From El Universal, Jan. 10 via Chiapas95: Soaring tortilla prices have touched off a budding crisis, threatening the traditional affordability of the nation’s most politically sensitive food product. Consumers are paying an average of 8 pesos per kilo – with… Read moreMexico: soaring tortilla prices hurt poor
A little more than a year ago, it was a mysterious sweet smell that mystified New Yorkers. This time a mysterious sinister smell. A psychological warfare experiment? From Reuters, Jan. 10: A powerful, mysterious smell of gas wafted through much… Read moreSmell of fear in NYC; dead birds in Austin
From the Middle East Newsline, Jan. 8: Morocco has reported another crackdown on Al Qaida. Officials said security forces have arrested Al Qaida operatives suspected of recruiting Muslims for the Sunni insurgency war in Iraq. They said the Al Qaida… Read moreMorocco claims al-Qaeda crackdown
Another sign of Nigeria’s social breakdown—and similar tensions are reported from Ghana. From Xinhua, Jan. 9: Six persons were killed at the weekend in a bloody clash between herdsmen and farmers in Korenganuwa village in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Zamfara,… Read moreNigeria: Fulani herders in bloody clash with farmers
More than a thousand peasants and fishermen marched in Campeche, in the Yucatan peninsula, Jan. 6 to protest the degradation of their lands and waters by the state oil company Pemex. Participants included members of the National Campesino Confederation, the… Read moreYucatan: campesinos march against Pemex
Since the beginning of the year we’ve been keeping track of ghastly acts of (non-Muslim) terrorism from around the world which the media have largely played down or completely ignored. The latest entry is from India’s restive Northeast. From BBC… Read moreIndia: more ethnic terror in Assam
From Catholic Information Service for Africa via AllAfrica, Jan. 5: A message purportedly from the deputy leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist network has appeared on the internet, urging the Union of Islamic Courts fighters in Somalia to launch suicide attacks… Read moreSomalia: al-Qaeda calls for resistance against Ethiopian occupation
Incoming Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended that President Bush order an immediate buildup of 10,000 troops in Iraq, with an option of doubling that to 20,000 by spring. The plan is known as “Five Plus Two,” sending five Army… Read moreTilt to “pragmatists” in DC; tilt to Sunnis in Iraq?
The year is off to a great start. As in Madrid and Bangkok, somebody seeks to prove the intellectual superiority of their position by blowing up random civilians. (And none of these three cases involves Muslims, by the way.) From… Read moreMore terror in Sri Lanka
The routing of Somalia’s Islamist forces from their last stronghold in the southern port of Kismayo is being portrayed in the Western press as a victory for order and civilization against extremism and terrorism. A look at the local press… Read moreSomalia: ousted warlord back in Kismayo
We actually sympathize with the cause of Basque independence, but given everything that is going on in the world, why does anybody think blowing up random civilians is a legitimate means to acheive political aims? The Basque movement does appear… Read moreETA blast reveals split in Basque independence movement?
From El Universal, Jan. 2 via Chiapas95: Relatives of prisoners detained during a Nov. 25 federal crackdown on Oaxaca demonstrators set up a protest camp outside the Miahuatlan prison in Oaxaca City Monday, and vowed to stay there until all… Read moreOaxaca: protest encampment outside prison
