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Japanese Prime Minister resigns over failure to move U.S. base on Okinawa Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he is resigning.  Hatoyama told a news conference broadcast nationwide on Wednesday that he will step down over his broken campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine base off the southern island of Okinawa.  After eight months in office, the embattled prime minister has faced growing pressure from within his own party to resign ahead of July elections.  His approval ratings have plummeted over the bungling of handling the Marine Air Station Futenma, reinforcing his public image as an indecisive leader (read).  Related: 90,000 people rally in Japan's southern island of Okinawa demanding that a US military base be moved off the island (read). Army surrenders: Marc Hall free, discharge announced! Until April 17, US Army Spc. Marc Hall sat in a military brig at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, facing an imminent court-martial for challenging the US military’s stop-loss policy in a song. Saturday morning, Spc. Hall was granted a discharge by the military.  On December 17, 2009, Hall was jailed for writing a song about the personal impact of being forced to remain in the military beyond the scope of his contract by the stop-loss policy (read).  Protesters in Kyrgyzstan oust Government Similar to the failures of other American-created "color revolutions" in the former Soviet republics of Ukraine (Orange) and Georgia (Rose), the U.S.-supported "Tulip Revolution" in Kyrgyzstan has failed.  [Read: US reaps bitter harvest from 'Tulip' revolution].  The Kyrgyz uprising stemmed from rapidly escalating utility costs, the indiscriminate imprisonment of opposition leaders, the funneling of millions of dollars to the son of the ousted Kyrgyz president, and public opposition to the U.S. Manas airbase outside the capital city of Bishkek. Whether or not the Manas airbase (which is integral to supplying American forces in Afghanistan, and is the only airbase the U.S. has access to in Central Asia) remains open is unclear (read).  Regardless, the victory of the people of Kyrgyzstan strikes another blow to neo-liberalism and groups like the National Endowment for Democracy (who have been interfering in Kyrgyzstan's affairs for year).  Just as was the case in popular uprisings throughout the world in 2009, the people of Kyrgyzstan (population 5.4 million) ousted a government that showed little respect for democracy, human rights or social justice (according to the U.S. State Dept.), and once again exhibited the power of everyday people who believe in self-determination.  [Also read: Patience of a long-suffering people was bound to run out]. Governments of Lebanon and Syria standing up to Israel Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri (left) voiced concern about "escalating" Israeli war threats, and said his government will support Hezbollah if a new war breaks out with the Jewish state. (This is significant because the Lebanese government and military stayed neutral during Israel's attacks in 2006) (read).  Iraq Orders Former Blackwater Guards Out Iraq has ordered hundreds of private security guards linked to Blackwater Worldwide to leave the country within seven days or face possible arrest on visa violations, the interior minister said Wednesday. The order comes in the wake of a U.S. judge dismissing criminal charges against five Blackwater guards who were accused in the September 2007 shooting deaths of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad. (read). Federal Court Issues Major Ruling on Police Use of Tasers A federal appeals court has ruled that a California police officer can be held liable for injuries suffered by an unarmed man he tasered during a traffic stop. The Los Angeles Times reports the decision, if allowed to stand, would set a rigorous legal precedent for when police are permitted to use tasers. The ruling will also force law enforcement agencies throughout the state, and presumably the nation, to tighten their policies governing taser use. (read). Houston Becomes Largest US City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor Parker’s candidacy had come under fierce opposition from homophobic groups. A mailer sent out to Houston voters denounced Parker for “homosexual behaviour” and her backing from the “gay and lesbian political caucus.” later this week (read). 20,000 Japanese protest U.S. military base In Japan, over 20,000 protesters gathered on the island of Okinawa to rally against a plan for the US Marines to build another permanent base off the coast of Okinawa. The US operates more than a dozen US military bases all over the Japanese island, which has been described as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier.” President Barack Obama will be visiting Japan later this week (read). Poll: Support for Afghan war at all-time low A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday morning indicates that 39 percent of Americans favor the war in Afghanistan, with 58 percent opposed to the mission (read). Japanese Voters Oust Conservative Party Voters in Japan have ousted the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, ending fifty-five years of nearly uninterrupted rule.  Democratic Party leader Yukio Hatoyama is expected to become Japan’s new prime minister. He is a longtime critic of Japan’s close relationship to the United States.  Sophia University professor Koichi Nakano: “The DPJ places more emphasis on Asia. It also places more emphasis on the UN framework as opposed to just following the US line. So, that seems to be the key difference, that they want to say that their policy alternatives are not just stick to the United States, but they’re going to build on the relationship with China, with other Asian neighbors, and also to try to work within the UN framework far more than in the LDP government” (read). Latin Americans Ditch US 'War on Drugs' Argentina and Mexico have taken significant steps towards decriminalising drugs amid a growing Latin American backlash against the US-sponsored "war on drugs". Argentina's supreme court has ruled it unconstitutional to punish people for using marijuana for personal consumption, an eagerly awaited judgment that gave the government the green light to push for further liberalisation. It followed Mexico's decision to stop prosecuting people for possession of relatively small quantities of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Instead, they will be referred to clinics and treated as patients, not criminals (read).

Former Israeli PM Olmert Indicted on Corruption Charges Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been indicted on corruption allegations that forced him to resign last year.  The charges include fraud, breach of trust and failure to report income. Mr. Olmert is accused of accepting envelopes stuffed with cash from an American Jewish businessman to support a lavish style - including, stays at fancy hotel, expensive cigars and first-class travel.  He also allegedly double-billed Israeli and Jewish institutions for public trips abroad (read).

Poll: Americans' mood sours on Afghan war. Majority in Post-ABC survey now say conflict not worth fighting. A majority of Americans now see the war in Afghanistan as not worth fighting and just a quarter say more U.S. troops should be sent to the country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll (read).

In Iraq, U.S. now a 'coalition of one' The war in Iraq was truly an American-only effort Saturday after Britain and Australia, the last of its international partners, pulled out. Little attention was paid in Iraq to what effectively ended the so-called coalition of the willing, with the United States — as the leader of Multi-National Force, Iraq — letting the withdrawals pass without any public demonstration. (read).

Texas Tech faculty oppose Alberto Gonzales hiring More than 40 Texas Tech professors have objected in a petition to Chancellor Kent Hance's decision to hire former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.  Petition creator Walter Schaller, a Tech philosophy professor since 1986, said Friday he decided to take action because "with the emphasis on ethics the university has adopted, a guy that misled Congress is not the kind of person we want to represent Texas Tech." (read).

Two Death Row Inmates Exonerated and Released Two Death Row Inmates Exonerated and Released! On July 9,the Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Herman Lindsey be acquitted and released from Death Row. A few days earlier all charges were dismissed against Ronald Kitchen and he was released from prison in Illinois after spending almost 13 years on death row for murders prosecutors now concede cannot be proven (read).

New IAEA Head: No Evidence Iran Seeking Nukes New International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Yukiya Amano may have been the candidate of choice for Western nations, and in particular Israel, but he sought to assure the world today that he would remain independent and would seek to de-politicize the office. In particular, Amano noted that going through the IAEA’s documents he didn’t see any evidence that Iran was trying to develop nuclear weapons. (read).

Peru Indians Hail 'Historic' Day Indigenous groups in Peru have called off protests after two land laws which led to deadly fighting were revoked. Hailing victory, Amazonian Indian groups said it was an "historic day". At least 34 people died during weeks of strikes against the legislation, which allowed foreign companies to exploit resources in the Amazon forest. The violence provoked tension with Peru's neighbour, Bolivia, where Preisdent Evo Morales backed the Peruvian Indians' tribal rights. "This is a historic day for indigenous people because it shows that our demands and our battles were just," said Daysi Zapata, vice president of the Amazon Indian confederation that led the protests. (read).

5 Alabama police officers fired for beating caught on tape Five Birmingham police officers were fired for beating an unconscious suspect ejected from a car after a chase, an attack captured on a patrol car videotape that didn't surface publicly for a year. Police Chief A.C. Roper said the officers, who were not identified, were seasoned veterans but acted in a "shameful" manner.  The video shows police pursuing Anthony Warren's van on Jan. 23, 2008. One officer on foot was hurt when the van swerved through traffic. It overturned on a ramp, ejecting Warren, who lay motionless as officers ran toward him. The video shows them beating him with their fists, feet and a billy club. (read).

UK ends bilateral military aid to Colombia Britain has quietly ended nearly a decade of military aid to Colombia's armed forces after accusations of gross violations of human rights, including the murder of civilians who were shot and reported as guerrillas killed in combat (read).

Leftists Win Election in Iceland... Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, a 66-year-old, openly gay feminist, told supporters, ''Our time has come.''   A coalition of leftist parties has won control of Iceland’s government for the first time in the country’s history. The coalition between the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left Green Movement took thirty-four seats in the sixty-three-member parliament. The previous government in Iceland fell after the country’s economy collapsed. (read).

Thai protests cancel Asian summit A summit of Asian leaders in Thailand has been cancelled after anti-government protesters broke into the venue in the resort of Pattaya.  Thailand's Prime Minister declared an "extreme state of emergency" in Pattaya for several hours while the leaders were airlifted from the area.  The Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) summit was due to have been held on Saturday and Sunday (read).

Moldova students raid Parliament Violence rocked the Moldovan capital of Chisinau as thousands of protesters stormed the presidential administration building and parliament in a second day of street protests. Footage showed the protesters, mostly young men, hurling rocks at the windows of the presidential administration building and setting it on fire as large crowds looked on. The riots came after parliamentary elections at the weekend gave President Vladimir Voronin's Communist Party around 50 per cent of the votes. Protesters shouted "Freedom!" and "Down with the Communists!" and clashed with riot police. (read).

47 MORE STATES TO GO! Iowa became the third state to allow same-sex marriages, joining Massachusetts and Connecticut.  The state's Supreme Court unanimously held that prohibiting gay couples from marrying was unconstitutional (read).

The Obama administration relaxed a Pentagon ban on media coverage of returning U.S. war dead in February The decision gives grieving families the choice of whether to allow cameras at the arrival ceremony. The ban was imposed in 1991 during the first Gulf War with some exceptions, including the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 people. George W. Bush imposed a stricter ban during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, sparking criticism that the federal government was hiding the human cost of its military operations (read).

A Government that represented the interests of the US military industry has fallen The Czech government has collapsed after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament late Tuesday. The vote came after the center right government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek was criticized for the way it handled the economic crisis and for supporting a controversial American anti-missile defense system.  For peace activists in the Czech Republic it is a great victory: they said the only way to stop the installation of the US radar base was the fall of the government and they worked for more than 2 years in this direction with permanence and coherence.  The defeat was a huge embarrassment for the Czech Prime Minister, coming just days before a planned visit by President Barack Obama and midway through the Czech Republic's six-month European Union presidency (read).

Labor Victory in Guadeloupe After Six-Week Strike Reverberates Across French Caribbean and France The financial crisis has had reverberations beyond the United States and Europe, with people taking to the streets in cities across the globe to protest rising wealth inequality and to call for economic and labor rights. Perhaps the most significant action took place in the French Caribbean, on the island of Guadeloupe. Amid rising costs of living, labor leaders in Guadeloupe led a forty-four-day general strike that closed down roads, schools, gas stations and public transportation. The strikers claimed a victory earlier this month with a plan to improve wages and living standards (read).

NEW MEXICO REPEALS DEATH PENALTY! Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico has signed into law a bill repealing the Death Penalty.  The measure replacing the Death Penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole had recently passed the state legislature.  Gov. Richardson had been a staunch supporter of Capital Punishment.  Calls, emails and correspondence to his office had been running 3 to 1 for repeal (read).

FMLN wins election in El Salvador! This historic victory continues Latin America's revolution and ends decades of US-supported, conservative rule in El Salvador (read).  Public pressure for U.S. neutrality in the elections had an effect on the results (read).

A Win for The People Pakistan's US-supported beleaguered government caved into the demands of thousands of protesters and reinstated an ousted judge in a move designed to end a paralysing political crisis (read)

City has to pay for cop beatings The L.A. city council OK'd a $12.85 million payout for demonstrators and bystanders beaten by police at a pro-immigration rally in 2007 (read)

Kyrgyzstan Closing US Base Key to Afghan Conflict - Major Blow to Obama's Plan to Escalate Afghan War (read).