1. NATO Accidentally Kills 26 Pakistani Soldiers. NATO conducted an airstrike against a Pakistani military checkpoint on Nov. 26, killing 26 Pakistani soldiers. The airstrike came after forces in Afghanistan reported taking fire from forces in Pakistan. The Pakistani government is now barring NATO from transporting necessary supplies through the country. NATO has stated that it regrets the loss of life, but has not accepted responsibility or formally apologized. Pakistan is considered an ally of the U.S. in the War on Terror in Afghanistan, but the two nations have been at odds since the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May of this year. (Source: CNN)
2. Iranian Protesters Attack British Embassy. In a protest against sanctions directed at the Iranian government, demonstrators attacked the British Embassy in Tehran. Students reportedly ransacked offices and set fires in the building. The British government ordered all Iranian diplomats to leave the United Kingdom in retaliation for the incident. A nation is required by law to protect diplomats and their consulates and embassies in order to ensure their safety. The British claim that Iran purposefully delayed the police from dispersing the protesters, and even suggested that they might have coordinated the attack on the embassy. A similar protest in 1979 against the U.S. embassy led to the Iranians taking hostages for over a year and the closure of the embassy. (Source: BBC)
3. Norway Shooter Declared Insane; Unfit for Trial. Anders Behring Breivik, who is accused of killing nearly 80 people in a double terrorist attack in Norway, is found to have been “psychotic” at the time of the attacks. He may be committed involuntarily to a mental institution indefinitely due to his violent nature. Norwegian psychiatrists determined that Breivik has paranoid schizophrenia, a mental disorder characterized by delusions and disorganized speech and thinking. Breivik claimed that he was not criminally responsible for allegedly bombing the office of the Norwegian Prime Minister or shooting dozens of children at an island campsite because Norway was under threat from Islam. Breivik is still awaiting sentencing. (Source: The Telegraph)
4. Former Ivory Coast President to Face International Tribunal. The former president of the Ivory coast, Laurent Gbagbo, was flown to the Hague on Nov. 29 to face charges of crimes against humanity. He is the first former head of state to be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Gbagbo had refused to give up power to the current president, Alassane Ouattara. A civil war ensued, which resulted in a victory by military forces loyal to Ouattara with French and UN assistance. Gbagbo’s aide has called the ICC’s involvement in the arrest of the ex-president an “illegal action,” adding that it was “a political decision rather than a decision of justice.” Approximately 3,000 people died in the violence following the elections in November of last year. (Source: CNN)
5. Egyptians Vote in Parliamentary Elections. Sixty-two percent of eligible voters turned out in Egypt on Nov. 28 to elect members of parliament. It is the first election since protesters forced the resignation of longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in January. The elections come as protesters returned to the streets to call for a faster transition to democracy. The country has been ruled by the Egyptian supreme Council of the Armed Forces since Mubarak resigned, and while the head of the council has promised presidential elections by 2012, protesters fear that the council will continue to hold power. (Source: BBC)