GOVERNMENT

On Thursday 8th November, Argentina started a new form of protest: the Global “Cacerolazo”. Actively planned and coordinated through the opposition media and social networks, “8N” resulted in 1.5 million people taking to the streets of Argentina to protest against the gross corruption, governmental mismanagement and flagrant irresponsibility of President Cristina Kirchner’s government.

Italian politics has been thrown into a state of renewed uncertainty after Silvio Berlusconi – enraged by his conviction for tax dodging – warned that he was considering bringing down Mario Monti's government and pitching the country into a snap election.

The head of editorial standards at the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) has knowingly fooled Members of Parliament (MPs) over the Jimmy Savile sex scandal crisis.

More than a year after the cessation of 7 months of NATO bombing, one quarter of population in exile, tens of thousands held political prisoner and a hundred thousand dead, the colonialist-backed regime is still unable to form a government

Skirmishes continue between protesters and riot police in Madrid, with cops firing rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd. Fourteen people have been injured and 22 arrested, local media report.

MP Paul Flynn says government ministers are using British soldiers as human shields for ministers' reputations by sending them to die in vain in a war in Afghanistan which is lost.

Government responds to Yesh Din petition, says old military expropriation orders allow for construction on privately owned Palestinian land.

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed into law a new measure that requires nongovernmental groups receiving funding from abroad and engaging in political activity to register as foreign agents with the Justice Ministry.

Some NGOs have vowed to ignore or circumvent the law, while its critics note that the vague definition of political activity could be applied to a wide range of initiatives. Putin, meanwhile, has claimed that recent protests against him were instigated and funded by the United States.

The Government faces huge embarrassment today after two key figures appointed to help clean up the Irish financial system were named in an explosive US investigation into global banking giant HSBC.

If passed, an amendment in the Agricultural Appropriations Bill will not just allow, but require the secretary of agriculture to grant permits for planting or cultivating GM crops – even if a federal court has given an injunction against it.

Basically, all Monsanto and other biotech companies have to do is ask and the industry gets its way. Issues like crop contamination, damage to farmers or consumers, courts orders or USDA studies all go out the window and the biotech industry cashes in.

The Romanian government of Prime Minister Emil Boc resigned today (6 February), following more than 20 days of protests over austerity measures and the economic downturn in the EU newcomer.

Emil Boc said he took the decision in order "to defuse the social tension" and to protect the economic stability of the country, according to Romanian media. Boc, who is the leader of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) of President Traian Basescu, has been prime minister since 2008.

The real reason Liam Fox had to resign was not a grubby little money scandal about firms funding Adam Werritty as he jetted round the world with the Defence Secretary. It was much more important, and much worse, than that.

Graphic: Where the attacks happened on 22 July.