Erstellt am: 14. 7. 2011 - 13:59 Uhr

Mumbai: four terror attacks in eight years

Why Mumbai is hit over and over again, and Tunisia six months on from the Jasmine Revolution

Today's Reality Check:

Mumbai the city of extremes gets hit again.

As the saga with the Murdoch corporation fades into varying degrees of oblivion, Mumbai becomes the top story as it is once again on the receiving end of terrorist attacks. Mumbai has become synonymous with terror; simultaneous attacks in 2008 hit 10 places across the city and we were glued to 24 hour news media, cameras focusing on the flames coming from the Taj Hotel as the drama was unfolding. This time it was the financial centre, the gold and diamond markets that were struck.

Mumbai is, in part, a rich city by India city standards – it’s glitzy nightlife is where the elite party hard alongside show business celebs. But beneath the glamour, there is huge poverty too. Millions live on the streets and there are plenty of slums. The question we wanted to look at was why does Mumbai keep on getting hit by these kind of attacks? It’s not the capital, the government and law-makers reside in Delhi. But it is populous and a place where ethnic groups mix in huge numbers. Was that a factor?

We could talk with one of our many terrorism experts in Lodnon on who could be responsible but at this stage it’s probably too early to speculate. However we also have some very good correspondents based in India - one of whom is Geeta Pandey. She told me that Indian people talk about “the spirit of Mumbai” a resilience when trouble hits residents of their city. There appears to be a willingness to pick up the pieces, to open the shops and send the kids back to school almost straightaway no matter what. But there are angry voices too appalled that this kind of thing could strike their city once again with apparently little warning.

Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution 6 months on

It's exactly six months since Zine El Abidine Ben Ali left Tunisia at the start of what was to become known as the "Arab Spring". Egypt followed shortly afterwards, and a tide seemed to be sweeping the region. However, some countries, such as Libya and Syria, became locked in bloody power struggles. In comparison, Tunisia's revolution now looks swift and painless - but how is the country faring half a year down the line? Regional expert, Shashank Joshi looks at what the revolution has meant for Tunisian people.

FM4 Reality Check

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