CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. Global Terrorism Monitor
2. Political Risk Monitor
3. AML/CFT Monitor
4. Emerging Threat Monitor
5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor
6. Disaster Reduction Monitor
7. Recommended Reading
8. Asset Management Network News

1. Global Terrorism Monitor

For detailed analysis, background information and source documents become a Global Terrorism Monitor subscriber. You can purchase this and other titles here:
TAMNI Publications

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GTM Africa
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Foreign Ministers from 27 Central and West African countries met 25-6 May, and have agreed on counterterrorism measures including ratification and implementation of all universal instruments, and enhancing cooperation.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/press_release_2006_05_25.html

Chadian civilian massacres are the topic of a new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW). Researchers found that 118 people were killed on 12 and 13 April:
"Survivors described unarmed villagers being surrounded and then gunned down or hacked to death with machetes by militiamen wearing blue Sudanese military fatigues and turbans. Witnesses described their attackers as Janjaweed and noted that Chadians who had recently migrated to Sudan were among them." The report, and links to video and photos can be found here:
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/05/24/chad13444.htm

Democratic Republic of Congo troops, supported by UN peacekeepers, killed 32 rebels in the ongoing "Operation Ituri Explorer" mission ahead of elections scheduled for 30 July. The continued fighting has displaced at least 10,000 people.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18637

Ethiopian militiamen raided Kenyan border villages and stole some 1,200 heads of cattle. Four civilians were killed and five abducted.

Ivory Coast rebel factions, the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and Armed Forces of the New Forces, have begun to assemble fighters in preparation for disarmament.

Liberian President Johnson-Sirleaf has asked for UN assistance to take control of two rubber plantations occupied by former Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels who have been illegally tapping rubber trees. Her request follows the final report of the Joint Government of Liberia - United Nations Rubber Plantations Task Force.
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmil/index.html
http://www.frontpageafrica.com/RunScript.asp?page=&Article_ID=2823&NWS=NWS&ap=NewsDetail.asp&p=ASP\~Pg0.asp
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605251025.html

Mali has sent army reinforcements to the northeast, where a group of suspected Tuareg rebels attacked and seized two military bases, and taken control of the town of Kidal. Two soldiers were killed and four injured, and the bases plundered. The attackers are thought to be army deserters. President Amadou Toumani Toure, attempting to prevent a recurrence of race riots during the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s, has called for calm, and emphasized that ordinary Tuaregs were not involved. By Wednesday the town was back in government hands and those displaced have begun to return home. Casualties are unknown.
http://www.globalterrorismmonitor.com/2006/05/GTM2801.shtml
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L25769739.htm

Rwandan prosecutors requested that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda transfer the case of Michael Bogaragaza to Norway to gain wider understanding of how genocide occurs. Bogaragaza is suspected of funding, arming and training an anti-Tutsi militia in 1994, and the tribunal ruled that his extensive statement on the genocide supported their decision to try him in national court.
http://69.94.11.53/default.htm

In Somalia, fighting between the Sharia courts and the Alliance for Peace and the US-backed Fight against International Terrorism (ARPCT) resumed on Thursday. Raging gun battles left some 60 people dead, more than 100 injured, and thousands displaced.

The UN warns that continued Sudanese rebel infiltration of refugee camps in eastern Chad could result in suspension of humanitarian aid to the displaced persons from Darfur. Militia attacks in the Upper Nile and Jonglei provinces have forced Medecins Sans Frontiers to withdraw staff from several medical clinics.

The Ugandan leader of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony, appeared with southern Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, in a video in which Kony said the LRA was will ready for peace.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/500298
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2004/022904.html#FeatureArticle
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GTM Americas
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Brazilian police have lowered from 109 to 79 the number of people killed by police in their response to prison rioting and attacks by the organized criminal network, the First Capital Command (PCC). At least two dozen victims have not been identified. The reduction in numbers has revived public criticism, including allegations of police brutality, excessive force, and covering up the number of civilian deaths.

A Canadian Federal Court ruled that suspected al Qaeda operative Mohamed Harkat of Ottawa, can be released under stringent supervision and other conditions, because of unexplained delays in pursuing his case, which has been open since December 2002. Three other suspects have gone on hunger strike to protest their continued detention.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1148593811944
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060527.EHARKAT27/TPStory/Comment

A court in Chile has sentenced Paul Schaefer to 20 years in prison for child abuse at a German colony established by the former Nazi in 1961. He was also ordered to pay $1.5 million compensation. Colonia Dignidad was taken over by the state last year, but in the 1970s and 1980s, it had supported the secret police in their torture of left-wing dissidents.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2197475,00.html
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-24T203108Z_01_N24325629_RTRUKOC_0_UK-CRIME-CHILE-SCHAEFER.xml

Colombia's Defense Minister Camilo Ospina has opened an inquiry into an incident in which government troops mistook ten undercover anti-narcotics police officers for drug traffickers, and shot them dead. Among the issues being considered is the lack of consultation and information sharing among the various security operations.

The Los Angeles Times has prepared a 3-part series following the lives of soldiers wounded in Iraq.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wounded/la-na-wounded-series,0,936394.special

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed "Homeland Security Assistance for Nonprofits: Department of Homeland Security Delegated Selection of Nonprofits to Selected States and States Used a Variety of Approaches to Determine Awards".
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-663R

Sameeh Hammoudeh, a co-defendant in former university professor Sami Al-Arian's trial, has been deported. Five months after the trial, he has rejoined his family in the West Bank. He was acquitted of all charges in a case alleging the men had provided support for Islamic Jihad.

An American Red Cross survey shows persistent grief among the responders, survivors and relatives who sought help from the Red Cross after 9/11. Although most respondents found the assistance adequate, two-thirds of individuals indicated that grief continues to significantly interfere with their lives.
http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?id=411335
http://www.redcross.org/

Shahawar Marin Siraj has been found guilty in New York court for plotting to blow up a Manhattan subway.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/terror/24plot.html
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GTM Asia Pacific
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Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies (IDSS) released "Safety and Security in Malacca and Singapore Straits: An Agenda for Action". The report calls for littoral states and other Southeast Asian countries to ratify the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and the Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.
http://idsswk06/publications/conference_reports/IDSS%20S&S%20book.pdf

From IDSS's International Center for Terrorism and Political Violence Research, Dr Rohan Gunaratna reports that a Jemaah Islamiah training manual revealed plans to spread hydrogen cyanide through HVAC systems of large buildings.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19250331-2,00.html

In Indonesia, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) announced they have established a new political party. The former separatist movement plans to run two independent candidates in the next gubernatorial elections.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060524.A05

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has condemned a new agreement that expands US security operations to include terrorism, crime, maritime, safety and security, natural and manmade disasters. US humanitarian assistance has been used previously while conducting operations against the CPP's armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA)
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLASH052720067926_5.htm

NPA rebels in Mindanao attempted to attack anti-Communist advocate Mely Ahan, but she escaped and called for support. Government militiamen responded. The clash killed two rebels and injured six. Four militiamen were also injured.

Prominent Philippine journalist Fernando Batul was killed in a drive-by motorbike shooting. He had been subject to repeated threats, and now House Deputy Minority Leader Satur Ocampo has called for an end to extrajudicial killing of activists, whether militants or journalists, and to hold the government accountable.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2006/05/28/news/congress.asked.to.probe.militant.media.killings.html

In Thailand, many schools in the south have closed again following the attack and beating of two schoolteachers that has left one comatose and unlikely to survive. Education officials have asked for teachers and students to be moved to safer locations. This Monday, a state telephone worker who was killed in a drive-by shooting, then set fire. On 23 May, an attack in a market killed two border police and injured five bystanders. Another drive-by shooting killed a Muslim villager and injured a second. On 24 May, a village chief was shot dead.
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GTM Europe
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Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has restricted police and intelligence agency profiling when there is no suspicion of terrorism. After 9/11 police had been given broad powers, using computerized profiling first developed to defeat the Red Army Faction in the 1970s. Using data from public sources as well as health insurance, real estate agents, and utilities, Arab students became the primary targets. This trawling has now ended.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2029600,00.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/23/news/berlin.php

The Netherlands' parliament has approved new anti-terrorism measures to permit surveillance, infiltration or wiretapping, even without reasonable suspicion of a criminal act. The act also expands detention without charge from three to 14 days, and expands the range of permissible spot searches.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-05-23-dutch-terror_x.htm
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/amn060523mc

Russian Judge Tamerlan Aquazarov completed his lengthy summation of the case of Nur-Pashi Kulayev, which included the forensic records of the victims of the Beslan school siege, in which Kulayev participated. The only known survivor among the attackers, Kulayev has been sentenced to life in prison. He will appeal his sentence, and the Beslan families plan to continue their own fight to find out what really happened, and the role of the security services in the tragedy.
http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/26-05-2006/81127-Beslan-0
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5019934.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5023240.stm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,0,00.html
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2005/090405.html#FeatureArticle

The Beslan school siege, which left 331 dead - most children - revealed the corruption and insecurity endemic in the North Caucasus, and for the first time challenged Russian authorities' assertions that they had brought peace and stability. Today, Russia continues its policy of using force and restricting media coverage to maintain its control over the only region whose independence effort after the fall of the USSR was forcibly denies. Meanwhile, the violence continues. Last week suspected Chechen rebels attacked a Russian base near Vedeno. Four soldiers were killed and three injured. There were several other ambushes, and a roadside bombing injured one policeman, then another was shot dead during the investigation, and a second injured.

In Siberia, federal security agents arrested five men suspected of membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Spain's Prime Minister Zapatero plans to launch direct talks with Basque separatist group ETA next month.

A Turkish court is trying 73 suspects in connection with the 2003 suicide attacks in Istanbul. On Monday, Louai Sakka tore off his clothes, revealing a Guantanamo-style orange jumpsuit. He was not allowed to bring his protest into the court hearing.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=hotnews&alt=&trh=20060523&hn=33333
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.301285830&par=

UK police conducted raids across England, targeting suspects thought to be planning suicide attacks in Iraq. Eight men were arrested, and three of these held under the Terrorism Act for additional questioning.

Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights' published its latest report regarding its inquiry into compliance with the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT). Among the findings, it found failure to meet legal obligations to investigate claims that the US CIA is conducting extraordinary renditions through the UK.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200506/jtselect/jtrights/185/18502.htm

The Quadripartite Committee is investigating arms exports. Testimony from HM Revenue and Customs said it is investigating a possible offense involving weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/quad.cfm

Farid Hilali has lost an appeal against extradition to Spain. He had been arrested in the UK in September 2003 under the Terrorism Act 2000 for suspected links to al Qaeda but was not charged. His attorneys argued that extradition to Spain was merely a ruse to force his return to Morocco, where he could be arrested and tortured. He may appeal this ruling.

Last week's Sunday Times reports that more than 230 foreign terrorist suspects (of a total of 963 arrested) have been allowed to stay in the UK as asylum seekers.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,200-2190421,00.html

Oxford University has been granted an extension to its existing injunction against animal rights protestors.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,,1784017,00.html?gusrc=rss

Richard McIlkenny has died in Dublin, aged 73. He was one of the Birmingham Six, the group wrongly imprisoned in England for Irish Republican Army (IRA) pub bombings in the 1970s. The group of six Irishmen living in Birmingham had been sentenced in 1975 to life in prison based on false confessions obtained through beatings. They served 16 years before being released in March 1991.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/14/newsid_2543000/2543613.stm
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/other/1974/faul76.htm

In Northern Ireland, Ken Barrett has been released from Maghaberry prison after serving nearly three years. He had been sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, and was told he would serve at least 22 years. The Sentence Review Commission has ruled differently, under the Good Friday Agreement, in a case that will be appealed by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=692316
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/story.jsp?story=692476
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2200432,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,,1781605,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5011240.stm
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GTM Middle East
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Egypt's interior ministry reports that al-Tawhid wa al-Jihad, the group believed responsible for the triple bombings in Dahab on 24 April and other attacks, has been in contact with Palestinian militants, who may have shared explosives training.

In Gaza, clashes between rival Fatah and Hamas security forces continued throughout the week. During these attacks, a Jordanian passer-by was killed in crossfire, and six people were injured. On Wednesday, Salem Kadih, a governing member of Hamas, was killed. Two others were injured, abducted, and left at a gas station. On Friday, Hamas withdrew its security militia in an effort to reduce violence, but they made a limited appearance today.

Also in Gaza, three teenage Palestinian boys were killed while trying to dismantle unexploded Israeli shells outside their home. Five other people were injured. Israeli shells killed a farmer as he worked in his fields near Jalabiya refugee camp.

Sectarian violence in Iraq increased immediately after the new government was formed a week ago. General Abdul Aziz Muhammad reported that in the seven days to Monday 98 civilians were killed and 208 injured, and about 85 suspected insurgents were also killed. In Baghdad, three separate car bombs on Tuesday killed more than 20 people, including one outside a Shia mosque and one in a large market, while in Baquba gunmen killed three men. At the end of the week, two bombings in Baghdad killed nine people and injured 50, and Iraq's tennis team coach and two players were shot dead, apparently for wearing shorts.

Israel's defense minister has called for an inquiry into the death of a Palestinian family when it was caught in the missile blast directed against an Islamic Jihad militant traveling n a separate vehicle. One man survived the attack but his wife, son, and mother-in-law were all killed, and his 3-year old daughter was severely injured. Her spine was severed and she will require life support as long as she lives. Britain's Attorney General Lord Goldsmith is visiting Israel in connection with another investigation: the deaths of James Miller and Tom Hurndall. The two Britons had been shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in separate incidents, and their relatives have asked for a possible prosecution for war crimes. Mr. Miller's shooting was declared unlawful, but no one has been sentenced for it. A soldier is serving an 8-year sentence for manslaughter in the Hurndall case.

Jordan captured al Qaeda member Ziyad Khalaf Karbouli, an Iraqi, who subsequently confessed to killing a Jordanian driver and kidnapping two Moroccans from Jordan's Baghdad embassy.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-23T162712Z_01_L2350790_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-QAEDA-JORDAN.xml

In Lebanon, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was blamed for missile attacks into Israel that injured one soldier, but those responsible have not been identified or taken credit for the attack. The Israeli air force retaliated by firing inside east Lebanon and near Beirut.

In southern Lebanon a car bomb killed Islamic Jihad local leader Mahmoud Majdoub and his brother Nidal Majdoub. Those responsible have not been identified.

Israeli forces have captured Ibrahim Hamad, leader of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank. In a raid in Ramallah, four Palestinians were shot dead.
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GTM South Asia
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In Afghanistan, a dramatic surge in Taleban violence has led to a massive response and increased numbers of civilian deaths, which have led the government to consider whether these are the correct tactics. Taleban fighters have adopted a strategy of hiding in civilian homes. Instead of shielding the militants this is increasing the civilian death toll. On Monday, a US-led air strike killed between 20 and 80 Taleban and between 16 and 30 civilians, including children. On Tuesday, a convoy in Helmand was ambushed. In the subsequent fighting, three Afghan policemen and 12 Taleban were killed. On Wednesday, another major battle killed between 24 and 60 suspected Taleban and five Afghan soldiers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,1784304,00.html
http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict/afghanistan_war_3586.jsp
http://www.ipcs.org/whatsNewArticle1.jsp?action=showView&kValue=2034&status=article&mod=b

In Bangladesh, members of the outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party - Red faction killed Arif, an assistant camp commander of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). JMB member Hafez Ahmed Kader Mainuddin ("Uday") was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possessing a powerful explosive device.

In Indian-administered Kashmir on 21 May, a militant attack in Srinigar killed at least seven people attending a political rally. On Monday there were four attacks in Srinigar. A grenade killed a minibus driver, and four of the tourists he transported were injured. The three other attacks injured at least seven police and 11 civilians. Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for three of the four attacks. On Friday, security forces killed three Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI) militants. Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed three HUJI in a gunfight, as the HUJI were about to surrender to security forces.

A Pakistan anti-terrorism court has sentenced four people to death, three to life in prison, and acquitted one in the 2004 attempted assassination of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Although he survived, his driver and bystanders were killed.

In Quetta, Balochistan, a rocket attack directed at army housing killed one woman and injured three people. A man claimed that the Baloch Liberation Army was responsible. A separate attack in the same province injured two soldiers at a military base.

In North Waziristan a car exploded at a checkpoint, killing the driver and two security personnel. In another attack, masked gunmen killed Malik Takhti Khan, a tribal leader suspected of sharing information with the government.

In Sri Lanka, Ramanan, a Tamil Tiger district commander, was killed by unidentified gunmen in the eastern city of Batticaloa. The Tigers called the murder on Monday an effort to end any moves towards peace. Grenade attacks against humanitarian workers seriously injured one staff member and two civilians. This follows the shooting death of a Norwegian aid worker last week. On Thursday, four police were killed in a mine attack in Batticaloa, and another mine attack in the north injured three soldiers. In Wilpattu National Park a jeep carrying tourists hit a landmine, which killed seven people.

2. Political Risk Monitor

For detailed analysis, background information and source documents available only to subscribers of the Political Risk Monitor, visit our online store:
TAMNI Publications

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PRM Africa
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Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has replaced Prime Minister Ahmed Oyyahya with his close ally Abdelaziz Belkhadem. Although the reasons were not given, it is likely that the new appointment is designed to support constitutional changes to permit a third presidential term and expand presidential powers.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Algeria/10042966.html

In Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 32 foreigners with Nigerian, South African, and US passports, and described as mercenaries, were arrested on suspicion of planning a coup. No charges have as yet been laid, and DRC has indicated that some of the men would be freed or face immigration charges.
http://www.dispatch.co.za/2006/05/26/Foreign/coup.html
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/958356753277167b75b6e4e0eaf57723.htm

Ahead of July elections, politicians have been warned against contingents of bodyguards in excess of 25 people. For a summary of the challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo, read this interview with the UN deputy special representative:
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com/2006/05/PRM2803.shtml

Eritrea has detained another UN staff member.

Ethiopian opposition party, Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), has allied with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in the new Alliance Freedom and Democracy (AFD) party, which will pursue a united, peaceful political opposition agenda. The OLF and ONLF do not intend to end their attacks.

A second opposition group, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, said it supported the Alliance but would not join in until member groups had been consulted.

The verdict in the 12-year genocide trial of former Ethiopian ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam, a Communist leader known for the Red Terror, has been postponed until 23 January to give the Supreme Court time to assess the evidence. Mengistu currently resides in Zimbabwe.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605250656.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605250224.html

"Because They Have the Guns...I'm Left With Nothing" is a new report from Human Rights Watch that documents serious human rights abuses in Ivory Coast. It finds that civilians are preyed upon by state security forces, their allied militias, and the rebel New Forces. Abuses including extortion, bribery, beatings, and extrajudicial killings could threaten the October elections.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/05/24/cotedi13443.htm

Senegal's navy reports stopping more than 1,500 people trying to sail in wooden boats to Spain's Canary Islands last weekend. Another 1,500 people have landed within a week, joining some 7,400 already this year. Senegal has become a major departure point for African emigrants, and to help stem the hazardous journeys the EU plans to deploy patrols as far as Gambia and Senegal.

"Somaliland: Time for African Union Leadership", from the International Crisis Group, addresses:
"The dispute between Somaliland and Somalia will become an ever-increasing source of friction, and possibly violence, unless the African Union (AU) engages in preventive diplomacy. The self-declared Republic of Somaliland is marking fifteen years since it proclaimed independence from Somalia, and if Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) expands its authority across the shattered country, the dispute over Somaliland's status is likely to become an ever-increasing source of friction. The AU should appoint a Special Envoy to consult with all relevant parties and report on the legal, security and political dimensions of the dispute and offer options for solutions within six months. Its Peace and Security Council should organise an informal consultation round with eminent scholars, political analysts and legal experts. Pending final resolution of the dispute, Somaliland should be granted interim observer status at the AU."
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4131

The Sudan Liberation Movement, the largest rebel group and a party to the peace accord, says that a village raided in North Darfur had been attacked by government-backed militias and the army. The government denies that it has breached the peace agreement. The UN has found it is falling short on many of the human rights commitments it made last year. Sudan has agreed to allow a UN assessment team into the country.

Note this economic analysis from the International Monetary Fund:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2006/pn0657.htm

In Uganda, a refugee camp set up for those displaced by the Lord's Resistance Army came under attack by a guard supposed to defend them. The local militiaman started shooting during a domestic dispute, and left dead at least ten, with 13 others seriously injured.
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com/2006/05/PRM2801.shtml

Zambia's dominant opposition leader, Anderson Mazoka, has died. He had lost the last general elections by only two percent less than President Mwanawasa. His death has been a huge blow to the opposition alliance he led. During his funeral, his supporters attacked the information minister for being part of the government they believe poisoned Mazoka. General elections in Zambia are due at the end of this year.
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com/2006/05/PRM2802.shtml

Zimbabwe's government has gazetted the Interception of Communications Bill 2006. When passed by Parliament, it would establish a communication center to allow  state agents to intercept and monitor conversations, faxes and emails during transmission.
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=3713&cat=1
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PRM Americas
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Bolivia's President Morales hosted a visit from Venezuelan President Chavez. The two leaders signed a number of agreements including cooperation in energy, mining, and agriculture.

Brazilian prosecutors have launched a formal inquiry into the sudden increase in Sao Paulo police killings as the prison riots and attacks from the PCC fell.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14642402.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5007108.stm

In Canada's Ontario province, aboriginal protestors in Caledonia removed a blockade that has been in place for more than a month. The goodwill gesture during peace talks collapsed, and tensions have escalated including a fracas when Caledonian residents provided Victorian-era gifts of bread and cheese in thanks for loyalty, and they were turned into missiles. The situation has stabilized, and negotiations resumed.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060524/blockade_dispute_060524/20060524?hub=TopStories

Toronto Star reporter Adam Mayers draws parallels between the current US border debates and similar approaches during the US civil war.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1148248211622

"The Mafia's Shadow Kingdom" describes the danger of rising organized crime not only in Brazil but also across Latin America, and the possibility that its spread could end the region's leftist shift.
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,417450,00.html

Colombians vote in presidential elections today.

Mexican President Vincente Fox visited the US, where he encountered demonstrators both positive and negative. He offered to collaborate with the US on immigration issues, and praised the Senate's version of an immigration bill.

Former President of Peru, Alan Garcia, came under attack by supporters of Ollanta Humala, his leftist opponent in next month's presidential elections. Garcia was uninjured, but the attack en route to the airport did injure five people.

The US Senate passed, by 62 to 36 votes, broad changes to immigration policy. The legislation includes stronger border security including a fence at the Mexican border, a guest worker program, English as the national language, and establishes a complex path to citizenship. The bill differs in major ways from the House, where any suggestion of legalization or amnesty is not open to discussion. The Senate and House versions now move on to committee to attempt to reach a common outcome, which seems unlikely in the foreseeable future.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501548.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-immig26may26,0,4263639.story

US President Bush hosted meetings last week with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, where he supported Israel's unilateral border plans, as well as a visit from British Prime Minister Blair, where the two conceded mistakes in Iraq.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/globaldiplomacy/
http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/PMSpeaks/speechcong240506.htm
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page9543.asp

The Pentagon released its Annual Report to Congress: Military Power of the People's Republic of China. It warned that although China remains focused on Taiwan, it is extending its military reach and could pose a threat across Asia. China has lashed out at the groundless accusations of the report.
http://www.dod.gov/pubs.china.html

General Michael Hayden has been confirmed as the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
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PRM Asia Pacific
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Australia's state and federal government representatives are considering ways to address abuse and violence in Aboriginal communities, including measures to address economic and social disadvantages.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19266178-28737,00.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/not-the-third-world-just-australias-first-war-zone/2006/05/22/1148150189144.html
http://www.nit.com.au
http://www.nt.gov.au/

Burma has indicated that it may want to improve its international relations, but if that is their intent, their decision to extend the house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not help their cause. Suu Kyi has spent ten of the last 16 years in detention.

East Timor erupted in fresh violence last week. A dispute that began with dismissed soldiers has turned into widespread ethnic violence that has left at least 20 people dead in the past week, and tens of thousands displaced. East Timor requested international help, and it was quick in arriving. Australian forces took the lead, securing the airport, and have been joined by troops from Malaysia, New Zealand, and Portugal.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/six-die-in-torched-dili-home/2006/05/26/1148524849554.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ethnic-tensions-see-increasing-violence-between-east-and-west/2006/05/25/1148524818996.html

North Korea has cancelled a scheduled test of a rail link with the south pending a security agreement.

A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant against Ji Choong-hu, who is accused of attempted murder against opposition leader Park Geun-hye, whom Ji Choong-hu, is believed to have attacked with a box cutter and slashing his face.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and other opposition groups have condemned a new agreement that would increase US security operations in the Philippines. The US presence began with training but has increased greatly. Now, the operations have been extended to terrorism, crime, maritime, safety and security, natural and manmade disasters. Critics say this removes any limits on US activities anywhere in the country.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLASH052720067926_5.htm

Thailand's "caretaker" Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has begun to chair cabinet meetings again, seven weeks after handing power to his deputy. A senator and political activists have asked that Shinawatra and the cabinet be suspended pending a review of their removal from office following loss of legitimacy during the recent failed elections.
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PRM Europe
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Cyprus held parliamentary elections on 21 May. The ruling coalition won the most votes, with President Tassos Papadopoulos' Diko party with 18 percent of the vote and  its ally, the communist Akel party with 31 percent. Both party leaders oppose reunification. The opposition Disy party won 30 percent of the votes. Although both sides have expressed a desire to resume discussions, neither has changed their position.

Germany's interior ministry calls for the public to be extra vigilant in helping tackle surging right-wing extremism, particularly in advance of the World Cup. New statistics from the ministry indicate a 23 percent rise in racially-motivated acts of extremist right-wing violence. This week apparent racist attacks injured six people in three incidents, and 13 suspects have been arrested.
http://www.bmi.bund.de/cln_012/nn_122688/Internet/Content/Nachrichten/Pressemitteilungen/2006/05/Verfassungsschutzbericht__2005.html (in German)
http://www.verfassungsschutz.de
http://www.gdp.de/gdp/gdpcms.nsf/id/p60510?Open&ccm=500020000&L=DE&markedcolor=%23003399 (in German)
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,417492,00.html

Italy's new immigration minister, Paolo Ferrero, is working on new policies to normalize the position of illegal workers already employed in Italy and relax the criteria for working legally. Current laws are so rigid that it is nearly impossible to work legally, although thousands of businesses do so and there is a huge black economy.

Montenegro's referendum was "conducted overall in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and other international standards for democratic electoral processes. It provided the voters a genuine opportunity to decide the future status through a process of direct democracy". This is the conclusion of the International Referendum Observation Mission, which deployed 365 observers from 35 countries. Nonetheless, the vote in favor of independence was very narrow, at just over the required 55 percent, and the pro-Serbian unionists have asked for a recount. Serbian President Boris Tadic has recognized the results of the election.
http://www.osce.org/item/19143.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/5007654.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/5007178.stm

Russia plant to establish anti-missile posts in neighboring countries including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Sweeping military forms to modernize the armed forces have also been announced.

Ukraine's new parliament met for the first time since the March general election, amid ongoing coalition negotiations to form a government.

UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith has, following a request from the Information Commissioner, provided more details regarding his legal reasoning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5015584.stm
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/files/pdf/Iraq%20Resolution%201441.pdf
http://www.ico.gov.uk/cms/DocumentUploads/Enforcment_Notice_22nd_May_2006.pdf
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page3287.asp

Waqar Ahmed, Azhil Khan, and Afzal Khan were sentenced in British court to life in prison, for the murder of Isaiah Young-Sam. The three Asian men stabbed the black computer analyst to death during race riots in Birmingham in October 2005. They were also sentenced to a 10-year concurrent sentence for attacking and injuring Mr. Young-Sam's friend, Locksley Byfield.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/4985934.stm
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PRM Middle East
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At least 300 Egyptian judges stood in silence outside the High Court in protest over government interference in the judiciary.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=88442&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) has called for an end to internal power struggles, while Prime Minister Ismail Haniya (Hamas) appealed for unity, following clashed that have escalated to a point that raises fear of civil war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5016012.stm

This is not helped by the economic crisis. The World Bank calculates that the economy will shrink by 27 percent this year, leaving three-quarters of the population below the poverty line. The International Labor Office issued its annual report on workers in the occupied territories, citing a sharp dip following a moderate upturn last year. They report that four out of every ten Palestinians are living under the official poverty line of less than US $2.10 a day, while the absolute number of the poor rose from 600,000 in 1999 to 1.6 million in 2005. The number of jobless is estimated at 40.7 per cent of the Palestinian labor force. In addition, the labor market has become characterized by these low rates, with only 50 percent of men and 11 percent of women of working age are employed. Every employed person supports an additional 5 persons. Public sector employment accounts for 23 per cent of the total, but the Palestinian Authority is not able currently to pay wages in full. Unemployment of those aged 15-24 years is 1.6 times the average.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/22.htm

Israel has taken $11 million from $220 million in Palestinian tax and customs revenues frozen by Israel, and will purchase medical supplies for local hospitals. The Palestinian Authority will receive no funds. Indonesia plans to provide medicine and food aid.

This article describes the impact of the blockade on Palestinian industries that rely on exports:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=24613

Iranian police responded to a student demonstration against Tehran University appointments and forced retirements. In the affray that followed up to 40 policemen were injured.

In northwestern Iran thousands of ethnic Azeris have protested against a newspaper cartoon comparing them to cockroaches. Security forces fired on demonstrators, killing at least five people, injuring dozens, and arresting hundreds.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held a joint news conference with UK Prime Minister Blair, during which he announced a June troop withdrawal schedule, much earlier than the UK or US have ever publicly discussed.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L22270402.htm
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=ar_Xe5GthMBc

Standard government policy is not to pay ransom to hostage takers. The Times (London) reports on cases where France, Italy and Germany have paid to free nine hostages abducted in Iraq.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2191229,00.html

In Kuwait, five women have become parliamentary candidates for the first time in the history of the Gulf state.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=869658

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry released a decree under which public prosecutors will handle cases of moral offense rather than the religious police.

UN Security Council Resolution 1680 calls for Syria to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon and complete border delineation.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8723.doc.htm
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=24655
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PRM South Asia
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Afghanistan and Pakistan have resumed a bus service that Pakistan had suspended following the 1989 Soviet invasion.

Bangladesh garment workers protested in favor of higher wages. Police arrived, and fighting broke out. During the clashes, one worker was killed and over 100 injured. More than 250 factories were vandalized, 200 vehicles ransacked, and 20 vehicles set on fire.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/05/24/d6052401011.htm

In an effort to end massive strikes and protests over a plan to increase college quotas for lower castes, the Indian government has developed written proposals that show students that general places will not be reduced and there will be a massive expansion in higher education.

In Hyderabad, a traffic constable hit two young men for not wearing a motorcycle helmet last weekend. One was killed instantly, triggering violent protests, and the other died on Wednesday. To help calm the situation the Andhra Pradesh state government will compensate the families of the victims and security has been increased. The human rights commissioner has issued a legal notice requiring police to explain this action, and other similar incidents.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Indian-administered Kashmir amid high security, warranted by a number of recent incidents. His visit launched two days of talks in which Indian and Pakistani delegates are discussing the disputed Siachen glacier, human rights, and other matters/

Nepal's restored government and Maoist rebels have completed an initial round of peace talks, agreeing to continue the process and develop a code of conduct for moving forward.

In southern Nepal, thousands of mainly Hindu protestors have objected to a parliamentary declaration of Nepal as a secular, not a Hindu, kingdom.

Pakistani Christian Qamar David was arrested for sending blasphemous text messages to Muslims ion his mobile phone.

The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers have agreed in principle to resume talks in June.