Big Brother makes a big push on both sides of the Atlantic: In Britain lawmakers push for legislation allowing terrorism suspects to be detained for up to 56 days without criminal charges, while a top US intelligence official states in Congressional testimony that privacy no longer means anonymity, but trusting that the State and businesses safeguard their information:
- UK Terror Detention Limit Is Longest of Any Democracy (Guardian)
- Intel Official: Expect Less Privacy (Associated Press/Washington Post)
Using tactics and ideology similar to Nazis, Denmark’s far-right party whips up anti-Muslim sentiment to gain seats in the run up to next week’s parliamentary elections, however such tactics hold little resonance with Danes and instead a centrist party led by a politically astute Danish Muslim that may end up being the real kingmaker:
- Denmark Party Targets Muslims (Al-Jazeera International)
- Muslim’s Party Could Decide Danish Vote (Associated Press/New York Times)
A country led an impotent, fragmented and corrupt government, suffering from a deadly insurgency and living with a highly unpopular occupation, Somalia is the second deadliest place in the world for journalists to do their work, after Iraq:
- As Assassins Target Somali Journalists, Fear Is a Daily Event (Washington Post)
Musharraf makes an oxymoronic promise of continuing ahead with January elections, but giving no specific date when martial law ends, meanwhile opposition leader Bhutto predicts more street clashes between her supporters and police if they are prevented from attending a rally against the current suspension of democracy:
- Musharraf Promises to Stick to Election Date but Gives No Guarantees on Lifting Emergency (The Independent)
- Violence Threat Over Pakistan Rally (Al-Jazeera International)
Work hard, pray hard: Sengal’s Mouride Sufi order blends together “A unique mix of militant capitalism and moderate Islam†with a “central doctrine of hard work as a means to paradiseâ€:
- Fake Prada Fuels Senegal’s Muslim Brotherhood (Reuters/Washington Post)
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