THE WORLD: "With Ethiopian Pullout, Islamists Rise Again in Somalia: Moderates Seeking Power Face Challenges From Radical Militia, Others," by Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post, 22 January 2009.

The Ethiopians pull out and, no surprise, we now see "a battle for power among militias flying Islamist banners"--a clash-of-civilizations-style updating from the early 1990s. In a plague, expect plague religions to do well. By "plague," I mean religions whose strict moral rule-sets promote survival in the worst of times. You want less of this in Africa? Connect it to globalization in a better, more comprehensive manner, but disconnectedness looks like Somalia.