World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the triple suicide bombings of mosques in the capital of Yemen, Sanaa.  THe attacks come on the heels of the terrorist attacks on the National Museum in Tunis.  The bombings contained a number of messages.  First, is was a warning to the Shia Houthi rebels who recently took control of the capital.  Second, it was a warning to Al Qaeda which had been considered to be the strongest Sunni estremist group in Yemen.  And finally, it was a warning to the West that the ability to conduct terrorist operations outside of Syria and Iraq seems to be steadily growing.  Paradoxically, the attacks occur as the Islamic State seems to be losing control in its main base in Iraq.

Thousands of Irish citizens are protesting a water tax which was imposed by the European Union as part of its austerity program designed to bail Ireland out of its debt crisis.  The protesters regard access to clean water as a human right and a cost already paid for through traditional taxes, and view the water tax as a way to pay back the loans made to banks which made indefensible loans in the early 2000s.  As such, the Irish protests have strong rhetorical parallels to the Greek protests.

A secret European Union report on the political situation in the city of Jerusalem has been leaked, and the leaks suggest deep pessimism about the future of the city unless stronger actions are taken to protect the properties of Palestinians living in the city.   The report predicts a high likelihood of greater violence and polarization in the city, and suggests steps that the international community could take to try to mitigate the outbreak of another intifada.