A criminal complaint has been filed in the Spanish High Court in connection with the Salvadoran army's Nov. 16, 1989 slaying of six Jesuit priests in one of the most notorious events of El Salvador's civil war. Human rights lawyers filed the complaint on Nov. 13 against the Salvadoran president at the time, Alfredo Cristiani Burkard, and 14 former members of the military, for their roles in the killings of the priests and two female employees, and in the official cover-up that followed.

Days after the arrest of nine by police in India's Maharashtra state as a "terrorist cell" responsible for the September Malegaon attack, the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) announced a campaign for their release. The nine, including Hindu nun Pragya Singh Thakur, is said to be linked to the right-wing Abhinav Bharat. The Congress has also accused the right-opposition BJB of having "direct links" with the blast. (Times of India, Nov. 15; NYT, Nov. 12; The Hindu, Oct. 29)

The anti-terrorist NEFA Foundation Nov. 13 reports a new statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) addressed to US President-elect Barack Obama. The statement says that "the overwhelming victory of Barrack Obama [sic]...reveals the collective willingness of American people not to continue the current despicable and anti-human wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—wars that have been launched by W. Bush." It says is "imperative for Obama to put an end to all the policies being followed by his Opposition Party, the Republicans and pull out US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq forthwith.... He should respect the rights of the people to independence and observe the norms of human rights. In short, he should set out on a policy that will have a message of peace for the war-stricken world which has been victimized by the arrogance and tyranny of USA."

At least 12 people were killed in a missile strike apparently carried out by a US drone in Pakistan's Tribal Areas. The raid is believed to have killed neo-Taliban fighters, five of them foreigners, Pakistani officials said. The attack targeted a house in a village near the border between North and South Waziristan, in a stronghold of local militant commander Baitullah Mehsud. The attack came a day after Pakistan's foreign ministry accused the US of violating international law by launching missile attacks on the region. (AlJazeera, Nov. 13)

Israeli forces detained six Palestinians and stormed one village across the West Bank before daybreak Nov. 14. Israeli sources said that the troops arrested six "wanted" Palestinians from al-Ubeidieh in the Bethlehem governorate, from Hizma and Abu Dis in the central region and the village of Beit Ur near Ramallah. The village of Tuqu south of Bethlehem was also raided, with no detentions reported. The detainees were taken to an unknown location for questioning. (Ma'an News Agency, Nov. 14)

Israel went back on a pledge to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip Nov. 13, turning away critical UN deliveries of fuel and food at the borders for the seventh consecutive day. Gaza was plunged into darkness as the territory's only power plant shut down for lack of fuel. Just before dark, Palestinans went into the streets in a frantic search for candles and bread. As night fell, sirens sounded across the Gaza Strip in protest of the closure.

Between Nov. 13 and 14, more than 30 offices of bogus financial companies were attacked by protesters across Colombia in continuing unrest over pyramid scams. One town official was killed as protesters clashed with police in Buesaco, Nariño department. The official was apparently mistaken for an employee of the pseudo-firm Easy Money, Fast Cash (DRFE). (Cronica de Hoy, Mexico, Nov. 14)

British naval forces killed two Somali pirates in a dhow who they said were attempting to hijack a Danish cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the Defense Ministry in London said on Nov. 12. British sailors found a third man, thought to be a Yemeni, dead on the vessel. The Royal Navy was joined by the frigate Neustrashimy (Fearless) from Russia's Baltic Sea Fleet. British and Russian helicopters were also involved in the brief battle. (Reuters, Nov. 13)