International solidarity actions will be held July 16 with a protest at Bilbao's city hall to stop the imminent eviction and demolition of the Kukutza III Gaztetxea community center to make way for a housing development. The Kukutza III Gaztetxea community center has been squatted by local Basque youth and activists for 13 years, housing numerous artists and hosting such musicians as Manu Chao and Fermin Muguruza. Although the property had long been effectively abandoned, the owners now plan to demolish the building for what the community center calls "speculative interests." The Bilbao city government has turned down proposals to buy the property to save the community center. Kukutza III Gaztetxea urges supporters to "organize solidarity demonstrations in your towns and cities." (Kukutza III Gaztetxea, Le Journal du Pays Basque, Urruña/Urrugne, July 15; El Correo, Bilbao, July 14)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a statement July 15 confirming the occupied status of East Jerusalem. "UNESCO wishes to reiterate that, contrary to recent claims, there has been no change in UNESCO's position on Jerusalem," the statement reads. "In line with overall UN policy, East Jerusalem remains part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the status of Jerusalem must be resolved in permanent status negotiations." The statement notes that the Old City of Jerusalem is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. "UNESCO continues to work to ensure respect for the outstanding universal value of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem." UNESCO had been criticized recently after it emerged that the organization's website listed Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite the international—and United Nations—consensus that the Eastern part of the city is under military occupation. (Ma'an News Agency, July 15)

A suicide bomber struck Kandahar's historic Red Mosque (Sarra Jamai) during a mourning ceremony for Afghan President Hamid Karzai's slain half-brother, regional strongman Ahmed Wali Karzai, on July 14. The explosives were hidden in the turban of an assailant disguised as an imam. Killed in the explosion was Maulavi Hekmatullah Hekmat, head of the provincial clerical council, and at least two others, including a young child. At least 15 were injured. The mosque was filled with tribal leaders and government officials. (Indian Express, The Australian, July 15; Global Post, WP, July 14)

Pirate attacks on the world's seas totalled 266 in the first six months of 2011, up from 196 incidents in the same period last year, a report by the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) stated July 14. More than 60% of the attacks were by Somali pirates, a majority of which were in the Arabian Sea area said the report, "Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships." As of June 30, Somali pirates were holding 20 vessels and 420 crew, and demanding ransoms of millions of dollars for their release.

Gen. David Petraeus, outgoing US commander in Afghanistan, and his soon-to-be successor Lt. Gen. John Allen met with top military leaders in Pakistan July 14 to try to resolve tensions that have escalated since the May 2 slaying of Osama bin Laden. The visit comes after the US put on hold some $800 million in aid and reimbursements to Pakistan's military in response to the cancellation of visas for US military advisors. Pakistan also publicly called a stop to US drone flights from Shamsi airbase near Quetta in Baluchistan province. However, drone strikes have continued, with some 42 killed in strikes July 11-2 in North and South Waziristan. The US is said to fly drones out of two other Pakistani air bases—one near Ghazi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) and another at Jacocobad (Sindh province) known as PAF Base Shahbaz. The CIA also flies drones into Pakistan's tribal areas from Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. In an implicit acknowledgment that drone strikes will continue, White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan said in response to Islamabad's decision, "In some places such as the tribal regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, we will deliver precise and overwhelming force against al-Qaeda." (AP, July 14; VOA, July 12; NYT, July 9; Wired, July 1; Defense Tech, Miami Herald, June 30; FT, June 29)

Libya's rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) is on the brink of bankruptcy, media reports indicate (e.g. . LAT, July 14)—and this despite the fact that it is sitting on a proverbial sea of oil. The NTC has actually been buying fuel in Europe on credit. Last week, an unnamed "European financial company" that had provided $500 million in loans "told the council that it could no longer shoulder the risk and shut down the credit line." About $100 million donated by Qatar has nearly been spent, and $200 million promised by Turkey has yet to arrive. Several tankers loaded with fuel from Europe have left the Benghazi port without unloading after the NTC couldn't pay cash. The sprawling petrochemical complexes at Port Brega and Ras Lanuf, seized from the rebels by Qaddafi forces this spring, have been shut down. Also closed is the natural gas pipeline that normally fuels electricity production in Benghazi and other eastern cities. "That means that rebel leaders in the country that is the world's 17th-largest producer of oil must import all their fuel," the LA TImes states.

Egypt’s ruling military council announced the early retirement of more than 600 senior police officers on July 13, in a bid to appease demonstrators who have for the past six days held a new thousands-strong protest encampment in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The Interior Ministry said 18 police generals and 9 other senior officers were forced into early retirement because they were accused of killing protesters during the 18-day uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February. Additionally, 54 lower-ranking officers implicated in repression during the uprising were shifted to jobs where they would no longer interact with civilians, officials said. Mansour el-Essawy, the interior minister appointed after Mubarak’s ouster, called the moves "the biggest shake-up in the history of the police," citing popular demands "to get rid of all of the leadership that is accused of killing protesters." The new Tahrir Square occupation, led by families that lost loved ones in the repression, has adopted the slogan, "The revolution goes on!"

In a July 13 statement, Human Rights Watch called on the Iraqi government to revise a draft law it said would limit freedom of assembly and expression, in contravention both of international standards and Iraq's own constitution. The bill contains provisions that would curtail the right to protest hold demonstrations that are seen to violate the "public interest" or the "general order or public morals"—without providing any definition of those terms. Those provisions, as well as the proposed criminalization of speech that "insults" a "sacred" symbol or person, clearly violate international law, Human Rights Watch said. “This law will undermine Iraqis’ right to demonstrate and express themselves freely,” the watchdog’s deputy Middle East director, Joe Stork, said. (AFP, HRW, July 13)