February 1:
Kabul, Afghanistan: Sayed Pervez Kamlaksh, a twenty-three year old journalism student, has been sentenced to death by that country's rulers for heresy. Kamlaksh had allegedly downloaded and distributed a report, taken from a Farsi website, which stated that Muslim Fundamentalists who claim that the Koran justifies the oppression of women are misrepresenting the views of the prophet Mohamed. He was found guilty by a religious court and then given a sentence of death by that country's congress; this, at the suggestion of MP Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, a close ally of President Karzai. International efforts are now underway to apply pressure upon the Afghani government and President Karzai to spare his life. The Independent has more on this story plus a petition at the end of the article.

January 31:
From Global IMC: "In the morning of January 30th, Alejandro Barrita Ortiz, director of the Auxiliary, Industrial, Banking and Commercial Police, was assassinated in Oaxaca City at “El Tequio” sports park near the international airport. Two versions of the assassination have surfaced, one which claims the assassins used a 380 and 9mm handguns, and another which claims AK-47s were the weapons of choice. The second version further states that the assassins fled the scene in a red pickup and a black Dodge Stratus." Global Indymedia has more here.

Ciudad de Oaxaca: Un comando armado asesinó el miércoles al jefe de la policia auxiliar, Alejandro Barrita Ortiz, y su escolta en un parque de deportes de esta ciudad. Ortiz se realizó aciones contra el APPO aqui, pero no usa el APPO las armas de fuego. Dos personas más, toda inocente, murieron en el ataque. La Jornada tiene más información aquí.

b>January 27:
Gaza: Last week, after enduring an ever-tightening Israeli blockade, which had cut off the Palestinians from the basic necessities of life, residents of Gaza rushed through a hole in the wall at the Rafah Crossing at the border of Egypt. The border wall was blown up by Palestinian fighters intent upon freeing their people in order to obtain some basic necessities. It was an act of desperation. What has been the Israeli rationale behind the imposition of a blockade that is being called a "crime against humanity?" Are there better resolutions to the Israeli/Palestinian situation than commonly being implemented? Read an analysis here.