Libyan leader Moammar Qadaffi made a big show of boycotting the Mediterranean Union summit in Paris, bashing the new initiative as a "neo-colonial" project to weaken African and Arab unity. (RFE/RL, July 14) But days earlier, France and Libya signed a nuclear cooperation agreement, with Paris pledging to aid Tripoli in the development of "peaceful" nuclear energy and uranium exploration. Over the past year, Over the past year, France has signed similar agreements with Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. (World Nuclear News, July 11)

Barack Obama proposes the US deploy 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan to fight insurgents even as he pledges to remove troops from Iraq, plugging the proposal in a New York Times op-ed, "My Plan for Iraq." (NYT, July 14) Meanwhile, relations are fast deteriorating between Afghanistan and key US ally Pakistan. In an official statement calling Pakistan's security forces the "world's biggest producers of terrorism and extremism," Afghanistan announced it is suspending participation in three meetings with Pakistani officials scheduled for the next few weeks. Afghanistan charged Islamabad with "direct interference in its internal affairs." (Newsday, July 16)

The European Parliament approved 336-220 a resolution branding Italy's fingerprinting members of the country's Roma community a direct act of racial discrimination, and called on Rome to bring the program to an immediate halt. Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the move was "politically motivated and based on prejudices" against the country. He said the program "does not target ethnic groups and is not inspired by racism but by the elementary need to identify anyone who does not have a valid document."

An Italian court July 15 found 15 officials guilty of brutalizing protesters at the Genoa G8 summit in 2001. Sentences ranged from five months to five years. The accused include police, prison officials and two doctors. Another 30 were cleared of charges. Protesters report they were beaten after being strip-searched by police. The prosecution charged they were tortured. However, all of those convicted are expected to appeal—and the statute of limitations will have expired by the time appeals are exhausted, meaning it is unlikely any prison time will be served. The plaintiffs are likely to receive a large settlement from the Italian government.

BBC's Panorama TV crew claims to have uncovered the first evidence that China is providing military aid to Sudan's Darfur counter-insurgency operations, in violation of an international embargo. The crew, traveling deep in Darfur's desert with a rebel faction, reportedly found a Chinese Dong Feng army trucks the insurgents had captured from government forces. Plates on one truck show it was imported after the embargo. Rebels also told the crew that China was training Sudanese fighter pilots who fly Chinese A5 Fantan fighter jets in Darfur. (BBC, July 13)

Japan's fishing industry, one of the world's largest, will stage a mass strike July 15 to protest soaring fuel costs. Some 200,000 fishing boats will cancel their trips for one day to demand government action. "Many fishermen cannot make ends meet. The industry as a whole is falling apart," said an official of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations. "We are asking for emergency measures from the government, just for one or two years, to help us pull through this difficult period." Fuel now accounts for up to half of the fishermen's operating costs, compared with just 10% a few years ago, he said. (Thomson Financial, July 14)

Some 13,000 Japanese rallied against the permanent basing of the nuclear-powered USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the port of Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo, saying a recent onboard fire made it unsafe. The George Washington—relieving the soon-to-be decommissioned USS Kitty Hawk—will be the first nuclear-powered vessel to station permanently in Japan. The ship's arrival was originally set for August, but was delayed because of a fire aboard the vessel in May. Some 250 residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the carrier from basing in Japan.

From the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), July 14:

ETAN Renews Call for Meaningful Justice for Victims of Indonesian Occupation
International Tribunal Needed in Wake of Commission of Truth and Friendship Report
The new report of the bi-lateral Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) does little to advance accountability for the many crimes against humanity committed by Indonesia in Timor-Leste, the U.S.-based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) said today. The report, Per Memoriam Ad Spem (From Memory to Hope), is scheduled to be handed to the presidents of Indonesia and Timor-Leste in Bali on Tuesday.