Police in central Ohio are receiving training in identifying the signs of ritual crimes. It's heartening to see they've hired an academic specialist, a welcome change from the eighties pracxtice of locating self-promoting evangelical 'occult experts.'

Speaking of occult crime, it is not a good time to be a police officer in Indonesia. Police and riot officers attempting to arrest a cult leader in Sulawesi confronted heavily armed followers who believed themselves invincible- and took out a number of officers before being subdued. Reports by officers of 'bulletproof' suspects gives a good idea of the level of superstition at work in the area.

Would be mourners left bouquets and gifts for a "dead baby" that turned out to be a chicken fetus, making this the best attended chicken funeral ever.

Speaking of Fetishes: Togo's Voodoo market