identified as a Pakistani national. (India Business Standard, Nov. 30; PTI, Nov. 29; IANS, Nov. 28)

Yemeni police in the capital Sana Nov. 27 opened fire on thousands of opposition protesters, wounding 23, three critically, rally organizers said. The Interior Ministry said the troops only fired in the air to disperse the crowd, and warned in a statement that the opposition parties would be held responsible for "the consequences of their illegal acts." The Yemeni journalists union also issued a statement saying troops used batons and weapon butts to beat seven reporters who were covering the rally. Dozens of protesters were arrested, while the Interior Ministry said two police were also injured.

Czech Green Party MP Olga Zubová wrote an open letter to US President-elect Barack Obama, asking him to review the US commitment to the planned military radar base on Czech soil for the proposed "missile shield." "For the Czech Republic you as the new president of the United States are bringing hope to three quarters of the Czech population who, in recent polls, have repeatedly stated their disagreement with the intended bilateral missile denfence treaty to station the radar base on Czech soil, which is to be ratified in the near future by Czech parliament," says Zubová in her letter.

On Nov. 11, Poland's Independence Day, the extreme right group National Radical Camp (Oboz Narodowo-Radykalny-ONR) marched in Warsaw, in its second public show of strength this year. ONR also marched in June to commemorate the 1936 anti-Jewish pogrom in Myslenic. Warsaw anti-fascists mobilized to oppose the Independence Day march, launching a 150-strong blockade of the street, with banners reading: "NO PASARAN" and "WARSAW FREE OF FASCISTS." Police brought out a helicopter and a water gun to break the blockade. Protected by the police, the ONR continued their march on a different route. Nobody was arrested, but police took the ID of the anti-fas surrounded by the cordon. (Centrum Informacji Anarchistycnej-CIA, Nov. 11)