1) The Congress Party’s hold on India, and its determination to protect (censor?) the legacies of its leaders, is examined here.
2) Some wealthy Germans want a bigger tax burden.
3) A horrific weapon is being used in the now fifteen year struggle in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (I’ve never quite understood why Darfur gets all the attention, but the eastern DRC is largely ignored by Western media and activists.)
4) Is there a growing split between the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda? (I’ll have more to say about this in the future.)
5) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has set presidential and parliamentary elections for 24 January 2010.