Region

Accused whistle-blower Pvt. Bradley Manning turned 24 Saturday. He spent his birthday in a pretrial military hearing that could ultimately lead to a sentence of life … or death. Manning stands accused of causing the largest leak of government secrets in United States history. More on Manning shortly. First, a reminder of what he is accused of leaking.

Here we give diffusion to a great song by Mark Lesseraux that has become also a good video produced and directed by Matthew Dimakos:
[http://youtu.be/-b9Bj72qzjg](http://youtu.be/-b9Bj72qzjg)

It is a synthesis of the new spirit that was manifested during 2011 and surely will develop with strenght in the new year to come, since it reflects deep hopes shared by the 99%.

After days of completing the prisoners swap deal between Hamas Movement and Israel resulting the release of 1027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gila’ad Shalit, Israel has begun a new escalation against the Palestinian detainees in a clear
violation of their basic rights and an attempt to begin a new system purposes to increase prisoners’ suffering.

The documents were found among scores of other classified material at a junkyard outside Baghdad as an attendant used them as fuel to cook his dinner

See video: [http://www.nationofchange.org/us-military-discards-trove-documents-2005-haditha-massacre-iraqis-1324477793](http://www.nationofchange.org/us-military-discards-trove-documents-2005-haditha-massacre-iraqis-1324477793)

2011 in figures: 66 journalists killed (16% more than in 2010), 1,044 journalists arrested, 1,959 journalists physically attacked or threatened,
499 media censored, 71 journalists kidnapped, 73 journalists fled their country, 5 netizens killed, 199 bloggers and netizens arrested, 62 bloggers and netizens physically attacked, 68 countries subject to Internet censorship

Reporters Without Borders expresses its deepest sympathy to the family
and colleagues of the journalist Abdisalan Sheikh Hassan, shot dead
yesterday by a man in military uniform in the Hamar Jajab district of
Mogadishu.

A tiny courtroom was yesterday the scene of the first of a four day hearing to decide if the City of London can evict the Occupy LSX campsite by St Paul’s Cathedral. At the same time a breather was given to the protesters as the Judge dealing with UBS (which used to mean Union Bank of Switzerland) request to vacate the Bank of Ideas postponed the case till January.

The world will remember Mr. Vaclav Havel as a great man who took several personal great risks to improve the situation in his country, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Sunday, the day that the Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician died died in his sleep at dawn after a lengthy illness, at the age of 75.

A survivor of the Hiroshima bombing urged a library full of students at Brooklyn International High School to work towards a world without war.

Setsuko Thurlowtold her tale of survival to a group of about fifty seniors on the 70 th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that drew the U.S. into World War II.

With celebrations and tears of joy, the Palestinian prisoners reunited with their families and friends on Sunday in Gaza and West Bank.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered outside the Palestinian Presidential compound in Ramallah in order to welcome the 509 released Palestinian prisoners and celebrate the great moment.