Exiled Tibetans participate in a candle light vigil over the death of Buddhist monk, from self-immolation at Kirti monastery in Tibet's Amdo region, in McLeod Ganj, India, on July 17, 2012. A teenage Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire in southwest China, the latest in a series of self-immolation protests against Chinese rule.
Tibetan Self-Immolations — In an attempt to prevent self-immolation protests by ethnic Tibetans, Chinese authorities are now offering cash rewards to anyone who informs about people who plan to set themselves on fire, reports VOA News. Officials in Gannan (Kanlho) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture said informants would receive a reward of roughly $8,00o. In the past week, at least three Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule and policies in Tibet.
Mexican Navy — The Mexican Navy has become the go-to force — even in landlocked states — in the country’s war on organized crime, notes the Christian Science Monitor. In recent weeks, the Navy captured one of the top leaders of the Gulf Cartel and two commanders of the Los Zetas crime syndicate and also killed the founder and head of Los Zetas. Ever since a new law in 2007 allowed the Navy to operate throughout the country, it has turned into Mexico’s most important crime-fighting force and a dependable U.S. ally in cracking down on drug trafficking, writes CSM.
Japan’s Female Workforce — The BBC examines the lack of women’s participation in the Japanese workforce and points out that Japan ranked 101 out of 135 nations surveyed in the latest Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum. Although the country invests heavily in women’s education, Japanese women constitute a small percentage of the senior and highly-skilled positions. Experts said women’s greater participation in the workforce could help boost Japan’s economic growth.
Out of Recession – The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced that Britain’s GDP rose by 1.0% between July and September, writes Reuters, meaning that the economy is officially out of recession. The jump in growth for the third quarter resulted from a number of factors including Olympic ticket sales and a rebound from the hit taken by an extra June public holiday due to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The 1% increase beat forecasts of 0.6% after the economy shrank by 0.4% between April and June. However, economists still said growth in the U.K. economy is weak and that “headwinds from the eurozone are likely to act as a drag in the coming months.”
WikiLeaks Documents – WikiLeaks has released the first of 700 classified files detailing the behavior and treatment of detainees who were held in Guantanamo Bay between 2002 and 2008, writes CNN. The classified files reveal how some detainees were compliant with the guards’ orders while others threatened the guards with violence. In a statement, WikiLeaks said that the documents are “shining the light of truth on a notorious icon of the Bush administration’s ‘War on Terror.’” Meanwhile, concerns have been expressed by the Ecuadorian embassy over the health of Julian Assange, said the Guardian. The WikiLeaks founder was granted asylum by Ecuador in August.
Syria Accepts Truce – The final announcement of a temporary ceasefire between the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and the rebel opposition is expected on Thursday, writes Reuters. The Syrian government has indicated to Russia that it will accept the ceasefire proposed by U.N. Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi for the duration of the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha. The Security Council has urged “all regional and international actors to use their influence” to ensure the truce is implemented. Members of the council hope that the temporary ceasefire could be the first step towards ending the 19-month-old violence that has killed around 30,000 people.