Globe Trot: Algeria, North Korea, Syria, Paris protests, mapping North Africa

“Terrorists should be on notice,” said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today in London, following the Algerian army’s raid to release an unknown number of hostages captured when al-Qaeda overran a Sahara gas plant earlier this week. A second operation by the Algerian army is reportedly underway, with as many as 650 workers at the plant taken captive, according to Algerian media. Among the foreign workers there, survivors include about eight Americans airlifted out of Algeria aboard a U.S. plane today. But the number killed in the raid remains unclear, with some reports saying 60 died. A British plane also has arrived to evacuate more surviving, freed hostages.

Two Christians in North Korea have been killed for their faith. According to Open Doors International, one Christian was recently shot while he was on his way back to Bible training in China. The other died in one of North Korea’s notorious labor camps.

More disturbing reports emerge of Syria’s potential use of chemical weapons.

European pro-life activist Lionel Roosemont has sent along helpful links to videos (see below) showing the historic march in Paris on Jan. 13 that turned out 340,000 in protest over the French president’s plan to legalize gay “marriage” and allow same-sex couples to adopt and conceive children.

Lionel writes, “My family and I, together with many other Belgians, were at the March in Paris promoting biblical marriage and adoption in France (vs. homosexual), together with more than 1 million people. It was the biggest demonstration of the political ‘right’ in 30 years in France.” Lionel added that the event was underreported, both in Europe and abroad. “Most official French media spoke about 340,000 people,” he said, but linked demonstrations worldwide totaled more than 1 million people.

Read more about Lionel’s work here.

Weekend map reading: Take time to look and familiarize yourself with a map of landlocked Mali, troubled Mauritania, and other parts of the oil- and mineral-rich North and West Africa. It’s going to be featured in the news a lot more.