Indigenous groups in Peru have called off protests after two controversial laws, decreed by President Alan García to implement a free trade agreement with the US, were revoked by the country's Congress in an 82-12 vote late June 18. "This is an historic day for indigenous people because it shows that our demands and our battles were just," said Daysi Zapata, vice president of AIDESEP, the Amazonian indigenous alliance that led the protests.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his Friday prayers address on the crisis in the country, blamed a world media controlled by "dirty Zionists" and "most evil" British for fomenting divisions, and called upon all Iranians to accept the election results, saying that a gap of 11 million votes is infallible. But his words also revealed a clear fault line within Iran's political elite. In his lengthy discourse on former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, Khamenei made insubstantial charges of corruption, and implicated the entire Rafsanjani family as "problematic."

In a scene recalling the 1979 Revolution, tens of thousands of black-clad mourners made their way silently through the streets of Tehran June 18, commemorating the lives of those slain in six straight days of protests since the announcement of President Ahmedinajad's election victory. At Imam Khomeini square, the huge plaza named for the founder of the revolution, where they were joined by defeated opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, the crowd broke into chants of "Death to the dictator!" and "Where are our votes?" Mousavi, addressing the crowd, repeated his call for new elections. (London Times, June 18)

By the end of June, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Shahristani is scheduled to award service contracts to foreign oil companies to develop six of the country's largest oil-fields over the next 20 to 25 years. But senior figures within the Iraqi oil industry have denounced the deal. Fayad al-Nema, director of the South Oil Company, said: "The service contracts will put the Iraqi economy in chains and shackle its independence for the next 20 years. They squander Iraq's revenues." Nema is reported to have since been fired because of his opposition to the contracts, which he says is shared by many other officials in Iraq's state-owned oil industry. (The Independent, June 18)

Missiles fired from a presumed US drone hit a compound in Ghurlama village, near Wana, in the Birmal subdivision of Pakistan's South Waziristan district June 18, killing 11 suspected militants. The compound was said to be owned by a local Taliban commander called Malang. Hailing from Gangikhel tribe, Malang is said to be a close associate of Commander Maulvi Nazir. This was the second drone attack in South Waziristan over the past week. On June 14, a missile hit a car in Laddha subdivision inhabited mostly by the Mehsuds, killing three people. (Dawn, Pakistan, June 18)

On June 14, police in Most, Czech Republic, arrested 15 participants in a neo-Nazi march protesting last week's police raid against members of the National Resistance far-right group. In the June 9 police operation, code-named "Power," 10 were arrested on felony charges of promoting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms. They are suspected of organizing a series of Nazi-themed concerts. Petr Kotáb, vice-chair of the far-right Workers' Party, was among the arrested at the Most march. (Romea, Czech Republic, June 15)

More than 100 Romanians were moved to emergency accommodation in Belfast June 17 after a racist gang attacked homes in the university area of the city. Several of the immigrants were wounded, and one of the attackers was said to be brandishing a gun. Most of the displaced say they no longer feel safe in Belfast and intend to return to Romania. The intimidation culminated in an attack on a rally being held in support of the Eastern European migrants June 15, in which thugs threw bricks and bottles and made Nazi salutes, chanting slogans associated with Combat 18, a far-right faction. (London Times, June 18)

International rights organizations say hundreds of activists and opposition figures have been detained in Iran in response to protests over the country's disputed elections. Hadi Ghaemi, director of the New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, said he had spoken with family members and colleagues of people who have been arrested or disappeared—saying there have been at least 200 such cases across the country.